Weatherbys Racing Bank 'The French Furze' Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 13:06 | Winning time: 5m 38.7s

Coole Hall²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Craig Nichol| T: R Dobbin| OR: 135

7/2

An exciting young hurdler for connections who has performed well on all three starts over timber since costing £42,000 out of Irish point-to-points. Beaten 1¼L by Senor Lombardy at Kelso last month (2m6f+ good), but 7lb better off today.

Form: 3/12-12

Donna's Delight³⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: S Bowen| T: A M Thomson

5/1

Viewed by connections as a chaser in the making. Justified strong market support when making a winning hurdles debut at Carlisle in October (2m3f+ heavy); value for more than the 5L winning margin. A tougher task here, but a very likeable sort.

Form: 6/219-1

Hear No Evil²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton

9/4

Cost €150,000 as a three-year-old, but looked far from the finished article in bumpers despite emerging with credit in chasing home the talented Espoir De Teillee at Ffos Las in April. Made a seamless hurdles debut at Aintree (2m4f) last month.

Form: 32-1

Senor Lombardy²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-3| J: Callum Bewley| T: K Dalgleish

5/2

Cost €125,000 at Punchestown in April, but that looks money well spent. Has a strong pedigree and will make a lovely chaser. Improving with each and every start, will adore conditions, but clashes with his Kelso foe Coole Hall on 7lb worse terms.

Form: 1-211

Imperial Eloquence²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Conor Shoemark| T: F O'Brien| OR: 118

13/2

Didn't make an ideal start over hurdles (fell), but slowly getting his act together, and beaten 5L by Hear No Evil at Aintree last month (2m4f good to soft). 5lb better off at the weights, but that's not enough for a reversal.

Form: 320-F42

Dudette¹⁷²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-5| J: Sean Quinlan| T: A Crook

66/1

Off the track since June (Southwell), and makes little appeal in any novices hurdle, let alone a race as potentially deep as this one. No chance barring accidents.

Form: 8-74

Forecasts

Hear No Evil (9/4), Senor Lombardy (5/2), Coole Hall (7/2), Donna's Delight (5/1), Imperial Eloquence (13/2), Dudette (66/1)

A delightful renewal of a novices hurdle which remembers The French Furze, who was a core element of the Fighting Fifth Hurdle for many a year. The North has a strong hand in the line up with a trio of exciting youngsters set to tackle Dan Skelton's most promising Aintree debut hurdles scorer Hear No Evil. His bumper form has been well advertised recently (by Espoir De Teillee), and he should again have the measure of Imperial Eloquence despite a turn-around at the weights. Donna's Delight will have a light campaign over hurdles prior to going chasing, and this fine looking horse is the apple of his locally based owners eye. However, his Carlisle hurdles form isn't quite as strong as what both SENOR LOMBARDY and Coole Hall have achieved just yet, and a strong preference is for the Keith Dalgleish trained four-year-old. He will improve further at this more galloping track, and can confirm his Kelso form with Coole Hall.