Matchbook Betting Exchange Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 14:10 | Winning time: 3m 48.90s

Cosy Club^t⁴⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-1| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 111| D

7/2

Stayed on well to land a juvenile maiden hurdle over this trip at Wetherby in March on second start since joining current connections from Ireland. Could be more improvement but this looks a tougher assignment.

Form: 4341-

Cause Toujours^t¹⁸¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: T J O'Brien| T: Ian Williams| OR: 121| BF| DWS

30/100

Landed Warwick bumper for Nick Skelton in Decmber 2016 finishing runner-up to useful srt at Huntingdon in November. Has undergone a wind operation and makes debut for new, in-form yard. Looks sure to run a big race.

Form: U19/42-

Iwilldoit²³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Charlie Deutsch| T: S Thomas

14/1

Not disgraced in a couple of bumpers and looks the type to win a race or two over hurdles. Faces stiff task though on hurdles bow but a decent display is not ruled out.

Form: 55-

Man Of The North⁹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Lee Edwards| T: A W Carroll

100/1

Dam half-sister to champion sprinter Owington and looked as though he may find 2m a challenge when completely tailed off on only start in a bumper at Bangor in February. Hard to fancy.

Form: 7-

Blushing Red²²

Age: 4| Weight: 10-8| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: Miss E C Lavelle

14/1

Two wins on the Flat for Ed Dunlop at up to a mile-and-a-half and cost current connections 38,000 guineas to go hurdling in November. Hasn't really shone so far in two starts over timber but better ground here may help the cause.

Form: 96-

Thomas Crown²⁵⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-8| J: Nick Scholfield| T: D Faulkner

100/1

Maiden handicapper who failed to score over a variety of distances last term for Roger Fell. Debut for new yard and makes hurdling bow but doesn't make much appeal on evidence to date.

Form:

Forecasts

Cause Toujours (30/100), Cosy Club (7/2), Blushing Red (14/1), Iwilldoit (14/1), Man Of The North (100/1), Thomas Crown (100/1)

Assuming the wind op has done the trick, CAUSE TOUJOURS should have too many guns for Cosy Club in receipt of 3lb from the Wetherby winner. The selection was beaten by a useful horse when last seen in November and that form looks enough to score at this level. Cosy Club did nothing wrong last time and is going the right way and is a danger if Cause Toujours fails to fire. Blushing Red should pick up a race of this nature at some point, while Iwilldoit is worth noting for any market interest on his hurdles bow.