14:20 Huntingdon

Thursday 22 February 2018

All13:5014:2014:5515:3016:0516:4017:15

Smarkets Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 14:22 | Winning time: 4m 8.0s

Brecon Hill²⁷⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: T E Whelan| T: Mrs S J Humphrey| D

20/1

Highly regarded by the late Alan Swinbank and 2-3 in bumpers including on soft ground. Will probably want further to be seen to best effect, but hard to knock winning form and has the pedigree to make a hurdler.

Form: 1-21

Diplomatico¹⁴⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: T Scudamore| T: D G BridgwaterWS

12/1

German import stopped quickly on hurdling debut and has had wind surgery since. Probably best watched unless the market inspires some confidence.

Form: P

Fairway Freddy⁹²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Tom Cannon| T: N J Gifford

25/1

Has shown some ability whilst not quite seeing out the trips on either start to date. Open to improvement and this is a weak race so not one to be dismissed lightly.

Form: 38

Laketour Leader⁵⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: A Glassonbury| T: R Rowe

150/1

Latest run saw his first sign of promise and was subject of a stewards enquiry as he was noted coming from a long way back to finish fifth. He was found to have bled afterwards and he has been sidelined since that run on Boxing Day.

Form: 1-46885

No Refund⁷¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: M Goldstein| T: Martin Smith

150/1

Scored on the Flat in October 2016 but has lost his way since. A current Flat rating in the mid-40s suggests he is not up to winning this.

Form:

Oscars Leader²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Jack Sherwood⁽³⁾| T: Miss J S Davis

16/1

Son of Oscar who fetched £17,000 and is from a successful jumps family. Clear promise shown on both bumper starts and not highly tried on hurdling debut.

Form: 444

Peur De Rien⁸³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: L P Aspell| T: O Sherwood

50/1

Son of Kapgarde purchased for £85,000 as a three-year-old. Half-brother to French hurdles winner Summer Tango and has looked in need of both runs so far. Well beaten on both occasions and significant improvement will be necessary.

Form: 09

Starcrossed¹⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton

16/1

Modest Flat stayer with just an AW maiden success around Chelmsford to show (1m5½f) back in March 2015. Joined the Skelton's for 10,000 gns and his debut over hurdles was probably needed after 16 months off.

Form: 7

St Patrick's Day^v³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: James Davies| T: J R Jenkins

80/1

Successful three times on the AW and placed over 1m at Southwell in December. Disappointed since and well held third at Fakenham on only previous hurdling start last October.

Form: 3

World Premier⁸³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Aidan Coleman| T: B Pauling| D

11/10

Half-brother to three winners and off the mark himself in a good Warwick bumper despite looking green. Found to have bled on hurdling debut during a period when many of the yard's horses were sick. Stable have been going well lately.

Form: 1-8

Am I Appropriate¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-9| J: D A Jacob| T: B Pauling

50/1

Runner-up in a weak summer bumper and none of her starts over hurdles have shown enough to suggest she is ready to win soon.

Form: 26P0

Diva Du Maquis⁴¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-9| J: Wayne Hutchinson| T: Noel Williams

8/1

Showed ability in her first two start in bumpers, but has been less promising in her two outings over hurdles to date, both in testing ground. Similar conditions here don't look tailor made for a form revival.

Form: 2454

Mazalto¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-9| J: Sean Houlihan⁽⁷⁾| T: P Phelan

16/1

11-race staying maiden from the Flat makes hurdling debut in a race lacking depth. Has shown some ability and. having been rated in the mid-70s, she is worthy of a market check.

Form:

Aardwolf²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: R Johnson| T: W Greatrex

4/1

His Flat form saw him reach a peak rating in the 90s. The best of his form was shown at around a mile on good ground and he failed to stay on his hurdling debut when conditions were testing. Similar concerns are warranted here.

Form: 4

By Rail^h⁴⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: J M Quinlan| T: N P Littmoden

40/1

Victorious on the Flat over 1m2f in France but finished a well beaten last of seven on hurdling and stable debut at Kempton (2m, soft) last month. This looks much weaker however.

Form: 7

Forecasts

World Premier (11/10), Aardwolf (4/1), Diva Du Maquis (8/1), Diplomatico (12/1), Starcrossed (16/1), Oscars Leader (16/1), Mazalto (16/1), Brecon Hill (20/1), Fairway Freddy (25/1), By Rail (40/1), Peur De Rien (50/1), Am I Appropriate (50/1), St Patrick's Day (80/1), Laketour Leader (150/1), No Refund (150/1)

Brecon Hill and Oscar's Leader are interesting hurdling debutants whose bumper form gives them hope in a race lacking in worthwhile hurdling form. Aardwolf is a doubtful stayer whilst Starcrossed probably needs further. Diplomatico and Mazalto are worth noting if supported, but the vote has to go to WORLD PREMIER. He beat a couple of subsequent winners when landing a spring bumper and there were excuses when down the field on his hurdling debut. The support he attracted that day suggests he should be good enough to make the most of a drop in class and a revival in the stable's fortunes.