14:20 Catterick

Tuesday 19 December 2017

All12:2012:5013:2013:5014:2014:5015:20

Go Racing In Yorkshire Winter Festival Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 14:21 | Winning time: 4m 48.5s

Espoir De Teillee²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: N D Fehily| T: N P Mulholland| CD

5/6

Cost £220,000 in May 2016, but is now 2 from 3 under rules after making an ultra impressive hurdles debut over C&D last month. Has a penalty to carry for that 16L success, but looks head and shoulders above these rivals.

Form: F61-1

Booyakasha³⁵⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Craig Nichol| T: N G Richards

15/2

Cost €120,000 as a three-year-old, and not difficult to see why given his strong jumps pedigree (brother to Fort Smith, half-brother to Splash Of Ginge). Raced keenly on bumper debut at Musselburgh in January (sixth), but more to offer now hurdling.

Form: 6-

Drums Of War²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Callum Bewley⁽³⁾| T: C Grant

16/1

Has bits and pieces of placed form in bumpers, but was well beaten on hurdles debut at Sedgefield in November (entered at Musselburgh on Monday), and already looks one for handicaps.

Form: 34-376

Duffy Allen⁸⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Adam Wedge| T: N Kent

33/1

Finished third on hurdles debut at Market Rasen in August (2m4f good), but that was a fairly distant third, and he failed to improve upon that effort next time at Uttoxeter. Out of his depth.

Form: 39-637

Hooves The Daddy²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith

50/1

Jumped deplorably on his hurdles/stable debut at Wetherby in November (2m soft), and whilst better next time at Hexham, he was never involved. Others days once sent handicapping.

Form: 3-9P8

It'll Do Rightly⁴²³

Age: 9| Weight: 10-12| J: Alain Cawley| T: Caroline Mccaldin

15/2

Irish raider who makes his hurdles debut having won an Irish maiden point-to-point (Portrush) at the sixth attempt. Half-brother to the useful hurdler/chaser Daring Article.

Form: F23F4/1-

Outback Blue^t²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Jonathon Bewley⁽³⁾| T: G Bewley

33/1

Left David Evans for £6,000 after finishing third in a 1m2f Redcar claimer in November. Offered little on hurdles/stable debut at Sedgefield, and looks a likely back number.

Form: 0

Spin The Coin³⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: W T Kennedy| T: D McCain Jnr

15/2

Purchased for £27,000 in April following his sole start in an Irish point-to-point. Paid the price on hurdling debut (Carlisle; 2m1f) for being too keen but should be straighter and wiser here.

Form: 2-5

The Resdev Way²⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: A Nicol| T: P A Kirby

33/1

A standing dish in the early days of AW racing at Newcastle for previous trainer Richard Whitaker, but hasn't shown his best form in 2017 despite twice moving yards. Hurdling doesn't appear to be a most natural past-time, but handicaps await.

Form: 967

Camino Lady^t1

Age: 7| Weight: 10-5| J: Thomas Dowson⁽³⁾| T: D Thompson

33/1

Unraced seventh foal by Robin Des Pres. Cost just €2,500 as a three-year-old, and arrives very late to racing wearing a tongue tie. Looks to hold very little chance.

Form:

Chocolat Noir⁴⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-5| J: Henry Brooke| T: M Todhunter

10/1

Fairly modest on the Flat in Ireland for Johnny Murtagh, but should prove capable of winning races at some point. However, that almost certainly won't be today on hurdles debut and second start for this trainer.

Form:

Kick On Dottie²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-5| J: B S Hughes| T: J M Jefferson

16/1

Has looked far from a natural over hurdles so far, and in any case her bumper form is also relatively modest. Predicted to struggle despite hailing from much respected quarters.

Form: 6-5488

Kilcullen Lady^p1¹¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-5| J: Jamie Hamilton⁽³⁾| T: H Hogarth

50/1

Point-to-point winner (May 2015), but has struggled badly on both starts since returning from well in excess of two years off the track. Wears cheek-pieces for the first time, but holds next to no chance in this contest.

Form: 10/P9

Forecasts

Espoir De Teillee (5/6), It'll Do Rightly (15/2), Booyakasha (15/2), Spin The Coin (15/2), Chocolat Noir (10/1), Kick On Dottie (16/1), Drums Of War (16/1), Duffy Allen (33/1), The Resdev Way (33/1), Outback Blue (33/1), Camino Lady (33/1), Kilcullen Lady (50/1), Hooves The Daddy (50/1)

A race which barring accidents surely goes the way of impressive C&D scorer ESPOIR DE TEILLEE. Neil Mulholland takes the ideal opportunity to get some more hurdles experience for his exciting but expensively acquired novice, and he should comfortably make it two from two over timber prior to setting his targets a shade higher for the remainder of the season. Booyakasha is perhaps the most interesting of the others, but he does lack experience over obstacles, and race fitness compared with Spin The Coin.