15:00 Wetherby

Tuesday 20 February 2018

All14:0014:3015:0015:3516:0516:4017:10

Bet At racinguk.com Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 15:00 | Winning time: 5m 21.34s

Rosmuc Relay²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: David Bass| T: K Bailey & M Nicholls| D

6/5

Presenting gelding. Point-to-point winner acquired by this yard for £42,000 in December. Well bred and got off to an excellent start under Rules at Leicester last time. Proven in the conditions here and leading claims under a penalty.

Form: 311

Teescomponents Lad²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: Miss E Todd⁽⁷⁾| T: G Boanas

4/1

Ended a frustrating run when dead-heating for first at Catterick last time and while he often runs a big race, his finishing effort can be disappointing. Proven in these conditions though and that's likely to count for plenty; each-way claims again.

Form: 22-3221

Birch Bank²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: W T Kennedy| T: D McCain Jnr

20/1

Well beaten 66/1 shot in both of his bumper efforts for previous yard and tailed off again on hurdles debut. Likely to need more time here.

Form: 9-86

Dig A Bit Deeper²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: B S Hughes| T: T D Easterby

16/1

Has improved with each run over hurdles, though at fairly modest level. Best effort so far here last time still saw him beaten 18L. Longer trip may help, but probably has too much to find with the top-weights.

Form: 49-P85

General Consensus¹¹²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: Mr J Drinkwater⁽⁷⁾| T: S Drinkwater

10/1

Promising effort on Rules debut in a Punchestownn bumper when 50/1 third of 18. Well beaten on only run since when tailed off in a Chepstow hurdle race but likely he's better than that and looks worth a check in the market after another short break.

Form: 3/36P3-7

Sting In His Tail

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Mr William Easterby⁽⁷⁾| T: T D Easterby

20/1

Scorpion gelding, cost £20,000 last year. Pedigree suggests he will want further than this over larger obstacles. Likely to improve for his debut here and hard to fancy.

Form:

Well Smitten³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: R Johnson| T: W Greatrex

9/2

Still in there pitching when unseating this jockey two out at Lingfield in November. Tailed off in an Ascot maiden hurdle last time but plenty of stamina in pedigree and interesting now stepped back up to this trip. Potential improver.

Form: 726-U7

Younoso⁴⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: A Nicol| T: Miss T Jackson

66/1

Tailed off on bumper debut and pulled up at Newcaslte on first run over hurdles when beaten early. Well beaten again at Catterick last month when he was a tailed off ninth of 10 and has shown virtually no ability in his three starts so far.

Form: 7P9

Iris's Promise²⁵⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-10| J: Sean Quinlan| T: J Candlish

66/1

Well beaten on all five of her starts and needs to improve on what has been so far in the jumping department. Significant absence to overcome and others are of more interest.

Form: 90-4P7

Hazy Manor^h¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-0| J: Henry Brooke| T: Julia Brooke

10/1

Well beaten off basement handicap marks when last seen on the Flat but signs she may do better over obstacles when second of six at Catterick last time out, albeit a remote second. Will need another sizable chunk of improvement now.

Form: 42

Forecasts

Rosmuc Relay (6/5), Teescomponents Lad (4/1), Well Smitten (9/2), Hazy Manor (10/1), General Consensus (10/1), Dig A Bit Deeper (16/1), Sting In His Tail (20/1), Birch Bank (20/1), Younoso (66/1), Iris's Promise (66/1)

ROSMUC RELAY was left clear at the last when his main rival fell last time out but he beat the rest of the field by 19L in impressive fashion. There's every chance he will take a step forward on just his second start under Rules and prove hard to beat under a penalty. Teescomponents Lad doesn't look entirely straightforward when it comes to his finishing effort but he's placed on all six of his starts for this yard and can be thereabouts again while Well Smitten can't be ruled out back up in trip for a trainer/jockey combination always worth respecting.