15:10 Hexham

Friday 10 November 2017

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

Hexham Racecourse Membership An Ideal Xmas Present Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:10 | Winning time: 6m 17.43s

Rivabodiva^t¹¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Thomas Willmott⁽¹⁰⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 97

7/2

Came good at the 15th attempt when scoring at Ayr over 3m½f (soft) last time in a conditionals' event. Escapes a penalty as a result of that and has to be of interest for the follow-up with the same pilot taking off 10lb.

Form: 233-031

Letemgo^h¹¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: Robert Hogg⁽⁷⁾| T: A B Hamilton| OR: 95

9/1

Finished 2L behind Rivabodiva at Ayr last time and meets that rival on the same terms today. His CV suggests that he will struggle to back up that run with a similar effort and even if he does he may still come up short.

Form: 3-65603

Speronimo^p1,t³³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Danny Cook| T: N J Hawke| OR: 92

22/1

Well beaten in all completed starts so far, the last of them being in a chase. Initial mark looks tough enough on what he has shown us but in a field like this, if there was market support for him then it could pay to take note.

Form: 4/U07-P

On A Promise⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: Craig Nichol| T: N G Richards| OR: 91

10/11

Had been brought along with typical patience by his trainer last season, but was ready to go first time back at Wetherby (2m5½f, good to soft) last week. Won with authority there and upped in trip/without a penalty he should be tough to beat.

Form: 7875-1

Willow Grange^b,t⁵⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 11-4| J: Danny Mullins| T: J P Ryan| OR: 89

12/1

Career record of 1-51 won't have too many racing to wager, particularly as he is 0-17 over hurdles. Was beaten 20L from 5lb higher when last hurdling at Southwell in July and not easy to enthuse about his chance.

Form: 607803

Rinnagree Rosie^p²²⁷

Age: 11| Weight: 10-13| J: Grant Cockburn⁽³⁾| T: Mrs L B Normile| OR: 84

25/1

Sole win came in an Ayr maiden hurdle (2m4f, heavy) in January 2014. Threw in a decent effort when a 2L runner-up at Newcastle in March (2m4½f, heavy) from 2lb lower, but probably best watched here after an eight-month break.

Form: 52/7026-

Lavella Wells³⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 10-13| J: Nathan Moscrop⁽⁵⁾| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 84

16/1

0-10 under rules so far and put up a better effort when fourth here (2m4f, soft) last time from 1lb higher. Has a fair bit to prove still coming into this, not least her stamina over this longer trip.

Form: 5-34484

Ask Shanroe⁷¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: Jonathan England| T: Mark Campion| OR: 81

100/1

Placed in an Irish point-to-point in May on good ground, but has been thrashed in all four starts under rules since then. Initial mark looks stiff enough on what we have seen and also unproven on soft ground. Others preferred.

Form: 4-37966

Captain Sharpe^p¹⁷¹

Age: 9| Weight: 10-9| J: Thomas Dowson⁽⁵⁾| T: Kenny Johnson| OR: 80| C

33/1

Returned to form with a chase win here over 3m (good) when last seen in May. 4lb higher and back over hurdles this time. Has never won when fresh and was well beaten over hurdles from lower marks earlier in the year.

Form: 4582-P1

My Brown Eyed Girl^h,t1¹⁹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-4| J: James Corbett⁽⁵⁾| T: S Corbett| OR: 75

100/1

Well beaten in all 11 starts under rules and showed next to nothing for the most part earlier in the year before taking a break. Likely to need this, though she has been dropped 11lb and new headgear combi on, so precautionary market check advised.

Form: 6085U0-

Poetic Presence¹¹

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

8/1

0-17 under rules, her only taste of success being in a point-to-point around this track in May (3m, good). Has 7L to find with Rivabodiva and 5L with Letemgo on their running at Ayr last month and is 4lb out of the handicap.

Form: U-12P75

One In A Row^v1³⁸

Age: 10| Weight: 10-0| J: J Kington⁽³⁾| T: Julia Brooke| OR: 64

80/1

23-race maiden who made the frame a couple of times over fences in 2014, but has never done so over hurdles. Recent form and the fact that he is 7lb out of the handicap makes it easy to look elsewhere.

Form: 62544/0

Non-Runners

Bertalus¹⁷¹

Weight: 11-10| Age: 8

T: N W Alexander J: Lucy Alexander

Turtle Cask¹⁵

Weight: 11-7| Age: 8

T: M E Sowersby J: R D Day

Beyondtheflame³⁵

Weight: 10-0| Age: 7

T: J C Haynes J: S Mulqueen

Forecasts

On A Promise (10/11), Rivabodiva (7/2), Poetic Presence (8/1), Letemgo (9/1), Turtle Cask (12/1), Willow Grange (12/1), Lavella Wells (16/1), Speronimo (22/1), Rinnagree Rosie (25/1), Bertalus (33/1), Captain Sharpe (33/1), One In A Row (80/1), Beyondtheflame (100/1), Ask Shanroe (100/1), My Brown Eyed Girl (100/1)

More mediocrity and with the suggestion is to stick with ON A PROMISE, whose Wetherby win last week was in a conditionals event, meaning a penalty-free follow-up bid. He won that race promising improvement may follow, so he looks worth siding with this time. Rivabodiva is an obvious danger and arrives after winning a similar race at Ayr and she is only really taken on because she has to concede 6lb to the selection. Letemgo may again get competitive along with Turtle Cask, while market checks look prudent where Speronimo and Bertalus in particular are concerned.