12:40 Plumpton

Sunday 6 January 2019

All12:4013:1013:4014:1014:4015:1015:40

Watch Sky Sports Racing In HD Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 12:41 | Winning time: 3m 48.6s

Brandon Castle^h,t²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: Bryony Frost| T: N B King| CD

10/11

Useful front-running middle-distance performer on the level who beat a heavily supported J P McManus runner on his hurdling debut. Jumped like a natural hurdler and recorded a good time with the front two well clear so will be hard to beat.

Form: 1

Zoffany Bay²²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-11| J: Adam Wedge| T: A Stronge| OR: 120| CD

2/1

Beat a modest lot over C&D and has been highly tried in handicap company since. Would not want it too soft and was rated vastly inferior to Brandon Castle on the Flat.

Form: 2166

Baddesley Prince³⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Tom Cannon| T: C Gordon

7/1

Has shown some ability in large fields but handicaps are likely to see him in a better light after this.

Form: 588

Chain Smoker²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: J E Moore| T: G & J Moore

16/1

Poor point-to-pointer who was tailed off on his hurdling debut. Stable have had a few run well in this in the past but clearly he has a mountain to climb.

Form: PF34-49

Harry Hazard^h²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Tom Cheesman⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss Z C Davison

200/1

Failed to cut much ice in the pointing field and on sole bumper start. Makes limited appeal on hurdling debut.

Form: 5F0

Mr Stubbs²¹⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: James Best| T: P Henderson

100/1

Modest in the point-to-point field and just as bad in two starts under rules in Ireland. Has switched yards since.

Form: 444-367

Muddle Thinking³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Joshua Moore| T: G & J Moore

50/1

Haafhd gelding and first foal of a dam who was a dual 3m1f chase winner and a half-sister to a couple of winners for this yard. Tailed off on both starts to date and his long term future lies over further in handicaps.

Form: 70

Pemberley²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Aidan Coleman| T: Miss E C Lavelle

8/1

Has not jumped fluently in either start and latest run failed to fulfil earlier promise. Another for whom handicaps look a more profitable option.

Form: 57-50

Royal Concorde²⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: Thomas Garner| T: Mrs L C Jewell

80/1

Two runs two years apart with the latest seeing finish 41L adrift of Brandon Castle. Entitled to improve but not by that much.

Form: 5/6

Test Ride²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: R T Dunne| T: N P Mulholland

66/1

Finished 53L behind Brandon Castle on hurdling debut and chances hinge on that rival having a really bad day.

Form: 80-68

Madam Anna²⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Jack Sherwood⁽³⁾| T: Mrs L C Jewell| C

66/1

Landed a bumper here in 2017 but subsequently struggled under a penalty and was tailed off on hurdling debut.

Form: 159-06

Questionation²⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 10-12| J: Nick Scholfield| T: P Henderson

66/1

Tried to keep tabs on Brandon Castle here last month but was a spent force two out and finished 32L adrift of that rival.

Form: 590-505

Non-Runners

Los Cerritos¹

Weight: 11-5| Age: 7

T: M F Harris J: W T Kennedy

Forecasts

Brandon Castle (10/11), Zoffany Bay (2/1), Baddesley Prince (7/1), Pemberley (8/1), Chain Smoker (16/1), Los Cerritos (20/1), Muddle Thinking (50/1), Questionation (66/1), Madam Anna (66/1), Test Ride (66/1), Royal Concorde (80/1), Mr Stubbs (100/1), Harry Hazard (200/1)

BRANDON CASTLE is hard to oppose given his smart Flat form and his impressive jumping on his hurdling debut here last month when beating a highly regarded rival in a quick time. He holds a few of these on that form and has most to fear from C&D scorer Zoffany Bay who has been highly tried on his last two outings.