15:40 Doncaster

Friday 26 January 2018

All12:5013:2513:5514:3015:0515:4016:10

Sky Bet Best Odds Guaranteed Novices' Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:40 | Winning time: 4m 11.30s

Strait Of Magellan^t⁵⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: Craig Nichol| T: N G Richards| OR: 102

12/1

Won a couple on the Flat at up to 1m4f, including on soft ground, but remains a maiden over hurdles. Yet to threaten in a handicap but has dropped 5lb here and also in grade, so could be capable of an improved effort.

Form: 2240-57

Life Knowledge²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: J Kington⁽³⁾| T: P Holmes| OR: 100

50/1

Scored over 1m4½f on Newcastle's Tapeta in February and has made the frame a couple of times over hurdles. Well held on soft at Catterick last time, however, and needs to bounce back from that. 2lb drop could help.

Form: 324-6

Dr Dunraven^p²⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Thomas Bellamy| T: M Keighley| OR: 100

20/1

Went close in this grade from a 2lb higher mark at Uttoxeter in May (good to soft) but never in it on his reappearance at Taunton last month. Drop in trip plus that pipe-opener may help and if so, then he would enter calculations.

Form: 76P4-29

Scrutinise³⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-9| J: R Johnson| T: Tim Vaughan| OR: 97

8/1

Has won over 1m4f on the Flat, including on soft. Yet to make much of an impact over hurdles, but registered a better effort at Market Rasen last time and from 3lb lower he could get more heavily involved.

Form: 795-PP6

Timetobenefit³⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: Daniel Hiskett⁽⁵⁾| T: R T Phillips| OR: 96

22/1

Irish point-to-point winner who has yet to threaten over hurdles. Now makes her handicap debut under 5lb claimer and would be interesting if supported.

Form: 3106-89

Hes Our Robin^h³⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-8| J: James Banks| T: M Mullineaux| OR: 96

66/1

26-race maiden under both codes and well held in all three recent handicap hurdles that he has contested. Drops 7lb going into this, which is an attractive mark on some relatively recent form. Market check suggested.

Form: 223-700

Peppay Le Pugh^t¹³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: B S Hughes| T: David Dennis| OR: 91

4/1

0-16 so far, but has performed with some credit on his last two starts and has been nudged up 1lb for a 7L second at Warwick (2m, soft) last time. With not much strength in opposition here, he looks well worth adding to short-lists.

Form: 0-47642

Wisecracker^t⁵³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: D A Jacob| T: B I Case| OR: 91WS

16/1

Still relatively early days for this gelding who has shown a little bit on his last two starts at Fakenham and Plumpton, both under this pilot. Returns after a wind operation and couldn't rule out better effort from 2lb lower mark.

Form: 00-955

Lord County^p1²³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-1| J: David England| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero| OR: 100

12/1

Showed a bit of promise in two starts over hurdles for this yard, both on soft ground. Now goes handicapping in first-time cheekpieces. Not easy to assess mark, but it is probably fair and he would be interesting if supported.

Form: F-5563

Fit For Fifty⁸⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: W T Kennedy| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 86| BF

11/2

Has made the frame in 2-8 hurdles so far and was beaten less than 4L at Sedgefield (2m1f, good) when last seen in November. Yet to prove that he handles soft ground, which is a concern, but if so then he has frame claims from the same mark.

Form: 556-374

Xhale²⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 10-4| J: Edward Austin⁽¹⁰⁾| T: Ian Williams| OR: 78| BF

11/1

8lb lower here than when a 6L third at Wetherby (2m, good to soft) in February. Beaten 14½L on reappearance but that was not a bad effort and 10lb claim makes him a potential contender now dropped back to minimum trip.

Form: 9539-6P

Does It In Style^p⁵⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-3| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 77

11/4

Showed very little in juvenile/maiden company last year but was sent off at just 5-1 for handicap debut at Leicester (1m7½f, soft) last month (first-time cheekpieces) and ran well to be 1L second. Up 3lb for that and not ruled out.

Form: F400-2

Forecasts

Does It In Style (11/4), Peppay Le Pugh (4/1), Fit For Fifty (11/2), Scrutinise (8/1), Xhale (11/1), Lord County (12/1), Strait Of Magellan (12/1), Wisecracker (16/1), Dr Dunraven (20/1), Timetobenefit (22/1), Life Knowledge (50/1), Hes Our Robin (66/1)

Strait Of Magellan becomes more interesting here now dropped 5lb and in grade and support for him would be interesting. The same can be said of handicap debutante Timetobenefit. Does It In Style has little weight to carry and potential to pick up some lower grade races, so he is respected, while Fit For Fifty, Xhale under his 10lb claimer, Scrutinise and Wisecracker are all considered. However, PEPPAY LE PUGH has looked more like breaking his duck recently and is given the tentative vote to do so this time.