13:50 Perth

Thursday 25 April 2019

All13:5014:2515:0015:3016:0516:3517:10

Edwards Engineering 50th Anniversary Kinnoull Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 13:50 | Winning time: 3m 56.95s

Rakhine State⁵²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: R Johnson| T: G Elliott| OR: 121| D

5/4

Odds-on, narrow winner at Clonmel (2m maiden, good to yielding) on Valentines Day, and backed that up with a reasonable effort at Leopardstown the following month; massively respected on trainer/jockey combination alone.

Form: 4-63714

Fanzio^h³³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: Danny Cook| T: R Hobson| OR: 113| D

4/1

Game winner of a 2m juvenile maiden at Newcastle (good to soft) in January; comfortably held in stronger contests at Haydock and Newbury since; this rates as a far more suitable assignment.

Form: 453138

Commander Miller¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: James Bowen| T: N J Henderson

33/1

Shirocco gelding; has struggled on a racecourse to date and would appear to have breathing issues (generally folds tamely); hurdling technique still in development; top connections persist for now - hopefully stronger for the Huntingdon run.

Form: 0P7

Curramore¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Grant Cockburn⁽³⁾| T: Mrs L B Normile| D

10/1

Sligo bumper winner for Charles Byrne; followed up on debut for this Glenfarg based handler at Ayr (20/1); found Elvis Mail 18L too strong at Kelso (2m2f) earlier this month; similar scenario anticipated.

Form: 6-61153

Fast And Friendly^h³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Craig Nichol| T: F P Murtagh

250/1

Sold cheaply in January 2019 (for £3,000); again toiled on stable debut in a Hexham bumper (100/1); makes his hurdles debut today.

Form: 060

Snookered^p³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Danny McMenamin⁽⁷⁾| T: B Ellison| OR: 109

9/4

73-rated on the Flat; remains a maiden over hurdles (0-6); well beaten by the enigmatic Saint Freule in a 2m novices' handicap hurdle at Hexham (good to soft) last month; possible place shout, but no more.

Form: 3-20642

Falmouth Light²⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Ross Chapman| T: I Jardine

16/1

79-rated on the Flat, and a two-time winner from 13 starts (7f & 1m2f); raced keenly on his seasonal reappearance at Doncaster last month; market a guide to his chance on hurdles debut; on balance others are preferred.

Form:

Fourth Of July^h1²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: R P McLernon| T: R M Smith

200/1

Sent off at significant odds on all three previous racecourse visits, showing little in the way of ability either; possible that the application of a hood will lead to an improved effort, albeit generally most unappealing.

Form: 039

Gripper²¹⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: D R Fox| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell

50/1

67-rated on the Flat; left Ralph Beckett for 22,000gns in October 2018 and kicks off life over hurdles in Scotland for local trainer Lucinda Russell; evidently stays well; watching brief at present.

Form:

Forecasts

Rakhine State (5/4), Snookered (9/4), Fanzio (4/1), Curramore (10/1), Falmouth Light (16/1), Commander Miller (33/1), Gripper (50/1), Fourth Of July (200/1), Fast And Friendly (250/1)

Fanzio was a game winner at Newcastle in January, and in all honesty has run as well as could be expected in stronger races at Haydock and Newbury since. He is one for the short-list for the places but the Gordon Elliott-trained RAKHINE STATE is two-years his senior at the age of six, and also has relatively strong form in the book. With rain forecast (will suit) a replication of either of his last two efforts at Clonmel or Leopardstown should be enough to take this race. The hurdling newcomers Falmouth Light and Gripper are worth keeping an eye upon for the future.