14:55 Kempton

Monday 1 May 2017

All13:4514:2014:5515:3016:0516:4017:1517:45

Matchbook Racing Is Commission Free 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle

  • 4YO plus  |   Class 4  |   3m 110y  |   Good  |   4 Runners  |   Turf  |   Weighed In
  • Off time: 14:56  |   Winning time: 6m 7.7s
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Cloth number
Odds
Horse A-Z
1
Horse silk
For Instance18
Age: 7|  Weight: 11-6| J: Aidan Coleman| T: J & A O'Neill| OR:  126
11/4
Game winner over this trip at Wetherby last month on return from a year off, that just his third start over hurdles and good chance of more to come though is conceding weight all round.
2
Horse silk
Criq Rock72
Age: 6|  Weight: 10-13| J: Wayne Hutchinson| T: A King| OR:  128
7/4
Consistent without winning in four starts over hurdles so far, Ascot contest in February proved too much but this appears less taxing. Tackles 3m trip for the first time and should go close again if stamina holds out.
3
Horse silk
Follow The Bear130
Age: 5|  Weight: 10-13| J: J McGrath| T: N J Henderson| OR:  119
6/1
Run well enough in two novice hurdles in December, has been off since and steps up to 3m now on return for champion trainer. Could benefit from this better ground.
5
Horse silk
Steel Bob120
Age: 5|  Weight: 10-13| J: N D Fehily| T: H Fry
9/4
Irish bumper winner last year, never able to land a blow in Listed event at Cheltenham on New Year's Day over 2m4f, needs to have brushed up hurdling technique for this step up in trip on first start since.

Non-Runners

4
Horse silk
Monkey Puzzle123
Weight: 10-13|  Age: 5
T: O Sherwood  J: L P Aspell
NR

Forecasts

Criq Rock (7/4), Steel Bob (9/4), For Instance (11/4), Monkey Puzzle (9/2), Follow The Bear (6/1)

Verdict

Criq Rock hasn't shown enough bite in the finish so far to merit selection over this sort of trip, though he remains open to doing better than we have seen so far. For Instance got the job done over this trip in gritty fashion at Wetherby recently and is worth considering but he is conceding weight all round so the nod goes to MONKEY PUZZLE. He ran well at Doncaster to be second on hurdles bow in December and shaped as though this further examination of stamina will suit. Follow The Bear has shown some promise in novice events and represents a yard in flying form.
  1. Monkey Puzzle
  2. For Instance
  3. Criq Rock

Prize Money

1st: £3,899.002nd: £1,145.003rd: £572.004th: £286.00

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