18:15 Stratford

Tuesday 2 July 2019

All18:1518:4519:1519:4520:1520:45

Racing Welfare Racing Staff Week Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 18:15 | Winning time: 3m 52.00s

Bathiva²⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: T Scudamore| T: Peter Fahey

11/4

Glimmers of promise in a pair of Irish bumpers late last year having finished unplaced in both point-to-point starts. Now goes hurdling off the break of a break for an Irish yard that have had winners in GB; worth noting a market move.

Form: 5/534-

Purple King⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: Dr R D P Newland| OR: 121| BF

4/6

Useful on the Flat when trained in France; also showed ability in that country over hurdles as he has for this yard in two GB starts. Just failed to get the job done last time (went down to a useful Flat recruit); more than capable in this grade.

Form: 832-32

The Late Legend³⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: L Treadwell| T: T H Weston

50/1

Placed in points but they were only modest runs and he was well beaten for the most part in four starts. Shown very little over hurdles so far in a couple of starts; most likely of little interest until handicaps come along.

Form: 3235/65

Vincs Vinnie²³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Nick Scholfield| T: P Gundry

40/1

Finally won between the flags (three-runner Open) having failed to complete on his first four starts in that sphere. Well beaten in that discipline last time though and faces a stiff task making his debut under Rules.

Form: PSP2-16

Avlos¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: J M Quinlan| T: Miss A Murphy

100/1

Offered little on his only Flat start for this yard over 1m2f on the AW before failing to convince on his hurdles debut over C&D. Tried to refuse and unseated rider; would be a risk not worth taking on that evidence to support him.

Form: U

Connective^t¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Henry Brooke| T: Micky Hammond

16/1

£5,500 Godolphin cast-off who won a weak Carlisle bumper on debut (outsider of three) by 2L. Found out by a penalty in that sphere he's since been well held on his hurdles debut at Uttoxeter (jumped poorly); work to do to compete in this.

Form: 1-46

Is It Off^p²⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: G Sheehan| T: S Curran

33/1

Fair maiden on the Flat when with Gary Moore he offered little on his first start for the yard on the AW at Wolverhampton; took his career record to 0-10. Now goes hurdling for the first time with plenty to prove.

Form:

Surrey Blaze^t1⁹⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Harry Skelton| T: D SkeltonWS

7/2

Interesting hurdling recruit who was useful on the Flat (5-17) at up to 1m6f and shaped well when last seen on that sphere. Now with a leading jumps yard having been given a wind op (tongue-tie on first-time); must be respected given his background.

Form:

Kims Diamond³⁰³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: Dave Crosse| T: S-J Davies

250/1

Makes her debut for this yard having shown more temperament than ability in two starts for Katy Price last summer. Now goes hurdling for the first time with expectations set at a very low level.

Form: 7R-

Princess Kodia³⁰⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: Benjamin Poste| T: Katy Price

100/1

Raced on the Flat Jersey since leaving Brian Meehan for whom she won a Bath maiden before taking a Les Landes handicap last year over 1m. Now makes her stable/hurdles debut facing a tough enough test.

Form:

Forecasts

Purple King (4/6), Bathiva (11/4), Surrey Blaze (7/2), Connective (16/1), Is It Off (33/1), Vincs Vinnie (40/1), The Late Legend (50/1), Avlos (100/1), Princess Kodia (100/1), Kims Diamond (250/1)

Not much strength in depth in this opener and it looks to boil down into a match between two useful Flat sorts with one – PURPLE KING having had experience over hurdles already and the other Surrey Blaze arriving for his debut having had a tweak to his wind representing the powerful Skelton team. The former was unlucky to run into another good Flat type in Pacify at Southwell last time but is given the vote here over the Skelton representative who also done the tongue-tie for the first time. Irish raider Bathiva may be better than he’s shown so far with Connective likely to improve on his hurdling debut.