15:30 Hexham

Wednesday 21 November 2018

All12:5013:2013:5014:2514:5515:30

Racing Partnership Novices' Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:31 | Winning time: 4m 25.61s

Wenceslaus¹⁹

Age: 13| Weight: 0-0| J: Unknown| T: D G Bridgwater| D

Form: 007311

Red Ochre²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 0-0| J: Callum Bewley| T: C Grant| OR: 103

4/1

15-race maiden; kept on to finish a well beaten (13L) second to Charmant on chasing debut at Sedgefield (2m, good) just under three weeks ago.

Form: 2-22252

Le Frank^t³⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 0-0| J: D R Fox| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 100

9/5

Sizeable, scopey sort who is very much built for chasing, so no surprise he's rather under-performed over hurdles; third start since wind surgery; finished 13L fourth to Sophie Olivia on chasing debut (2m4f, soft) here in October.

Form: 3/4304-4

Echo Express¹⁷⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 0-0| J: B S Hughes| T: N G Richards| OR: 100

5/2

Made a promising start in bumpers/novice hurdles before going off the boil thereafter (pulled devilishly hard at Huntingdon in May); his pedigree doesn't necessarily imply that he'll be a solid chaser (debut); hails from much respected quarters.

Form: 1/2367-P

Budarri²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 0-0| J: Sam Coltherd⁽⁵⁾| T: W Coltherd| OR: 100

4/1

14-race maiden, but with plenty of placed form over hurdles (2m-2m4f); switches to fences for the first time after finishing 7¾L third to Outcrop at Sedgefield (2m1f) latest.

Form: 24-2273

Cougar's Gold²²

Age: 14| Weight: 0-0| J: Unknown| T: P & M Bowen

Form: 55542-5

Trooblue⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 0-0| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 100| BF

4/1

Shown bits and pieces of form over hurdles, but fair to say that she kicked off in handicap company from a fairly challenging handicap mark; in contention when brought down four out at Carlisle (2m1f) latest; chasing debut.

Form: 4334-9B

Ringaringarosie¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 0-0| J: Henry Brooke| T: M Todhunter| OR: 96

50/1

Raced keenly (wore a tongue-tie) in a 2m mares' maiden hurdle at Ayr 18-days ago-beaten 23L by Sassy Diva; switched to fences for her rules chasing debut (pulled up on both starts in Irish PTP's for Sean Thomas Doyle).

Form: PP0743

The Pine Martin⁵³⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 0-0| J: Alain Cawley| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 93| BF| CDWS

7/1

Much improved for the switch to Micky Hammond (cost a mere £600); has shown an ability to handle this track (over hurdles), and switches to fences for the first time following wind surgery and a 536-day absence.

Form: FU36/12-

Gogo Baloo¹⁹²

Age: 6| Weight: 0-0| J: Mr William Easterby⁽⁵⁾| T: T D Easterby| OR: 93

16/1

Has minor placed hurdles form on her CV from early 2018; switches to fences for the first time on seasonal reappearance after ending the previous campaign on somewhat of a downer.

Form: P6337-8

Scorpo¹⁷³

Age: 7| Weight: 0-0| J: C J Todd⁽⁷⁾| T: V Thompson| OR: 69

33/1

12-race maiden who competes from outside of the handicap after free-falling in the weights since March 2018; no chance.

Form: PP-096P

Early Boy^e/s¹³

Age: 7| Weight: 0-0| J: A Nicol| T: A Crook| OR: 67

33/1

15-race maiden; finished runner-up (25/1) on his second chasing start at Sedgefield recently, albeit was beaten a whopping 22L by Grow Nasa Grow; can't be the solution at these weights (competes from out of the handicap).

Form: 87-7642

Reverse The Charge³¹

Age: 18| Weight: 0-0| J: Ross Chapman⁽³⁾| T: Mrs J Walton| CD

Form: 633411

Bingo D'Olivate²¹²

Age: 14| Weight: 0-0| J: Unknown| T: J Ewart| D

Form: 306FF6-

Airdrigh¹⁹

Age: 13| Weight: 0-0| J: Unknown| T: S R B Crawford

Form: 565480

Avondhu Pearl¹¹

Age: 14| Weight: 0-0| J: Unknown| T: W Coltherd

Form: 833-6P7

Towerburn¹²

Age: 16| Weight: 0-0| J: Unknown| T: Mrs A C Hamilton

Form: P4-P004

Forecasts

Le Frank (9/5), Echo Express (5/2), Budarri (4/1), Trooblue (4/1), Red Ochre (4/1), The Pine Martin (7/1), Gogo Baloo (16/1), Scorpo (33/1), Early Boy (33/1), Ringaringarosie (50/1)

A fairly uninspiring finale in which chasing form is at a premium. Likely types (based on connections) include the once promising Echo Express and the still unexposed 6yo mare Trooblue. However, this could be the day for the likeable LE FRANK. He demonstrated that he has ability lurking within in bumpers and over hurdles despite appearing to be every inch a chaser in the making. He wasn't overly sharp in the early part of the race on his chasing debut at this track in October (2m4f, soft) but eventually warmed to the task, and as a sizeable individual that race should've helped to blow a few cobwebs away.