16:45 Stratford

Tuesday 18 June 2019

All14:2014:5515:3016:0516:4517:20

Follow racingtv On Twitter Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 16:45 | Winning time: 4m 2.1s

Adjutant¹⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-1| J: R Johnson| T: O Murphy| CD

1/2

Fair on the Flat for Brian Meehan and opened account at second time of asking with C&D win this month over timber. Champion jockey on board once more and should be open for further improvement.

Form: 7-1

Casado^h1²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Brendan Powell| T: Mrs L C Jewell

66/1

Maiden of 10 starts on the Flat, entitled to have needed last month's return from 639 days off at Kempton on the AW (tailed off). Probably best watched going over jumps for the first time.

Form:

En Coeur^h²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: J McGrath| T: J W Mullins

25/1

Free-going sort with little in the formbook in three bumper runs and no impact on hurdles bow at Warwick (2m, good; 100-1) last month.

Form: 06-54

Poor Duke¹⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 10-12| J: Lewis Stones⁽⁷⁾| T: M Mullineaux

66/1

Notched six wins on the Flat at low levels, has gone off three-figure prices both starts over timber at Market Rasen and Bangor and recorded wide margin defeats. Passed over again.

Form: 57

Thaqaffa^h²⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: J M Quinlan| T: Miss A Murphy

10/3

Useful Flat performer (rated in the 80s) and comes here for hurdling debut with stable in good form (3-9 lately). One to pay attention to in betting and could have a leading say in this.

Form:

Avlos³¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-9| J: Mr Eddie Edge⁽¹⁰⁾| T: Miss A Murphy

50/1

Well-related sort, no impact last year in 1m2f Lingfield novice on the turf course. Off since, makes hurdling debut and trainer would appear to have more pressing claims with Thaqaffa.

Form:

Black Noah³⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 10-9| J: Alain Cawley| T: J Farrelly

6/1

Finished fourth of 20 at Punchestown in November on sole hurdles start for Gordon Elliott, fair form. Yet to sparkle in three AW runs for this trainer but certainly worth monitoring now.

Form: 4-

Maliboo¹¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-5| J: T Scudamore| T: N P Mulholland

7/1

Mahler mare with winning point-to-point form, not give an especially hard time on hurdles bow at Uttoxeter last month and could improve before too long.

Form: B2/5F1-4

Forecasts

Adjutant (1/2), Thaqaffa (10/3), Black Noah (6/1), Maliboo (7/1), En Coeur (25/1), Avlos (50/1), Poor Duke (66/1), Casado (66/1)

C&D winner Adjutant sets the standard after scoring here 17 days ago and will be tough to topple despite conceding weight all round. He wouldn't have much to spare on best Flat form over THAQAFFA however and with the Amy Murphy team going well lately (3-9) he's given the nod for a winning start over timber. Black Noah ran well sole hurdles start in Ireland and may leave his recent AW form behind.