19:20 Aintree

Friday 15 June 2018

All17:4518:1518:5019:2019:5520:2520:55

Merseyrail Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 19:23 | Winning time: 4m 4.3s

One For The Guv'nr⁶⁷¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Matt Griffiths| T: Nicky Martin| OR: 127| D

33/1

Useful 2m novice hurdler for previous trainer Nicky Henderson (hence the elevated handicap mark), but didn't take to chasing in the summer of 2016 and hasn't been seen competitively since. Stable debut.

Form: 10U6U3/

Melody Of Scotland⁴⁰⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-9| J: B J Geraghty| T: A King| OR: 127| D

7/2

Filly with hurdles experience from her days in France with G.Macaire; a winner on her second start at Bordeaux Le Bouscat in May 2017 (2m+ soft); no chances taken by the assessor on UK/stable debut; ground versatility untested.

Form: 2/1-

Cause Toujours^h1³²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: T J O'Brien| T: Ian Williams| OR: 121| D

1/1

Bolted up in a 2m Kempton novices hurdle (30/100f) last month on debut for Ian Williams following wind surgery. Possibility of more to offer now sent handicapping (unexposed) fitted with a first time hood.

Form: U19/42-1

Phoenix Dawn^b²⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-5| J: Brendan Powell| T: B G Powell| OR: 123| D

20/1

Won just once in eight starts over hurdles (2m Ludlow, good) but has kept decent company over timber more latterly; seemingly out of his depth. His current mark looks stiff enough.

Form: 212737-

Parthenius¹⁸³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 119| DWS

9/2

Group 3 German Flat winner (1m+) who made a winning start over hurdles for this trainer at Plumpton in November (2m good); not so strong since, but has undergone wind surgery and off for six months; market a guide on handicap bow.

Form: 137-

Mick Thonic^b,t¹⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: D A Jacob| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 119| BF| D

10/1

Back over hurdles after a long win-less spell over fences; the vast majority of his English starts (13 of 14) have come over the larger obstacles, so little to lose by giving hurdling another try (1 from 5).

Form: P467-2U

Coolmeen Hill^t¹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-8| J: James Corbett⁽⁵⁾| T: S Corbett| OR: 109

28/1

Bought for £24,000 in May 2017 after winning a Ballinrobe maiden hurdle by 4L for Ellmarie Holden; no show in two hurdles starts for this trainer, the most recent of which (Kelso) came after wind surgery.

Form: 317/13-5

Global Thrill^t³⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 10-6| J: Sean Houlihan⁽⁵⁾| T: B J Llewellyn| OR: 107| D

12/1

Back to winning ways with an all-out victory over 2m1f at Newton Abbot last month; up 3lb in a similar Class 3 contest with conditions to suit.

Form: 31307-1

Forecasts

Cause Toujours (1/1), Melody Of Scotland (7/2), Parthenius (9/2), Mick Thonic (10/1), Global Thrill (12/1), Phoenix Dawn (20/1), Coolmeen Hill (28/1), One For The Guv'nr (33/1)

Another race where it's much easier to pinpoint those who are unlikely to win than to nail the actual winner. Melody Of Scotland has potential and could turn out to be a useful filly for Alan King and JP McManus, but the handicapper has most definitely opted for a cautious approach with her opening mark. Parthenius needs to find extra improvement for his wind operation, but it's foolish to dismiss a Skelton-trained runner lightly, whilst Mick Thonic could feasibly relish a switch back to hurdling. However, with no major conviction, the hooded CAUSE TOUJOURS is the tentative selection for his new trainer Ian Williams.