Edinburgh Gin Mares' 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 13:32 | Winning time: 3m 58.1s

Edene D'Arc⁴⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: R Johnson| T: G Elliott| D

15/8

Bumper winner (on debut) who took four runs to get off the mark over hurdles but confirmed her previous form when taking a 20-runner affair at Gowran Park (2m, soft). Below form last time (stiffer task/quick return); likely to bounce back.

Form: 3-42317

Vision Du Puy¹⁹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton

4/9

Trainer has had a stellar year, looking to cap it off now with this half-sister to six winner who won a Auteuil juvenile on her only start (won going away). Potentially smart recruit to the yard and likely to put up a good display on GB/stable debut.

Form: 1

Fig's Pride^h⁶²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Grant Cockburn⁽³⁾| T: N W Alexander

80/1

Only had five runs since making her debut in a Kelso bumper in November 2017 so clearly hasn't be easy to train. Poor in bumpers she's fared little better over hurdles in two attempts so far; hard to construct a case for her.

Form: 067-78

Sueno Toms^h1³⁹¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Colm McCormack⁽³⁾| T: A B Hamilton

200/1

Well held in two bumpers when with Nick Alexander last year the second run worse than her debut. Hood now goes on for the first time as she makes her stable debut but looks a forlorn hope.

Form: 00-

West Coast Lass^p1²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: R P McLernon| T: R M Smith| OR: 100

20/1

Even a repeat of her three seconds over hurdles wouldn't be good enough to see her take a hand here. Well beaten in her last two handicaps the latest on the opening day of the meeting (made a bad late error); first-time cheekpieces.

Form: 228450

Non-Runners

Off The Hook³⁴

Weight: 11-4| Age: 7

T: N W Alexander J: Lucy Alexander

Forecasts

Vision Du Puy (4/9), Edene D'Arc (15/8), Off The Hook (5/1), West Coast Lass (20/1), Fig's Pride (80/1), Sueno Toms (200/1)

If Gordon Elliott wants to maintain his record of winning the opening race having done so on the previous two days them Edene D’Arc will need to repeat her winning Gowran Park form rather than her last run as she runs into a potentially smart opponent in VISION DU PUY. The winner of a newcomers juvenile event at Auteuil by 15L she’s an interesting recruit for the Skelton/McManus axis with the trainer now having reached 200 plus winners this season. Off The Hook can’t be left out of the equation she is after all Listed placed and ran a fine fourth in the Mares’ Final at Newbury last time although this trip does look on the short side.