Bet & Watch At 188bet.co.uk Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 12:47 | Winning time: 5m 27.80s

Buster Valentine²³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Henry Brooke| T: Ruth Jefferson

15/8

Changed hands for £100,000 following his debut Irish PTP win (3m, yielding); very well-regarded by Ruth Jefferson and was a comfortable 3¾L winner on his rules/stable debut at Ayr (2m maiden, heavy).

Form: 11

I'm To Blame^h⁴⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Craig Nichol| T: K Dalgleish

2/1

£30,000 3yo; unbeaten in both starts in bumpers (form solid); off the mark over hurdles at the first time of asking with a straightforward 14L Sedgefield win (2m1f maiden, good); new trip - brother to 2m6f winner Showem Silver.

Form: 11-1

Informateur²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 120| D

6/4

Relatively progressive at a modest level until finding The French Furze Novices' Hurdle (2m6f) overly competitive here earlier this month; faces a couple of similarly useful opponents today in the shape of Buster Valentine and I'm To Blame.

Form: 283-215

Smart Paco^t¹⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Dale Irving⁽³⁾| T: M A Barnes

200/1

£600 purchase in July 2016; poor in bumpers and tailed-off on hurdles debut at Musselburgh (200/1); will struggle.

Form: 00-95

Start Seven^p,t²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Charlotte Jones⁽⁷⁾| T: James Moffatt

125/1

A three-time AW winner (1m6f) for Jamie Osborne in early 2017; sold for £10,000 in March 2018; has struggled over hurdles so far (0-2) for Cartmel trainer James Moffatt.

Form: P0

Taking Aim⁵¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: D B Hurst⁽¹⁰⁾| T: C Grant

200/1

Has started in excess of 200/1 on both hurdles outings so far (2m-2m5f); simply can't be the solution.

Form: R/P7-0P

Forecasts

Informateur (6/4), Buster Valentine (15/8), I'm To Blame (2/1), Start Seven (125/1), Smart Paco (200/1), Taking Aim (200/1)

An intriguing match between the potentially above average pair Buster Valentine and I'M TO BLAME, with Informateur the only other possible player. Ruth Jefferson thinks the world of her recent Ayr winner and she probably has a solid form line with the Dalgleish-trained rival based upon his bumper form with Return Ticket. However, as a brother to the 2m6f hurdles scorer Showem Silver, it's entirely possible that the selection will fare better still now upped in trip.