Free Bet At 188Bet Novices' Hurdle (Listed)

Off time: 14:20 | Winning time: 4m 15.3s

Finian's Oscar³⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-11| J: T J O'Brien| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 149

1/16

Won the Tolworth at Sandown in good style despite making a bit of a hash at the last flight. Has to give lumps of weight away under the penalties but may have the class to see him through in this much weaker contest.

Form: 11111

Seven Nation Army^t¹⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-3| J: Adam Wedge| T: Alexandra Dunn| OR: 114

16/1

Plenty of experience but has already proved to be very hard to win with; he does have a good record of making the frame but the ratings suggest he faces a very stiff task overhauling Finian's Oscar nerveless.

Form: 394337-

Whatmore³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: P J Brennan| T: H D Daly

6/1

Only modest form so far and needs to find a huge amount of improvement from somewhere to get off the mark this time around.

Form: 742R-

Taws^p1³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-10| J: T Scudamore| T: D Pipe

9/1

Plenty of experience from the Flat and shaped with promise o n his hurdles debut at Fontwell last month; with a top yard, so can be expected to benefit from expert tutelage. However, this is a tough ask and he may have to settle for a minor role.

Form: /-423

Ronnie Baird^h⁴³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Mr Robert Hawker| T: Mrs L J Young

100/1

Only modest on the Flat and showed very little in his solitary start over hurdles, so difficult to see hi causing any shocks this afternoon.

Form: -

Non-Runners

Civitesses¹²

Weight: 10-10| Age: 5

T: B Barr J: G Sheehan

Forecasts

Finian's Oscar (1/16), Whatmore (6/1), Taws (9/1), Seven Nation Army (16/1), Ronnie Baird (100/1), Civitesses (200/1)

Very hard to see beyond FINIAN’S OSCAR, who has shown a great aptitude to the winter game and can be expected to very difficult to overhaul, despite being set to concede weight all round. Taws has scope for improvement now he has switched codes. He is the more likely than Whatmore and Seven Nation Army to be the main beneficiary if the Colin Tizzard bandwagon momentarily hits the buffers if Finian’s Oscar struggles under the penalties on soft ground. 1. Finian's Oscar 2. Taws 3. Seven Nation Army