14:10 Huntingdon

Tuesday 16 October 2018

All14:1014:4515:1515:4516:2016:50

Follow huntingdon_race On Twitter Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 14:11 | Winning time: 3m 41.8s

Totterdown^h¹²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Daniel Hiskett⁽⁵⁾| T: R T Phillips| OR: 132| CD

11/8

Free racer who notched a second hurdles win when spreadeagling the field over C&D 12 days ago (5/1); faces a more challenging task with extra weight on his shoulders, but the slightly easier ground isn't a concern.

Form: 8771F-1

Nylon Speed²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-4| J: Wayne Hutchinson| T: A King| D

9/4

70-rated on the Flat; backed up a 1m4f Kempton (AW) win when seeing off the Nicky Henderson-trained Full Bore by 1¼L on hurdles debut at Warwick (2m, good) last month; penalised accordingly.

Form: 1

Bard Of Brittany²⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: B S Hughes| T: M R Channon| OR: 105

25/1

Shown fair form over hurdles since being brought down at the first on hurdles debut at Market Rasen in March, but needs to better his latest 3¾L fourth to Sofia's Rock (2m, Worcester) in order to trouble the judge.

Form: 60B-34

Barley Hill¹⁶³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: N de Boinville| T: B Pauling

33/1

€42,000 3yo who perhaps didn't achieve as much as hoped in bumpers, and made a low-key hurdles debut at Towcester (2m3f, good) in May when folding tamely (fifth of six) behind Doux Pretender.

Form: 624-5

Bonjour Steve¹³⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: L Heard| T: R J Price

200/1

Modest on the Flat (50-rated), and best known for his exploits over sprint trips; well beaten (100/1) on hurdles debut at Bangor (2m+ maiden) in May.

Form: 8

Buachaill Beag^t²⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: J E Moore| T: M G Rimell

50/1

Evidently not the most straightforward of horses; ran out on hurdles debut in May 2016 (for Fergal O'Brien), and not seen again until debuting for this trainer at Newton Abbot last month (second).

Form: 843R/2

Denmead^t1⁵⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| D

4/1

Has left John Butler since his last Flat start in August (79-rated on turf; 87-rated on AW); no doubting that he has the required stamina reserves for hurdling, so interesting to see how he fares on NH debut for Dan Skelton; wears a tongue-tie.

Form:

Locker Room Talk^h1²⁷³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: N & W Twiston-Davies

16/1

Cost £135,000 out of the Irish point-to-point scene, but folded tamely on rules debut (bumper) at Hereford in January; has left Rebecca Curtis since and looks worthy of close market inspection on hurdles bow for Nigel Twiston-Davies; now hooded.

Form: 2/6-

Mulsanne Chase^t¹²

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: P J Brennan| T: C R Dore

250/1

56-rated on the Flat; sole win in a 1m2f Leicester seller (for Brian Barr); badly tailed off from the fifth hurdle when beaten miles by Totterdown on hurdles bow over C&D 12 days ago.

Form: 7

World Premier²¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: R P McLernon| T: B Pauling| BF| DWS

10/1

8L winner on debut at Warwick in April 2017 (bumper), but hasn't progressed over hurdles; twice a beaten favourite over C&D (burst a blood vessel in March); makes his seasonal reappearance following summer wind surgery; market helpful.

Form: 1/830-

Artic Nel¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-5| J: Edward Austin⁽⁷⁾| T: Ian Williams| BF

66/1

47-rated on the Flat; sole win in 14 starts over 1m6f at Nottingham in July (good to firm); shouldn't be strong enough in this company on hurdles debut (and more interesting in handicaps further down the line).

Form:

Avocet^p,t¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-5| J: S Bowen| T: Mrs S J Humphrey

100/1

60-rated on the Flat (AW); keen and weakened rapidly over 1m4f on Polytrack at Kempton a fortnight ago (finished last of 11); clearly not the solution on hurdles debut.

Form:

Forecasts

Totterdown (11/8), Nylon Speed (9/4), Denmead (4/1), World Premier (10/1), Locker Room Talk (16/1), Bard Of Brittany (25/1), Barley Hill (33/1), Buachaill Beag (50/1), Artic Nel (66/1), Avocet (100/1), Bonjour Steve (200/1), Mulsanne Chase (250/1)

A couple of these horses are probably more than capable of making a positive impression in this company, with the wind-operated upon World Premier noteworthy, along with the now hooded Nigel Twiston-Davies trained hurdles newcomer Locker Room Talk. Furthermore, Denmead can be expected to win a couple of modest hurdle races for Dan Skelton. However, with both Nylon Speed and TOTTERDOWN we sort of know what to expect. The selection was an emphatic C&D winner 12 days ago (for which he carries an additional penalty), but assuming that 5lb claimer Daniel Hiskett doesn't set absolutely blistering early fractions, he should follow up.