13:45 Bangor

Friday 15 December 2017

All12:0012:3513:1013:4514:2014:5515:30

Northern Racing Club Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 13:46 | Winning time: 4m 14.80s

Amerton Lane²⁶⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Conor Ring⁽³⁾| T: Evan Williams

66/1

Appeared at this course in bumper/novice hurdle contests in the spring and didn't shape with any great degree of promise. Watching brief best for now.

Form: 73-

D'Arcy's Sound⁴⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: Charlie Deutsch⁽³⁾| T: Miss V Williams

11/2

Point-to-point winner in 2015, off a long time after and shown some ability in pair of hurdles runs since returning in October, latest over C&D. Could be capable of improvement.

Form: 1/57

For Jim²²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Sean Quinlan| T: J Candlish

16/1

Modest form in two Irish point-to-point runs in the spring, since joined this yard ahead of rules bow and market may provide further clues as to what is expected.

Form: 4-4

Incus³³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: G Sheehan| T: E De Giles

6/1

Four-time winner on the Flat in low-grade handicaps, attempted to make all on hurdles bow last month at Ffos Las (2m, soft) before fading out of things. More to come perhaps.

Form: 4

Kings Watch^t⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: L Heard| T: R J Price

33/1

Winner of a point-to-point on soft ground in April but not shown much in either hurdles start so far after a break. Latest on heavy over 2m3f at Chepstow six days ago. Down in trip and significant improvement needed.

Form: PP0/76

The Draconian¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Michael Heard⁽⁵⁾| T: D Pipe

25/1

Maiden after four starts and best effort came when finishing third in a bumper at Exeter (good to firm) in May last year. Held in two outings over hurdles since returning from over 18 months off the track.

Form: 0/3-08

The Linksman¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Jonathan England| T: S England| D

14/1

Bumper winner for Brian Ellison this time last year but hasn't shown great aptitude for hurdling since joining this yard in four attempts. Ran out last time at Doncaster and risky proposition for now.

Form: 1R-478R

Tis What It Is¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Ian Popham| T: D Pipe

50/1

Modest bumper performer who has not shown any improvement since going hurdling, suffering wide-margin defeats at Taunton over 2m-2m3f so far.

Form: 3469

Waterlord²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Adrian Heskin| T: D McCain Jnr| D

1/3

Smart bumper performer in 2015 for John Ferguson (three wins) and made solid start over timber for same handler (clear second at Huntingdon behind subsequent 135-rated winner). Acquitted himself well in decent Haydock race on return recently.

Form: 11142/6

Forecasts

Waterlord (1/3), D'Arcy's Sound (11/2), Incus (6/1), The Linksman (14/1), For Jim (16/1), The Draconian (25/1), Kings Watch (33/1), Tis What It Is (50/1), Amerton Lane (66/1)

It's very hard to get away from WATERLORD, a three-time bumper winner for John Ferguson in 2015 who showed he retains plenty ability last month at Haydock when beaten less than 6L in a Listed Novices' Hurdle. That was his first run for 720 days and he's been give almost three weeks to get over it, a similar level of form will make him hard to beat now. The likes of For Jim, D'arcy's Sound and Incus could have a say should the selection fail to fire.