14:20 Newcastle

Tuesday 15 January 2019

All12:4513:2013:5014:2014:5015:2015:50

Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 EBF Mares' 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 14:20 | Winning time: 5m 16.30s

Hidden Dilemma⁴⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr B G Crawford⁽⁷⁾| T: S R B Crawford| OR: 109

5/2

Has won twice at Carlisle since early November (2m1f-2m4f) and clearly appreciates give underfoot; doubly penalised as a result; non-runner at Ayr last week (8th) owing to travel problems; stablemate of Retrace.

Form: 4-67141

Derriana Spirit³⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: B S Hughes| T: N G Richards| OR: 114

6/4

Fine looking mare with potential; beaten by a promising type (Highland Hunter) on hurdles debut at Ayr (2m4f) and made no mistake in justifying short odds at Hexham (2m) next time; solid.

Form: 2271-21

Keep The River³²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: Danny McMenamin⁽⁷⁾| T: I Jardine| OR: 114

3/1

Consistent since winning over this trip at Ayr (maiden) in late October; runner-up to Kloud Gate (beaten 7L) at Doncaster latest - with that Gary Moore- trained gelding sent off favourite for Saturday's Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton (finished sixth).

Form: 143152

Sweet Vinetta²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: Ross Chapman| T: G Boanas| OR: 112

6/1

Improving with racing over hurdles and was a decisive 9L winner of a 2m3f Catterick novices' contest (soft) last month; more to do under a penalty against some potentially stronger looking rivals; stablemate of Watching Over.

Form: 37-6521

Devito'sredrobin⁴⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: W T Kennedy| T: D McCain Jnr

50/1

Bought for £10,000 in April 2018 after being awarded a race by the stewards at Durrow (3m mares' maiden) a few weeks earlier; started 25/1 for rules debut (in a Wetherby bumper); vast improvement required now switched to hurdling.

Form: U21-0

Rashee⁸⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Henry Brooke| T: S Waugh

40/1

Showed bits and pieces of form in bumpers for Stuart Crawford, including when finishing behind both Derriana Spirit and Keep The River; sold for £13,000 in October and now goes hurdling for locally-based trainer Simon Waugh.

Form: 4-57

Retrace^t²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: C O'Farrell| T: S R B Crawford

40/1

Stablemate of Hidden Dilemma (also a non-runner at Ayr on the 8th); cost a mere €3,000 as a 3yo and hasn't achieved anything over hurdles so far (0-2) which would suggest that she'll be competitive here; look elsewhere.

Form: F0-766

Shotgun Sally^t⁴⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: R T Dunne| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero

100/1

Milan mare who won a Lisronagh mares' maiden (3m, soft to heavy) in April 2018; has shown little under rules so far, including when finishing last of five on hurdles debut at Sedgefield.

Form: 1-05

Watching Over¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Joe Williamson⁽⁷⁾| T: G Boanas

100/1

Stablemate of Sweet Vinetta; half-sister to the 2m3f hurdle winner Vinetta; outpaced from the fifth flight on hurdles debut at Catterick (2m, good to soft) and ultimately well beaten; extra yardage a plus.

Form: 485

My Shirocco^h1

Age: 4| Weight: 10-1| J: Sean Quinlan| T: Mrs Dianne Sayer

100/1

Unraced first foal out of the tough 2m6-2m7f hurdle winner Auberge; hooded; surprising if she's anywhere near competitive in this contest, yet probably worth a casual glance in the betting.

Form:

Forecasts

Derriana Spirit (6/4), Hidden Dilemma (5/2), Keep The River (3/1), Sweet Vinetta (6/1), Retrace (40/1), Rashee (40/1), Devito'sredrobin (50/1), Shotgun Sally (100/1), Watching Over (100/1), My Shirocco (100/1)

A mares' race which features no fewer than four previous hurdle winners so on paper this is a competitive contest. However, the strapping DERRIANA SPIRIT very much caught the eye in making virtually all to score readily at Hexham (2m) in December and looks perfectly capable of continuing the fine run of form for her trainer Nicky Richards. Keep The River and Hidden Dilemma are the likeliest dangers, with the former narrowly preferred for the forecast on account of the drying ground (good to soft, good in places).