14:20 Hexham

Wednesday 12 December 2018

All12:2012:5013:2013:5014:2014:5015:20

Half Price Admission Thursday 20th December Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:21 | Winning time: 6m 16.60s

Pershing Missile^p1,t1¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Kielan Woods| T: D Killahena & G McPherson| OR: 104

14/1

Tongue-tie and cheekpieces are now applied following a below-par performance on seasonal reappearance at Uttoxeter (2m4f) last month; remains a maiden (0-9).

Form: 47722-0

Nemean Lion^p,t²²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-11| J: A Nicol| T: P A Kirby| OR: 103

5/1

3lb higher than when making all and beating Tickenwolf by ½L at Sedgefield (3m3f, good) on penultimate start; his strongest form has come on a sound surface.

Form: 5F5514

Misfits^t¹⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Blair Campbell⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 102| BF| C

11/2

Readily drew clear from three out when scoring by 19L over fences here (3m, soft) in October; beaten since but no real surprise if he's firmly in the mix over hurdles in optimum ground conditions.

Form: 25-P614

Along Came Theo^p¹²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-8| J: Danny McMenamin⁽⁷⁾| T: A Crook| OR: 100

8/1

13-race maiden; runner-up in four of his last five starts, including off a 4lb lower mark here (2m4f, heavy) in November 2017; up in trip with a promising 7lb claimer in the saddle.

Form: P/222P-2

Kalaharry²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Callum Bewley| T: A C Whillans| OR: 100| CD

8/1

Determined C&D winner in June 2017 (good); 4lb higher in the weights today but with the benefit of a recent and presumably much needed run (2m3f+) under his belt.

Form: 2P6/31-7

Overtheedge^t1,v1¹⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-6| J: J Kington| T: S G West| OR: 98

50/1

Slipping in the weights; tailed-off last of ten on his first start since August 2017 only a fortnight ago; various additional aids applied - tongue-tie and visor.

Form: 2/63P4-0

Onwiththeparty^p³⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-5| J: Colm McCormack⁽³⁾| T: Kenneth Slack| OR: 97

12/1

Gained his first ever hurdles win at the 20th attempt when scoring by 13L at Sedgefield (3m3f, good) in March 2017; off for 20 months thereafter, only reappearing at Sedgefield 34 days ago.

Form: 23471/5

Cottonvale²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: Nick Scholfield| T: Christian Williams| OR: 97

13/2

20-race maiden, albeit with plenty of placed form in Ireland (2m4f-2m6f) for previous trainer Eoin Doyle; runner up to a well handicapped rival at Wincanton (2m4f, good to firm) latest; first ever Hexham runner for Christian Williams.

Form: 844872

Lawtop Legend¹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: Jonathon Bewley⁽³⁾| T: G Bewley| OR: 89| CD

11/2

Excellent overall C&D record (2421), but with the caveat that those figures were achieved on good ground; remains on a highly competitive mark (a mere 2lb higher than his last winning figure); solid chance if handling the ground conditions.

Form: 284214

Turtle Cask^p⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 10-8| J: R D Day| T: M E Sowersby| OR: 86| CD

28/1

Winner over C&D off a 2lb higher mark on heavy ground in September 2017 (beating Western Jo by 5L); largely disappointing since, bar another C&D second in March; possible that a return to this track is the solution.

Form: 725-0P8

Espoir Moriviere³³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-1| J: Craig Nichol| T: R Dobbin| OR: 79

8/1

Lightly raced half-brother to the useful 2m hurdle winner Cyrus Moriviere; finished a never dangerous seventh to Lawtop Legend over C&D latest (good); stable belatedly back among the winners at Musselburgh on Monday.

Form: 5-0607

Non-Runners

It's All About Me³³

Weight: 10-4| Age: 6

T: Micky Hammond J: Alain Cawley

Forecasts

Nemean Lion (5/1), Misfits (11/2), Lawtop Legend (11/2), Cottonvale (13/2), Kalaharry (8/1), Espoir Moriviere (8/1), Along Came Theo (8/1), Onwiththeparty (12/1), Pershing Missile (14/1), It's All About Me (14/1), Turtle Cask (28/1), Overtheedge (50/1)

Typically Hexham, with no shortage of C&D proven performers. Some will no doubt be prepared to give the reliable Lawtop Legend the benefit of the doubt and hope that he's able to replicate his good ground winning form, but he's unlikely to represent a great deal of value and is closely matched with It's All About Me and Espoir Moriviere. Cottonvale is a 20-race maiden, yet notable as the first ever Hexham runner for Glamorgan trainer Christian Williams. However, the sensible option is the mud-lark MISFITS who bolted up over fences here in October and can prove equally adept now switched to the smaller obstacles by Lucinda Russell.