13:55 Haydock
Wednesday 6 December 2017
All12:5013:2013:5514:2515:0015:30
Hugh Denning 80th Birthday Novices' Hurdle
- 4YO plus | Class 4 | 1m 7f 144y | Heavy ( Soft in places) | 6 Runners | Turf | Weighed In
- Off time: 13:56 | Winning time: 4m 4.90s
Cloth number
Odds
Horse A-Z
Show odds
Pulled up in sole point-to-point in Ireland. First foal of a mare who was placed in a 2m5f French chase, out of an unraced half-sister to French 2m-2m5f hurdle/chase (inc. Listed) winner River Choice. Looks one to watch on his debut under rules.
Made a good step up on his hurdles debut when a close second at Newcastle (2m½f, good) last month. Now races on heavy for the first time, though half-brother won with cut, so possible he will handle it and if so he has decent claims.
Handles soft ground on the Flat, though this will be significantly more testing and he has to prove himself on it. Rated 93 in the code and comes here fit after a run at Doncaster last month. Will be well prepped for hurdles debut and can go well.
Won a Bangor bumper (soft) in February, but beaten a long way in both starts over hurdles this autumn, including on heavy last time. Not easy to envisage him making the necessary improvement to win this in one fell swoop.
Won a Warwick bumper (soft) on debut in March and stamina looked likely to be his forte that day. Begins over the minimum trip over hurdles (dam won over 2m1f) and with no real strength-in-depth in opposition he could again finish in the money.
Showed a bit of promise in a Hexham bumper for Tim Fitzgerald and returned there on debut over hurdles/for this yard last month to put in a respectable effort. Stable among the winners, so could improve and will need to in order to take a hand.
Forecasts
Niblawi (13/8), Shivermetimbers (13/8), Joke Dancer (10/3), Samson's Reach (16/1), Silk Or Scarlet (25/1), Casimir Du Clos (66/1)
Joke Dancer has the best piece of hurdles form on offer going into this and if he can handle these testing conditions, then he looks capable of going very close again. However, NIBLAWI comes here fit from the Flat, should be well schooled and is taken to win on his hurdling debut, though he too has to prove it on this ground. Shivermetimbers is an interesting hurdling newcomer who will surely be able to acquit himself well, while Silk Or Scarlet and Samson's Reach are both probably capable of better this time.
- Niblawi
- Joke Dancer
- Shivermetimbers
Prize Money
1st: £4,874.002nd: £1,431.003rd: £716.004th: £358.00
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