14:50 Exeter

Tuesday 24 October 2017

All14:2014:5015:2015:5016:2016:5017:20

Prydis Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 14:52 | Winning time: 4m 22.35s

Alka Step¹⁶⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Tom Cannon| T: N J Gifford

66/1

Picked up for £28,000 at Doncaster in May after taking a 3m Necarne maiden earlier that month (only two finished). Rules and stable debut.

Form: 2-1

Corbett Court¹⁹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: T E Whelan| T: Mrs D A Hamer

250/1

No show in either start over hurdles so far; both over 2m4f at Ffos Las, and needs to have improved massively over the summer in order to play any significant role.

Form: 744P6-

Gentleman Farmer¹⁶⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Mr Robert Hawker⁽⁷⁾| T: R G Hawker

150/1

Has scored in the point-to-point field since his last two starts under rules, but achieved little over hurdles on his sole start at this track (November 2016).

Form: 7P3-1

Good Man Vinnie²²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Nick Scholfield| T: P Henderson

150/1

A dual 3m scorer in Irish point-to-points in April (good) for previous trainer Denis Leahy, but tailed off on stable debut in a Newton Abbot novices hurdle (2m5½f) earlier this month.

Form: 0851-15

Hands Of Stone^t1¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Adam Wedge| T: Evan Williams

150/1

Hit the deck on his hurdles debut at Uttoxeter earlier this month, and that experience seemed to have left it's mark when turned out just three days later at Ludlow (tailed off). Wears a first time tongue tie.

Form: 342-F5

Harefield²¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Wayne Hutchinson| T: A King

4/1

Doyen gelding who cost £25,000 as a three-year-old. Beaten 1¼L by Air Navigator in a 2m1f course bumper on debut in February, and far from disgraced in a valuable sales contest at Newbury (fourth) next time. Interesting hurdles debutant.

Form: 24-

Hatchet Jack¹⁷⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: T J O'Brien| T: P Henderson

150/1

Stablemate of Good Man Vinnie. Runner up on his final start for Mark Clifford in a 3m Grennan maiden in May, and makes his stable/rules debut this afternoon.

Form: P6F-2

Kapcorse³⁸⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: B J Geraghty| T: P F Nicholls

4/1

Finished fourth on his sole start in France (2m2f hurdle), and this Kapgarde gelding has since been acquired by new and powerful connections. Half-brother to French 2m2f Listed hurdle winner Ria D'Etal, so definitely worthy of consideration.

Form: 4-

Kilbricken Storm^t1¹⁷⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: R M Power| T: C L Tizzard

20/1

Cost £22,000 at Doncaster in May after leading close home to take a 3m Curraheen maiden by ½L the previous month. Rules debutant for respected connections, and wears the first time tongue tie.

Form: 45-1

Lalor²⁰⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: T Scudamore| T: R Woollacott| D

10/11

Proved himself as a most useful performer in bumpers, winning three times on varying ground surfaces, culminating in success at Grade 2 level at Aintree in April (2m1f good). Much awaited hurdles debut.

Form: 2211-

Lord Duveen

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: R Johnson| T: P Hobbs & J White

14/1

Unraced Doyen gelding out of Afdala. Cost €62,000 as a three-year-old, and this ninth foal is closely related to amongst others the classy Balthazar King.

Form:

Midnight Magic^h,t⁵⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: David Noonan| T: D Pipe

100/1

Not shown all that much promise in four starts so far (two bumpers, two hurdles), and couldn't be considered in this contest.

Form: 06-46

Onefortheroadtom¹⁹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: N D Fehily| T: H Fry

7/1

Beat Newtide by 3L when taking an 3m Oldcastle four-year-old maiden point-to-point in April (good). Sold later that month for £100,000, and makes his hurdles debut as one of two runners in the JP McManus silks this afternoon.

Form: 1-

Ready And Able²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Aidan Coleman| T: J & A O'Neill

80/1

Bought for €115,000 last year and has a very nice jumping pedigree, being related to winners from 2m-2m4f. However, made a fairly low key debut at Bangor recently when a distant fourth to Bedrock, so needs to have improved plenty.

Form: 4

Snapdragon Fire²⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: R T Dunne| T: T Lacey

66/1

On the premises in a couple of bumpers last month, without perhaps looking a ready made future winner. This looks a competitive starting point over hurdles, but should win races further down the line.

Form: 24

Thomas Patrick²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Mr Tommie M O'Brien⁽⁷⁾| T: T Lacey

200/1

Stablemate of Snapdragon Fire. Bought out of the point-to-point field, this brother to Wings Attract and Walden was always in the rear on his recent hurdles debut at Southwell (1m7½f good).

Form: 43PP1-0

Winter Squaw¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-5| J: Lucy Gardner⁽³⁾| T: Mrs S Gardner

250/1

Out of a very moderate dam (Briery Breeze), this mare achieved little in four starts in point-to-points and was pulled up on her recent course rules/hurdles debut. Back number.

Form: PP-R4P

Non-Runners

Rocket Ronnie¹²

Weight: 10-12| Age: 7

T: B Barr J: Thomas Garner

Forecasts

Lalor (10/11), Harefield (4/1), Kapcorse (4/1), Onefortheroadtom (7/1), Lord Duveen (14/1), Rocket Ronnie (16/1), Kilbricken Storm (20/1), Snapdragon Fire (66/1), Alka Step (66/1), Ready And Able (80/1), Midnight Magic (100/1), Hatchet Jack (150/1), Good Man Vinnie (150/1), Gentleman Farmer (150/1), Hands Of Stone (150/1), Thomas Patrick (200/1), Corbett Court (250/1), Winter Squaw (250/1)

A race which will almost certainly offer plenty for the future, with the likes of Harefield, Kilbricken Storm and Lord Duveen almost sure to win their fair share of races; but probably not today. JP McManus has been supplying winners right, left and centre over the past couple of weeks, and he is doubly represented by Kapcorse (Paul Nicholls) and Onefortheroadtom (Harry Fry). Preference is for the latter named gelding who cost £100,000 in April after success in an Oldcastle point-to-point. Fry saddled If The Cap Fits to success in a similar contest here earlier in the month, and if this four-year-old is as talented as his stablemate, he should be thereabouts. However, LALOR stands out on bumper form. He beat If The Cap Fits (fourth) when taking the Grade 2 Aintree bumper in April, and there should be no reason as to why his trainer Richard Woollacott can't bring out the best of his ground versatile stable star over hurdles.