MansionBet Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 14:10 | Winning time: 4m 5.8s

Benny's Bridge¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: P J Brennan| T: F O'Brien| OR: 129| CD

4/6

Won a bumper here on debut last season and was back in the winners' enclosure at Cheltenham in a decent handicap hurdle in January (2m1f, good to soft). 14lb rise for that saw him 15L seventh in the Imperial Cup last time. Has claims here.

Form: 3-2F417

Rockwood¹⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: Dale Irving⁽³⁾| T: Karen McLintock

33/1

Multiple Flat/AW winner (OR 63) at up to 1m1½f, his turf wins being on a sound/fast surface. Makes belated hurdles debut here, and should see out the trip, but whether he has the ability to trouble one or two of these remains to be seen.

Form:

Welland²³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Kielan Woods| T: Mrs P Sly

16/1

Went close on debut here in a bumper last May (good). Has had just two hurdles runs so far, improving marginally last time at Fakenham (2m, good). Hard to see him being good enough here and will be of more interest when handicapping.

Form: 37595

W S Gilbert⁶⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Jordan Nailor⁽⁷⁾| T: J G O'Neill

250/1

Well beaten in three bumpers and, after wind surgery, also on his hurdles debut at Ludlow (2m, good) when last seen in January. Can only watch.

Form: 0090

Yaa Salaam²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: T Scudamore| T: D Pipe

13/8

Multiple Flat winner in Germany at up to 1m1½f, all on good. Market drifter before making a promising stable/hurdles debut at Ffos Las (2m, good to soft) last month, when 3¼L third. No surprise to see him very competitive this time.

Form: 3

Shelfield²³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Bridget Andrews| T: D Skelton

100/1

14-1 and never involved before being tailed off on debut in a Southwell bumper (good) earlier in the month. Half-brother to 2m hurdle winner Imperial Acolyte, so there could be better to come. In good hands, but this is tough on his hurdles debut.

Form: 8

Forecasts

Benny's Bridge (4/6), Yaa Salaam (13/8), Welland (16/1), Rockwood (33/1), Shelfield (100/1), W S Gilbert (250/1)

Yaa Salaam made a very encouraging hurdles debut at Ffos Las, but he will need to improve on that to beat the more battle-hardened BENNY'S BRIDGE, for whom Fergal O'Brien looks to have found a good opportunity. Shelfield and Rockwood can probably compete for minor honours.