14:30 Sedgefield

Tuesday 2 October 2018

All14:0014:3015:0515:3516:1016:45

bet365 Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 14:33 | Winning time: 4m 38.7s

Sonic^p1³²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 118| D

6/4

Competitive in similar races over the summer (his hurdling is now stronger); made all to score by 4L at Uttoxeter in July (2m4f maiden, good); conditions ideal, so should make a bold bid under the penalty; wears first-time cheekpieces.

Form: 43F212

Ballyfarsoon⁹⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: Sean Quinlan| T: P Winks

12/1

Four-time AW winner over staying trips; 16/1 for hurdles debut at Aintree in June (2m4f, good), and predictably beaten by an ever-lengthening 12L by the now 134-rated High Jinx.

Form: 2

Icefall¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: C R King| T: T D Easterby| OR: 113| BF

4/1

Three-time Flat winner (1m4f); has improved with experience over hurdles, 5/2f and staying on without ever threatening to get on terms with the winner Globetrotter in a 2m Hexham maiden (good) last month; chance now upped in trip.

Form: 2232

Major Minus¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Mr William Easterby⁽⁵⁾| T: T D Easterby

125/1

Rated just 35 on the Flat (0-3 on turf), so very tough to envisage him being overly competitive on hurdles debut; stablemate of Icefall.

Form:

Oh No^t¹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Dale Irving⁽³⁾| T: M A Barnes

100/1

With Iain Jardine when pulled up after lacking fluency on rules debut at Hexham in May (3m maiden hurdle); finished eighth and well behind today's rival Icefall on stable debut back at the Northumberland venue (2m) last month.

Form: 8-P8

One Night In Milan⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Finian O'Toole⁽³⁾| T: K Dalgleish

33/1

Purchased for £15,000 in the spring (ex Paul Nicholls); with respected connections so should be capable of winning races, just not today judged upon his distant third to Dinions (3m) at Perth last week; half-brother to Gold Cup winner Native River.

Form: 835-3

Regarde Moi^t²¹

Age: 10| Weight: 10-12| J: Thomas Willmott⁽⁷⁾| T: M A Barnes

66/1

Prolific Flat turf winner in Italy at around 1m earlier in his career, but has struggled on these shores since winning a Southwell claimer for Marco Botti (January 2017); late to the hurdling game and rates as a doubtful stayer; stablemate of Oh No.

Form:

Thosedaysaregone¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: K J Brouder⁽⁷⁾| T: C Byrnes| D

5/4

Wexford bumper winner (2m4f, heavy) in March, with clear merit in that effort - beat the Willie Mullins trained Moratorium by 1¼L; 14L runner-up to the smart Dorrells Pierji on second hurdles start at Listowel (2m4f maiden) last month; solid chance.

Form: 3138-82

Non-Runners

Archview Sunshine⁸¹

Weight: 10-5| Age: 9

T: Kenny Johnson J: Aaron Anderson

Forecasts

Thosedaysaregone (5/4), Sonic (6/4), Icefall (4/1), Ballyfarsoon (12/1), One Night In Milan (33/1), Archview Sunshine (50/1), Regarde Moi (66/1), Oh No (100/1), Major Minus (125/1)

Both the penalised Sonic and the now upped in trip Hexham runner-up Icefall should remain competitive, but their respective connections will be no doubt be very wary of the Irish raider THOSEDAYSAREGONE. Charles Byrnes is 1 from 3 (33%) with his Sedgefield runners since 1999, and this 5yo brings strong bumper and hurdles form into the race. Although beaten 14L by Dorrells Pierji at Listowel last month, that Willie Mullins-trained horse has a fair future over timber, so a reproduction of that form ought to be good enough, with just a minor degree of caution exercised on account of today's faster racing surface.