12:30 Newbury

Wednesday 20 December 2017

All12:3013:0013:3014:0514:4015:1515:45

St. James's Place Juvenile Hurdle

Off time: 12:30 | Winning time: 4m 9.0s

Style De Garde^h1⁸⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 11-4| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson

5/4

Justified odds-on favouritism when off the mark at the second attempt in a hurdle over an extended 2m1f on soft ground in France in October. Making his debut for a new yard today.

Form: 3-1

Cloud Hopper³¹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: Max Kendrick⁽⁷⁾| T: Jamie Snowden

200/1

Well held in a bumper and two novice hurdles so far. Likely to be of more interest once tackling handicaps.

Form: 088

Doctor Bartolo²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: Ian Popham| T: A King| C

7/4

Dual winner on the Flat and ran well to finish 1L second on hurdling and stable debut at Wetherby (soft) three weeks ago. A repeat of that performance should see him go close today.

Form: 2

Erick Le Rouge³⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: Lizzie Kelly⁽³⁾| T: Nick Williams

14/1

Well held fourth when making his hurdling debut on soft ground at Bangor a month ago. Interesting to see how he fares on this occasion.

Form: 4

He's A Toff⁷⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: Jack Sherwood⁽³⁾| T: Miss J S Davis

100/1

Placed three times at up to 1m on the Flat but sent off a big price and pulled up in October's hurdling debut at Stratford (good). Others make more appeal.

Form: P

Leoro¹¹¹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: N D Fehily| T: C J Mann| BF

16/1

Successful on the Flat over 1m3f on good ground in Germany. Market likely to prove the best guide as to expectations on stable and hurdling debut today.

Form:

Lord County⁶⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: Thomas Garner⁽³⁾| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero

100/1

Fair efforts in two completed starts in France. Likely to appreciate further in time and probably best watched on debut for this yard.

Form: F-55

Marettimo⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: Sean Houlihan⁽⁷⁾| T: W G M Turner| OR: 104

25/1

Ten race maiden including in four outings over hurdles. Best effort so far came when 18L second at Ludlow (2m, good) last month and still held chances when unseating three out at Fontwell recently.

Form: 542U

Royale Zanzibar¹⁵⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: J E Moore| T: T Symonds

12/1

Placed three times from four starts over hurdles in France when trained by Guillaum Macaire. Most recent of those came on good ground at Nancy in July and he is one to note on his debut for this stable.

Form: 02-2

The Blues Master²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: Wayne Hutchinson| T: A King

8/1

Winner of a 1m4f AW maiden on the Flat and placed in handicap company since. Well beaten when making his stable and hurdling debut at Wetherby (2m, soft) last month but not written off just yet.

Form: 7

Titan^t1³⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: David England| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero

100/1

Limited signs of ability on the Flat and pulled up on hurdling debut at Ludlow (2m, good) last month. Wears a tongue tie for the first time today.

Form: P

So Hoity Toity^h³⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 10-5| J: Richard Condon⁽⁷⁾| T: R Mathew

200/1

Placed in France as a two-year-old but lightly raced since and well held at Leicester (good-to-soft) in a first time hood (retained) on debut in this sphere last month.

Form: 6

Forecasts

Style De Garde (5/4), Doctor Bartolo (7/4), The Blues Master (8/1), Royale Zanzibar (12/1), Erick Le Rouge (14/1), Leoro (16/1), Marettimo (25/1), Lord County (100/1), Titan (100/1), He's A Toff (100/1), Cloud Hopper (200/1), So Hoity Toity (200/1)

STYLE DE GARDE can make his first appearance since joining this stable a winning one in this opening juvenile hurdle. The selection represents a yard who took this with a subsequent Triumph Hurdle winner nine years ago and he can get the better of Royale Zanzibar who showed plenty of ability in France while Doctor Bartolo who represents last years winning handler can take third.