14:40 Hexham

Friday 10 November 2017

All12:4013:1013:4014:1014:4015:1015:40

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Off time: 14:40 | Winning time: 4m 20.35s

Ange Des Malberaux^b⁷¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Steven Fox⁽⁵⁾| T: J Ewart| OR: 100| BF

13/2

10lb higher today than when last seen winning at Cartmel (2m1f, soft) in July. Put up another good effort from 2lb lower at Sedgefield (2m5f, good) last time out. Will need more again here, but couldn't rule that out.

Form: P8-8143

Princess Mononoke¹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Abbie McCain⁽⁷⁾| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 100| CD

7/2

Broke her hurdles suck with a wide margin win here (2m, soft) in March and followed that up with a good handicap debut at Carlisle. Another decent effort on her return at that venue last time and looks a contender in this field.

Form: 9513-P5

Bingo D'Olivate^h²²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-11| J: D R Fox| T: Gemma Anderson| OR: 99| D

20/1

Won a soft ground Newbury handicap hurdle (2m½f) in March 2016 but has struggled since then both over hurdles and fences and has slid 26lb. Recent evidence suggests he will need further assistance before winning again.

Form: F-666P7

Uno Valoroso²²¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-11| J: Jamie Hamilton⁽³⁾| T: M Walford| OR: 99| CD

16/1

All four of his wins have been over fences at around 2m and with cut in the ground. The last of those was from 4lb higher than this hurdles mark, so not ruled out on his return to the smaller obstacles, given that conditions and trip are to suit.

Form: 5/41PUP-

Who's Cross^b,t⁴⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-8| J: Danny Mullins| T: J P Ryan| OR: 96| D

17/2

Acts with cut but has gone a long time between drinks, having won just once over hurdles in 2013. Well held over fences last time and from a mark 10lb higher than his latest Irish hurdles run when third at Sligo in August he is not easy to fancy.

Form: P07833

Sky Full Of Stars^b¹⁹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: Lucy Alexander| T: J Ewart| OR: 94| D

10/1

Out together a win over hurdles with one over fences in February/March, but went up a stone as a result of that. Dropped 2lb going into this, reverting to hurdles and on his return from seven months off. Market check suggested.

Form: 311U40-

Rockliffe³³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-3| J: Finian O'Toole⁽⁵⁾| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 91

25/1

Was running reasonably well at a very modest level on the Flat before returning with a 16L defeat over hurdles at Kelso last time. Drops 5lb for that and doesn't appear to mind some cut, so may do better this time.

Form: 44-9

Rapid Fritz^t⁴³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-1| J: Miss C Walton⁽³⁾| T: V Thompson| OR: 89

28/1

0-19 so far, though his bet form enabled him to make the frame three times over hurdles in Ireland. Handles cut in the ground, though not yet threatened to return to that sort of form for this trainer and probably best watched.

Form: 280P58

Carnaross^p1,t²⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 10-12| J: Henry Brooke| T: Julia Brooke| OR: 86| D

18/1

2lb lower today than his sole hurdling success at Cartmel well over two years ago. Has not seen much action since then, has failed to complete the last twice and best form also on better ground, so hard to enthuse about his chance.

Form: 23/6-5FP

Bandol⁴⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 10-9| J: J Kington⁽³⁾| T: S G West| OR: 83| D

14/1

Has made the frame just once from 10 attempts over hurdles, though has won three chases and proved that he handles cut in the process. Off the boil recently and now 5lb lower than his last chase win, though hurdles form has to be a concern.

Form: 13FP-65

Mrs Grass^v²²

Age: 10| Weight: 10-9| J: Thomas Dowson⁽⁵⁾| T: J C Haynes| OR: 83| CD

7/1

Loves it here with all three wins coming at the track, two over C&D and one over 2m4f, all when there has been soft in the going description. 6lb higher than the most recent of those and although well held last time, the return here should help.

Form: 786515

Why But Why²²

Age: 9| Weight: 10-8| J: Dale Irving⁽³⁾| T: W Young Jnr| OR: 82| D

80/1

Maiden over hurdles, though has a Flat (2011) and a chase (2013) win to his name, both on good ground in Ireland. Has shown nothing worthwhile for a long time, including in point-to-points and others preferred.

Form: 90/9-P5P

Cadore^p¹²⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 10-5| J: Grant Cockburn⁽³⁾| T: Mrs L B Normile| OR: 79| D

10/1

All three hurdles wins have been over this sort of trip and with cut in the ground, though the last of them was going on for three years ago. Ran well from 1lb higher than today at Perth in May, but plenty to prove again after his latest effort.

Form: 9964-35

Lucarno Dancer^h,t¹⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-3| J: Callum Bewley⁽³⁾| T: R Shiels| OR: 77

17/2

11-race maiden whose best effort was when an 18L second here over C&D (good) im May. Well held over further on her last two outings, so drop in trip may help, but needs a fair bit of improvement to win.

Form: 858-297

The Ice Factor^p¹⁴⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 10-0| J: Ross Chapman⁽⁵⁾| T: Mrs A C Hamilton| OR: 69| D

33/1

Won a couple of hurdles in 2011 and does tend to put up some of his better efforts here, but has not shown anything that suggests that he can be competitive here for around two years.

Form: 52-2347

Raifteiri^b¹³

Age: 10| Weight: 10-0| J: S Mulqueen⁽³⁾| T: W Young Jnr| OR: 60

100/1

1-63 under rules and that win was well over three years ago. Well beaten in all starts for a long time now and from a stone out of the handicap he is impossible to fancy.

Form: 47U589

Forecasts

Princess Mononoke (7/2), Ange Des Malberaux (13/2), Mrs Grass (7/1), Lucarno Dancer (17/2), Who's Cross (17/2), Cadore (10/1), Sky Full Of Stars (10/1), Bandol (14/1), Uno Valoroso (16/1), Carnaross (18/1), Bingo D'Olivate (20/1), Rockliffe (25/1), Rapid Fritz (28/1), The Ice Factor (33/1), Why But Why (80/1), Raifteiri (100/1)

Mrs Grass should be able to put up a better effort back at her favourite track and you wouldn't rule that out in such a poor contest, while Bandol may look favourably treated on his chase form, but his hurdling efforts have not been as good. Princess Mononoke will probably be popular with punters and could take some beating, though the suggestion is to take a chance on UNO VALAROSO, who is another on a nice mark compared to his last chase win and has his optimum conditions and trip. Sky Full Of Stars could emerge as a danger.