Lenny Roberts Memorial Trophy Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 14:16 | Winning time: 5m 21.8s

Battleofthesomme⁴⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Kieron Edgar⁽³⁾| T: Mrs K A Buckett

66/1

Cost €6,000 as a three-year-old he's run twice in point-to-points with a modest third of five the best he could manage. Bred to need time and distance he struggled on his Stratford bumper debut showing very little.

Form: P-38

Coby Nine⁴¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: M G Nolan| T: Mrs S Gardner

20/1

Very much shaped as if in need of the experience when only beating one home in a small field Newton Abbot bumper last month on heavy ground. Will find conditions very different today; markedly up in trip for his hurdles debut.

Form: 5

Legend Of Zorro^t1¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: W T Kennedy| T: J D Frost

25/1

Took an Irish point-to-point on his final start in that sphere having failed to complete in his three previous outings. 100-1 and pulled up on his Rules debut in a Chepstow maiden hurdle; now tongue-tied for this run.

Form: 5/FP-P1P

Rhythm Is A Dancer^t²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: H Cobden| T: P F Nicholls| BF

1/7

Looked a different horse when getting some decent ground to win an Exeter bumper by 8L in May (had looked all at sea on soft/heavy ground). Long odds-on when running well-below expectations on hurdles debut (very green); should improve.

Form: 24-12

Stand By Me⁶²

Age: 8| Weight: 10-12| J: Brendan Powell| T: A E Jones

9/1

Progressed steadily in bumpers although his appearances were rather sporadic getting off the mark at Newton Abbot (May 2016). Only seen twice since then and now makes his 2nd start since wind surgery having shown little over hurdles so far.

Form: 7931/0-6

Rule 4

Rule 4 applies to all bets - deduction 10p in the pound

Non-Runners

Enrichissant²³

Weight: 10-12| Age: 4

T: D G Bridgwater J: Tom Cannon

Cushuish¹²

Weight: 10-5| Age: 5

T: R H Buckler J: James Best

Forecasts

Rhythm Is A Dancer (1/7), Enrichissant (2/1), Cushuish (8/1), Stand By Me (9/1), Coby Nine (20/1), Legend Of Zorro (25/1), Battleofthesomme (66/1)

This contest has been the preserve of Paul Nicholls down the year’s; he’s won five of the last nine runnings of this including picking up this prize in the last two years. It’s hard to imagine that he won’t go close this time also with RHYTHM IS A DANCER expected to do better than on his hurdles debut here over 2m taking on this 5f further trip on ground he should enjoy. The only real danger to the Nicholls supremacy looks to be Enrichissant who showed up well at Chepstow in a novice hurdle last time a race which Nicholls trained the 4th (winner since) and that should give him an idea of the form. Cushuish and Stand By Me look the two to battle for the minor place.