13:50 Sandown

Saturday 28 April 2018

All13:5014:2515:0015:3516:0516:4017:15

bet365 Novices' Championship Final Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 13:50 | Winning time: 4m 0.55s

Mont Des Avaloirs^h¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: H Cobden| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 137| D

15/2

Winning for the second time over hurdles when victorious at Market Rasen (soft) last time out. Making his handicap debut in this.

Form: 1F1341

Highway One O One¹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: Harry Reed⁽⁵⁾| T: C Gordon| OR: 135| D

10/1

Dual novice hurdle winner including at Kempton (2m, good-to-soft) earlier this month. Change of tactics appeared not to suit on handicap debut over C&D last month and he is an interesting runner in this.

Form: 122101

Jaisalmer²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Bryony Frost| T: M Bradstock| OR: 132| D

40/1

Twice a winner over hurdles on heavy ground but pulled up when making his handicap debut at Plumpton (2m, heavy) last time out and probably best watched at present.

Form: U-4411P

Piton Pete³⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: Conor Shoemark| T: O Sherwood| OR: 132| D

50/1

Finished runner-up at Towcester (2m3f, heavy) when bidding to complete a hat-trick over hurdles a month ago. Worth a check in the market on handicap debut.

Form: 233112

Ballymoy³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: D A Jacob| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 132| D

13/2

Placed in a point-to-point and now unbeaten in two starts over hurdles having won by 21L at Bangor (soft) a month ago. One for the shortlist on his first start in handicaps.

Form: 4-33511

Taxmeifyoucan^p²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-6| J: B S Hughes| T: K Dalgleish| OR: 136| BF| D

16/1

Beaten just 1L when finishing third at Kelso (2m, heavy) three weeks ago. Raised 6lb for that effort and interesting to see how he fares in this contest.

Form: 1U13

Burrows Edge²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: James Bowen⁽³⁾| T: N J Henderson| OR: 130| BF

9/1

Consistent sort and twice a winner over hurdles in novice company at around 2m4f this season. Beaten at odds-on over this trip at Ffos Las (heavy) last time out and making his handicap bow here.

Form: 2-24112

Act Of Valour²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-3| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 133| D

11/1

Winning for the second time over hurdles when successful at Fakenham (2m, good-to-soft) last time out.Fair ninth at Cheltenham on his only previous handicap outing.

Form: 15291

Friday Night Light^p,t⁴⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: David Noonan| T: D Pipe| OR: 128| D

25/1

Finished runner-up at Ascot (soft) over an extended 2m3f in February. Pulled up off this 5lb higher mark in a first time visor (cheekpieces return for this) here subsequently but not written off just yet.

Form: 32122P

Show On The Road^h²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: R Johnson| T: P Hobbs & J White| OR: 127| D

13/2

Winner by 11L at Exeter (2m1f, heavy) three weeks ago and raised 7lb for that victory. One to note if repeating that effort for a stable with an 18% strike-rate (9/49) in recent weeks.

Form: 221231

Oistrakh Le Noir²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-1| J: Thomas Bellamy| T: B Pauling| OR: 131

20/1

Market Rasen winning on soft ground in February but beaten twice since including by Act Of Valour at Fakenham last time out. Worth a check in the market here.

Form: 412123

Kelpies Myth²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Blair Campbell⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 125| D

25/1

Handicap hurdle winner at Musselburgh (soft) in February and successful in a novice contest at Carlisle (2m1f, soft) subsequently. Races off a mark 23lb higher than for that Musselburgh victory.

Form: 1-63411

Going Gold¹⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: R Patrick⁽⁵⁾| T: R Hobson| OR: 125

20/1

Good ground novice hurdle winner at Carlisle last month. Held at Cheltenham thereafter and best form has come on a sound surface.

Form: 244316

Django Django⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-13| J: Aidan Coleman| T: J & A O'Neill| OR: 124| D

20/1

Soft ground novice hurdle winner at Huntingdon over this trip in January. Decent fourth at Kempton (2m5f, good) subsequently and drops in trip having been well held last time out.

Form: 562140

Equus Amadeus¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-13| J: R T Dunne| T: T Lacey| OR: 124

12/1

Maiden hurdle winner over 2m4f at Uttoxeter (good) last September and best effort since came when finishing 5L second to Highway One O One earlier this month. Interesting on handicap debut.

Form: 3-11P52

Notre Ami^h¹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: Tom Cannon| T: N J Gifford| OR: 123| CD

20/1

Pulled up over 2m4f here last month but returned to form when winning at Kempton (soft) over this trip last time out. Interesting to see how he fares in this contest.

Form: 6221P1

Ar Mest⁵⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: J E Moore| T: G & J Moore| OR: 121| D

16/1

Maiden hurdle winner on heavy ground at Lingfield in February and still held chances when falling three out over this C&D subsequently. Making his handicap debut on this occasion.

Form: 53531F

The New Pharaoh^v1⁹⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 10-8| J: Patrick Cowley⁽⁵⁾| T: Laura Morgan| OR: 119| D

25/1

Successful in a novice hurdle at Leicester (heavy) in January but finished well beaten on handicap debut at Sedgefield (soft) later that month and looks up against it wearing a visor for the first time.

Form: 315

Enola Gay⁸⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-8| J: Wayne Hutchinson| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 119| D

33/1

Maiden hurdle winner at Catterick (good-to-soft) in December and respectable efforts over fences the last twice. Others make more appeal on his return to hurdles.

Form: 6-20122

Grapevine⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson| OR: 118| BF| D

20/1

Dual Flat winner and also successful in a jumpers' bumper at Kempton last month. Held over hurdles there subsequently and making his handicap debut on this occasion.

Form: 5415

Forecasts

Ballymoy (13/2), Show On The Road (13/2), Mont Des Avaloirs (15/2), Burrows Edge (9/1), Highway One O One (10/1), Act Of Valour (11/1), Equus Amadeus (12/1), Taxmeifyoucan (16/1), Ar Mest (16/1), Oistrakh Le Noir (20/1), Django Django (20/1), Going Gold (20/1), Notre Ami (20/1), Grapevine (20/1), Kelpies Myth (25/1), Friday Night Light (25/1), The New Pharaoh (25/1), Enola Gay (33/1), Jaisalmer (40/1), Piton Pete (50/1)

BALLYMOY can maintain his unbeaten record over hurdles by taking the opening handicap on the card in the hands of Daryl Jacob. The selection impressed when winning on soft ground at Bangor last time and can take this at the chief expense of Show On The Road who remains open to improvement and registered his first handicap win last time out. Highway One O One represents a yard going well at present (4/13) and he can claim third on his second handicap start.