14:45 Newcastle

Saturday 2 December 2017

All11:5512:3013:0513:4014:1014:4515:20

Happy Birthday Zhara & Kiera EBF 'National Hunt' Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 14:49 | Winning time: 4m 14.0s

Ask The Tycoon²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: D R Fox| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| D

4/1

Bought for £22,000 in July (Irish point-to-point winner for Denis Hogan). Galloped on strongly when making a winning rules/stable debut in an Ayr bumper last month (4L winner), and this switch to hurdles looks a logical next step.

Form: 5-P11

Cool Mix³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Ross Chapman⁽⁵⁾| T: I Jardine

5/1

Beaten just under 6L by Some Reign on hurdles debut at Kelso in October (2m good), but there was merit in that effort, and his previous form in bumpers is relatively solid. Ground conditions a slight unknown.

Form: 62-3

French Ticket¹⁶⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Miss C Walton⁽³⁾| T: J Walton

12/1

Sixth foal home bred. A brother to point-to-point winner Merry Eric and a half-brother to Merry Minister. Taken a backward step in bumpers after a fair start at Hexham in April. More to offer over hurdles (debut), but not for today.

Form: 2-48

Hooligan Jack

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: T Scudamore| T: I Jardine

10/1

Unraced third foal by Daylami out of Stravaigin. Brother to 2m3f hurdle winner Daytripper, and his dam was a 2m4f hurdle/3m chase winner, so looks more than capable of making his mark with time, distance and experience.

Form:

Jacarno¹⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Sean Quinlan| T: A Crook

12/1

Shown precious little overall in bumpers or over hurdles, but perhaps took a very small step forward at odds of 200/1 at Hexham ten days ago when fifth to The Dubai Way. One for handicaps.

Form: 3985-45

Lawtop Legend²²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Jonathon Bewley⁽³⁾| T: G Bewley

66/1

Milan gelding with a nice enough pedigree, but hasn't shown any ability on the racecourse so far, including on hurdles debut at Hexham last month (2m soft), so safely ignored.

Form: 6-87

McGowan's Pass²⁸⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Rachel McDonald⁽⁷⁾| T: A M Thomson| CD

7/2

Knocked down for just £3,500 as a three-year-old, but has looked a promising horse in bumpers. No match for Sam's Adventure at Ayr in January, but made no mistake over C&D next time when a 3¼L winner. Ideal conditions for hurdles bow.

Form: 21-

No Boundaries¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Amie Waugh⁽⁷⁾| T: S Waugh

150/1

Never involved over C&D when finishing well down the field behind Jassas in a novices hurdle last month (good). His sales price of £1,000 (May 2017) looks about an accurate assessment of his ability. No chance.

Form: 6-0670

Silk Or Scarlet²²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Lucy Alexander| T: N W Alexander

12/1

Has Hexham bumper form with French Ticket, but has changed hands for £19,000 since then. Keen and didn't quite get home on hurdles/stable debut when sixth at Hexham last month (2m soft). Might require slightly more time before making his mark.

Form: 3-6

Silver Bullion³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Craig Nichol| T: Miss P Robson| D

6/1

Landed a soft ground Ayr bumper on debut in December 2016, but hasn't manage to quite kick on from that success just yet. On the premises (fifth) on hurdles debut at Kelso in October (2m good), and that left something to work upon.

Form: 18-5

Treshnish³⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith

5/1

Showed minor promise in bumpers but exceeded market expectations when splitting Some Reign and Cool Mix on hurdles bow at Kelso in October (2m good). Respected, but no guarantee that he'll confirm those placings with the Iain Jardine trained horse.

Form: 63-2

Shesthebusiness^t²²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: James Corbett⁽⁵⁾| T: S Corbett

66/1

Midnight Legend mare who has looked anything but the business in eight career starts since June. Not strong enough late on in soul searching conditions at Hexham latest (pulled up), and looks more of a low grade handicap prospect if anything at all.

Form: 37U79P

Forecasts

McGowan's Pass (7/2), Ask The Tycoon (4/1), Treshnish (5/1), Cool Mix (5/1), Silver Bullion (6/1), Hooligan Jack (10/1), Jacarno (12/1), French Ticket (12/1), Silk Or Scarlet (12/1), Shesthebusiness (66/1), Lawtop Legend (66/1), No Boundaries (150/1)

Undoubtedly there will have been far stronger maiden hurdles than this race, but time should demonstrate that there are a number of horses in this contest who are capable of winning races in the North at their respective levels. Cool Mix and Treshnish filled the placings behind the useful Some Reign at Kelso in October, and a reproduction of those debut hurdle efforts should see either of the pair go close. Ask The Tycoon and McGowan's Pass bring winning form in bumpers into the race, and the former makes most appeal of that pair with a recent run under his belt despite his more tender years (aged just four). However, a speculative selection in an open looking contest is SILVER BULLION. He should handle the conditions, and whilst the bare bones of his Kelso hurdles debut suggests that he needs to produce further improvement, that could well be forthcoming at a track which will place a greater emphasis on stamina than slick and fluent hurdling.