14:10 Doncaster

Wednesday 9 January 2019

All13:0013:3514:1014:4515:1515:50

Sky Bet Best Odds Guaranteed Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 14:11 | Winning time: 5m 10.3s

Ah Well

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: J M Quinlan| T: T Gallagher

66/1

First foal of an unraced half-sister to 2m4f-3m1f hurdle/useful chase winner Fully Cry. Makes debut at the age of seven, and probably one to watch.

Form:

Chocolate Box¹²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: L Heard| T: D M Loughnane

13/2

82-rated stayer on the Flat/AW. Returns from a break (has won when fresh) for hurdles debut and if his trainer can harness that ability into jumping, then he could show up well. Acts on good.

Form:

Colonel Miller⁴³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: Wayne Hutchinson| T: A King

9/1

Has shown some promise in bumpers, including on good. Dam a sister to Lieutenant Miller, who won over 2m2f on the Flat and 2m2f-2m3f over hurdles. Needs to improve on his hurdles debut, but in good hands and may do so.

Form: 053

Debrouillard^h²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: Ross Turner⁽⁷⁾| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero

9/2

Making improvement with each run. Decent effort at Leicester (1m7½f) last time. More needed, but not ruled out of the frame back up in trip.

Form: 0-64

De Forgotten One⁴⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: Alan Johns| T: Tim Vaughan

7/4

Debut Irish point-to-point winner. Held on rules debut in an Ascot bumper in November, but was supported there and is interesting now back over obstacles for hurdles debut, and also back up in trip.

Form: 16

Imperial Elysian^t²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: P J Brennan| T: F O'Brien

11/2

Improved on his debut in a 1m6f bumper at Ludlow (soft) last time. Half-brother to two hurdle winners, so could improved now switched to this discipline and also stepped up in trip.

Form: 55

Early Learner¹²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-13| J: David Bass| T: K Bailey & M Nicholls

9/2

Irish point-to-point winner who ran well on her hurdles debut at Leicester last month. Couldn't build on that in a maiden hurdle back there last time, when upped to this sort of trip. Can't write her off after that, but needs to bounce back.

Form: 1/0-25

Non-Runners

Before Midnight⁵⁸

Weight: 11-6| Age: 6

T: N J Henderson J: N de Boinville

Forecasts

Before Midnight (6/4), De Forgotten One (7/4), Debrouillard (9/2), Early Learner (9/2), Imperial Elysian (11/2), Chocolate Box (13/2), Colonel Miller (9/1), Ah Well (66/1)

Plenty to ponder here, with Colonel Miller, Chocolate Box, De Forgotten One and Imperial Elysian all of interest on their respective hurdles debuts, while Early Learner was too bad to be true last time and there is surely more to come. However, there also looks likely to be better ahead for BEFORE MIDNIGHT, for whom Nicky Henderson looks to have found a good chance to break his duck this time.