16:00 Sedgefield

Thursday 1 November 2018

All13:2013:5014:2514:5515:3016:00

Sedgefield Racecourse Christmas Food & Drink Festival Mares' Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 16:00 | Winning time: 4m 55.0s

Secret Escape¹⁰³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 110| BF

5/2

Made all to win a weak novice hurdle at Cartmel in July, and unsuited by waiting tactics when only fourth on handicap debut there next time. Could do better over hurdles bearing in mind useful bumper form.

Form: 46-2313

Champagne To Go²⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-7| J: Nathan Moscrop⁽⁵⁾| T: R Menzies| OR: 105

10/3

Has been running well without getting her head in front since joining this yard from Kim Bailey, and ran to form when a good third of 11 from this mark at Hexham after a break last month. Sure to go well.

Form: P2-2343

Ayla's Emperor^p²⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-7| J: R Patrick⁽³⁾| T: J L Flint| OR: 105| D

20/1

Has lost her form completely, and while it's understandable that she's not taken to chasing on her last two starts, the handicapper hasn't shown her any mercy for them, and she has plenty to prove now.

Form: 87006P

Russian Royale^p⁶³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: Miss Becky Smith⁽⁵⁾| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 98

15/2

Won off 4lb lower at Hexham in June, and fit from a couple of runs on the Flat when a luckless fifth of 13 to Jack Lamb in a 2m5f handicap here in August. That run suggests she's fairly handicapped having dropped 2lb since.

Form: 534-215

Reivers Lodge^h²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: James Corbett⁽⁵⁾| T: S Corbett| OR: 97

14/1

Fairly treated on the form she showed when runner-up over 3m at Perth in June, but she's been a notch or two below her best in three runs since, and opposable on recent evidence.

Form: 4-S2568

Slipper Satin^t,v⁴⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 10-9| J: J Kington| T: S G West| OR: 93

50/1

Over two years since her last hurdles outing, and she has regressed on the Flat this year, so hard to see her getting involved despite falling 2lb below her last winning mark in this sphere.

Form: 562186/

Question Of Faith³⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 10-9| J: Henry Brooke| T: M Todhunter| OR: 93| BF

13/8

Hasn't raced over hurdles since 2015/16, but did win off 7lb lower mark then. Has improved by a much greater margin on the Flat since (now rated 75), and well treated if carrying that form back to timber.

Form: 770213/

Roberttown Rose⁴³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-2| J: W T Kennedy| T: A Crook| OR: 86

66/1

Managed to finish third in a 2m4f novice hurdle here in August, but that form amounts to very little, and she failed to beat a rival at Kelso last time. Makes handicap debut off a lowly mark, but still of little interest.

Form: 898-035

Non-Runners

Keady Lady⁵⁵

Weight: 10-9| Age: 7

T: H Burns J: Lorcan Murtagh

Forecasts

Question Of Faith (13/8), Secret Escape (5/2), Champagne To Go (10/3), Russian Royale (15/2), Reivers Lodge (14/1), Keady Lady (16/1), Ayla's Emperor (20/1), Slipper Satin (50/1), Roberttown Rose (66/1)

It's been a long time between hurdles outings for QUESTION OF FAITH, but she is a winner in this sphere who has improved markedly on the Flat since, and she is taken to make the most of the weight she receives from Secret Escape and Champagne To Go. The others are hard to make a case for.