17:20 Hexham

Friday 6 October 2017

All14:2515:0015:3516:1016:4517:20

Follow Hexham On Twitter And Facebook Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 17:20 | Winning time: 6m 10.9s

Too Many Chiefs¹⁶⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: Finian O'Toole⁽⁵⁾| T: Mrs S A Watt| OR: 102| C| D

12/1

Has two ways of running, and bombed out badly over 2m4f (good) here in April just 15 days on from a game success at Kelso (2m6½f good). However, more positively he has won here in the past, and his mark is fair.

Form: 66P410-

Luso Benny¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-13| J: J Kington⁽³⁾| T: P Holmes| OR: 101

33/1

Ex Irish (Margaret Mullins). Ran well over C&D in a novices hurdle in August when beaten 9L by What Happens Now (third Ebony Rose has won since), but below that form at Kelso next time and now tries the handicap route.

Form: 7-83426

Bescot Springs^v²²

Age: 12| Weight: 11-12| J: Thomas Willmott⁽¹⁰⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 100| CD

22/1

Hexham regular who was a game C&D winner in March (soft), but has performed below that level since and now races from a 2lb lower mark. Well behind Turtle Cask latest, so perhaps age is taking it's toll.

Form: 4137-68

Letemgo^h²⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Steven Fox⁽⁵⁾| T: A B Hamilton| OR: 100

40/1

Unreliable performer for Chris Gordon and yet to make any real impression in any of his three starts for this trainer. Falling in the weights (down 7lb), but not enough to expect any significant upturn in fortunes.

Form: 513-656

Turtle Cask^p²²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-7| J: R D Day⁽³⁾| T: M E Sowersby| OR: 95| CD

13/2

A three time winner over hurdles who appreciates dig in the ground. Up 7lb for a fairly emphatic C&D success last month (beat Western Jo by 5L), and holds a few of these rivals on that evidence.

Form: 73-5951

Final Fling^p⁴⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: A Nicol| T: R Dobbin| OR: 94| CD

3/1

His two best career performances have come over C&D (2,1), so a 5lb rise for his narrow August success from Onlyfoolsownhorses looks fair, but the key question is how will he cope with this much softer ground?

Form: 6/3-7291

Kings Eclipse¹²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-10| J: B S Hughes| T: A Wilson| OR: 84

7/1

An eight race maiden under rules, but does have a 3m good ground Dawston Point-to-Point success on his CV (May 2016). His mark is easing, and he's 9lb lower than for his handicap debut at Kelso in January (third over 3m1f+ heavy).

Form: 8349-59

Court Baloo^v²²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-8| J: Grant Cockburn⁽³⁾| T: A C Whillans| OR: 82| D

4/1

Theoretically on a winnable mark (successful from 4lb higher at Bangor in April 2016) but beaten into the minor places by a couple of these rivals over C&D on his last two starts (Final Fling and Turtle Cask).

Form: 37-P733

The Conn²²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-5| J: Miss C Walton⁽³⁾| T: Mrs S Walton| OR: 79

15/2

11 race maiden who had shown precious little form for various trainers until a much improved keeping on third at Perth in August (3m soft). Ran to a similar level over C&D latest when 8¾L fourth to Turtle Cask.

Form: P-P7534

Alices Man^b⁶¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-2| J: Danny Mullins| T: J P Ryan| OR: 76

12/1

13 race maiden who hasn't proved capable of competing on his three previous visits to English shores (Southwell, Uttoxeter and Market Rasen). However, down the weights, lightly weighted and now tackles a much longer trip.

Form: 570886

Broadway Belle¹⁴²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-1| J: Callum Bewley⁽³⁾| T: C Grant| OR: 75

12/1

13 race maiden who has found the frame with regularity without poking her head in front throughout the course of 2017. Beaten 6L by Spoils Of War at Perth in May (3m good), and she's certainly no better than her current mark of 75.

Form: F8332-2

Poetic Presence⁹⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 10-0| J: Sam Coltherd⁽⁵⁾| T: W Coltherd| OR: 67| C

66/1

Point-to-Point winner at this track, but we shouldn't read much into that as she's looked very light on ability under rules. Races from out of the weights, and despite not being with current connections for all that long, she couldn't be fancied.

Form: RPU-12P

Forecasts

Final Fling (3/1), Court Baloo (4/1), Turtle Cask (13/2), Kings Eclipse (7/1), The Conn (15/2), Alices Man (12/1), Broadway Belle (12/1), Too Many Chiefs (12/1), Bescot Springs (22/1), Luso Benny (33/1), Letemgo (40/1), Poetic Presence (66/1)

A fairly grim looking finale, and with all due respect to connections, there doesn't appear to be a single runner on an upward curve. The exposed TURTLE CASK made light work of a few of these rivals (Court Baloo, The Conn and Bescot Springs) when scooting clear from the last to win by 5L over C&D last month, and despite a subsequent 7lb rise in the weights looks by far the safest option in a race which will take precious little winning. Scratching a little deeper below the surface, it could well prove fruitful to include Kings Eclipse for the forecast option, as he's expected to be stronger for his recent return to action and his handicap mark is gradually easing.