13:35 Plumpton

Sunday 7 January 2018

All12:3013:0013:0513:3013:3514:0514:3515:1015:45

At The Races Sky 415 EBF 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle (Qualifier)

Off time: 13:35 | Winning time: 5m 22.90s

Harefield⁴⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Wayne Hutchinson| T: A King| OR: 131

10/11

Confirmed early promise with a first success at Warwick (2m, good to soft) in November. Stayed on well there and looks capable of better now stepped up in trip. Likely to prove tough to beat under penalty if he goes on the ground (handles soft).

Form: 24-41

Ballintara⁵⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: M Goldstein| T: Mrs D Grissell

100/1

Was placed in a fast ground bumper here last March. Weakened quickly out of when 80-1 and beaten 41L over 2m3½f (soft) on Lingfield hurdles debut in November. Will need much more than that to get competitive today.

Form: F37-0

Bigdeal¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Joshua Moore| T: G & J Moore

100/1

Didn't show a great deal in bumpers and was sent off at 200-1 for hurdles debut last time, when unseating early on at Newbury. Watching brief advised this time.

Form: 00U

Cintex²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: N D Fehily| T: N P Mulholland

12/1

Made frame here (good to firm) in debut bumper in May and made good start over hurdles when 5L second at Uttoxeter (2m6f, good) in July. Failed to build on that over C&D (soft) last time after break. Should strip fitter, but heavy ground a concern.

Form: P2-3627

Flemenskill^h1⁵⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: R Johnson| T: W Greatrex

12/1

Made frame in bumpers in February/March, showing promise. Led for a long way before being eased when beaten at Aintree (2m4f) in November. Could do better than that with champion up/hood fitted. Sire's progeny tend to handle testing ground.

Form: 320-9

Game On²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: L P Aspell| T: L Wadham| OR: 120

3/1

Has built on promise in bumpers with two good efforts over hurdles at Uttoxeter and Wetherby over similar trips to this. Proven on soft ground, though yet to race on heavy, Further improvement anticipated and should be thereabouts again.

Form: 9/4-42

Glen Rocco³¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: Tom Cannon| T: N J Gifford

14/1

Irish point-to-point winner who improved for his hurdles debut when dropped back in trip to 1m7½f (soft) at Leicester last time. Could take another step forward, but this is tough enough and he will probably have better chances in handicaps.

Form: P/1-65

I Am Sam^h²⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: Nick Scholfield| T: Miss E C Lavelle

66/1

Showed some promise on hurdles debut at Lingfield (2m3½f, soft) in November, though tailed off on heavy ground when stepped up to 2m7½f at Chepstow last time. Has a bit to prove after that.

Form: RP3-P88

Larry⁴⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: J E Moore| T: G & J Moore

6/1

Debut bumper winner at Fontwell (good to soft) last February and has shown a bit of promise here and at Lingfield in hurdles over 2m. Up in trip today and looks likely to stay, so couldn't rule him out of the prize money if he handles the ground.

Form: 10-6U4

Neyja Blue²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: David Noonan| T: C Gordon

100/1

Made the frame in a couple of Irish point-to-points. 80-1 and tailed off, beaten 48L on his hurdles debut here over C&D (soft) last month. Needs a lot of improvement to figure this time.

Form: 6

Forecasts

Harefield (10/11), Game On (3/1), Larry (6/1), Flemenskill (12/1), Cintex (12/1), Glen Rocco (14/1), I Am Sam (66/1), Ballintara (100/1), Neyja Blue (100/1), Bigdeal (100/1)

A race that looks unlikely to involved too many of them at the business end and it is hard to oppose HAREFIELD, despite his penalty, now that he steps up to a trip that looked as though it would suit when he scored over two miles last time. Cintex looks to have some ability, but this testing ground would have to be a concern for potential backers going into this, while Game On has made a good start to his hurding career and if anything is to trouble the selection then it may turn out to be either he or Flemenskill, who is probably better than the result of his Aintree runs suggests and will probably handle this going. Larry is another to consider.