12:35 Hereford

Wednesday 28 November 2018

All12:3513:0513:3514:0514:3515:0515:40

Sri Lanka Wonder Of Asia Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 12:35 | Winning time: 4m 58.10s

Kingston¹⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: James Nixon⁽⁷⁾| T: A W Carroll| OR: 105| D

10/1

Seeking a hat-trick following back-to-back wins at Uttoxeter and Huntingdon; raised a further 5lb, but conditions are seemingly perfect (even allowing for some overnight rain) for another bold showing.

Form: 721311

Soulsaver^t¹⁸⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-11| J: Rex Dingle⁽⁷⁾| T: A J Honeyball| OR: 104

8/1

Two-time Fontwell winner (2m3f-2m5f+) who kicks-off the new campaign on a joint-career high mark; must return in tip-top condition in order to be competitive for win purposes.

Form: 2361-74

Destined To Shine^t¹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-11| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: Kerry Lee| OR: 104

7/2

Still a maiden over hurdles (0-6), but kept on for pressure to chase home Neachells Bridge over C&D 15-days ago; up 2lb, but won't be inconvenienced by further rain.

Form: 6U604-2

Best To Come^h1¹⁶⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: J J Burke| T: T R George| OR: 103

12/1

Cost €64,000 as a 3yo, but struggled to make much of an impression in a trio of novice/maiden contests during the summer months; makes his handicap debut off a five-month break wearing a newly-applied hood.

Form: 6-554

Agincourt Reef^b²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-9| J: Harry Teal⁽⁷⁾| T: R A Teal| OR: 102| D

10/3

Well backed when a comfortable winner of a 2m7f+ conditional jockeys' handicap at Ludlow on Monday (good); drops back in trip and escapes a penalty for that success; player.

Form: 5P5631

Jurys Out¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Charlie Deutsch| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 101

25/1

Cost £20,000 as a 3yo but hasn't shown much in the way of ability thus far; opening handicap mark plenty high enough; stablemate of Don Herbager.

Form: 87-0

Better News²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: Philip Donovan⁽⁷⁾| T: N P Mulholland| OR: 100

18/1

Beaten just over 12L (fifth) on handicap debut at Chepstow (2m, good to soft) recently, shaping as if a step up in trip wouldn't go amiss (half-sister to a 3m chase winner); more required, but of interest if the market vibes are positive.

Form: U/9U49-5

Don Herbager²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-3| J: Hugh Nugent⁽⁷⁾| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 96

25/1

Half-brother to five winners in France (cost €4,000 in November 2017); like his stablemate Jurys Out, it's been all very low-key so far in maiden contests; makes his handicap debut.

Form: 54-0

Justice Knight²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Benjamin Poste| T: M Scudamore| OR: 95

8/1

Ended the previous campaign with a couple of poor efforts, generally paying the price for his ultra keen demeanour; a not dissimilar scenario on return at Market Rasen (2m2f, good), albeit hung in for longer - beaten just 6L by Aldrin.

Form: 628PP-2

Dothraki Raider^t¹⁸⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: P J Brennan| T: Mrs S Leech| OR: 95| BF| D

6/1

Sharpest at around 2m4f on decent ground (Fakenham winner in October 2016); hasn't stood a great deal of racing in more recent times, last seen beaten 10L (fourth) over 2m6f at Cartmel in May.

Form: 6133/4-4

Change Ur Tune^p1³⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: M Hamill⁽³⁾| T: Sheila Lewis| OR: 94

40/1

Pulled-up on seasonal return at Ffos Las (3m) and eased 5lb in the weights by the assessor; now 0-6 over hurdles and makes little appeal despite the newly applied headgear; stablemate of Buckeye Shan.

Form: 0P9-39P

Future Boy²⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: C Poste| T: R Dickin| OR: 92

66/1

Shown no worthwhile form over hurdles so far, including when tailed-off (40/1) on seasonal reappearance at Huntingdon (3m1f); safely look elsewhere.

Form: PP/00-07

Nice Thoughts^p,t¹¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: James Davies| T: M B Shears| OR: 91

66/1

11-race hurdles maiden; recent first flight faller at Uttoxeter (2m, good) on his first racecourse appearance since August 2017; holds little realistic chance.

Form: 4P/840-F

Buckeye Shan²¹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-1| J: James Bowen| T: Sheila Lewis| OR: 80

22/1

Stablemate of Change Ur Tune; didn't see out the extended 2m5f trip when finishing fourth here in October (good to firm); ran well enough to a point and lower in the weights now, but others appear far stronger on paper.

Form: 484478

Kilmoganny⁵⁵⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-0| J: Sean Houlihan⁽⁵⁾| T: Katy Price| OR: 78

16/1

Off the track since May 2017 and 0-5 over hurdles (shown very poor form), so surely can't be considered in any shape or form.

Form: 6048/79-

Coopers Square²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-0| J: S Bowen| T: T H Weston| OR: 70

50/1

Dismal in each of his last four starts (including over fences); safely ignored from well outside of the handicap.

Form: P55/0P-P

Non-Runners

Sin Sin³⁶

Weight: 11-3| Age: 4

T: N J Hawke J: Tom Buckley

Forecasts

Agincourt Reef (10/3), Destined To Shine (7/2), Dothraki Raider (6/1), Soulsaver (8/1), Justice Knight (8/1), Kingston (10/1), Best To Come (12/1), Kilmoganny (16/1), Better News (18/1), Sin Sin (20/1), Buckeye Shan (22/1), Don Herbager (25/1), Jurys Out (25/1), Change Ur Tune (40/1), Coopers Square (50/1), Future Boy (66/1), Nice Thoughts (66/1)

Monday's well-backed unpenalised Ludlow winner Agincourt Reef is an obvious starting point in a race where the vast majority of those lower in the weights can be safely dismissed. With a degree of improvement possibly forthcoming, the upped in trip Better News could rate as an each-way play assuming that she starts at double figure odds, but such is the rude health of the hat-trick seeking top-weight KINGSTON, we'll stick with proven form in the book, with the forecast overnight rain no real concern.