16:45 Stratford

Sunday 14 July 2019

All14:2515:0015:3516:1016:4517:2017:55

Bob Fenwick 80th Celebration 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 16:45 | Winning time: 3m 53.12s

Espinator¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Stan Sheppard⁽³⁾| T: T Lacey

12/1

Spider Flight gelding who cost €45,000 as a three-year-old. Well held in both hurdling starts last month when racing to a similar standard. Plenty of improvement required.

Form: 66

Go Hard Or Go Home¹⁴³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Kielan Woods| T: D J Jeffreys

14/1

Beaten a total of 170 lengths in first two starts over hurdles and pulled up on third for previous yard in Ireland. Best watched on stable debut and first run since February.

Form: P72/00P-

Pinot Noir¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Chris Ward⁽⁵⁾| T: R Dickin

100/1

Pulled up in lone point-to-point and completely tailed off in both hurdle starts at Uttoxeter last month. Very hard to make any sort of case for.

Form: P97

Royal Road¹⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 10-12| J: T J O'Brien| T: J L Flint

5/1

Left point-to-point form behind with some promise from the front in two hurdles starts so far. Lacked a change of gears but place potential in this company.

Form: F7-53

Vinnie's Getaway¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: R Johnson| T: O Murphy| CD

4/6

3L Irish point winner on debut before joining this stable for €60,000. Raced to a similar level when second and then a winner in two Stratford bumper runs. Stable in good form and a likely contender on hurdling debut.

Form: 1-21

Simply Loveleh^t⁴⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 116

9/4

Boasted some decent bumper form without winning and built on promise of hurdling debut to appreciate the step up to 2m4f when winning at Uttoxeter. Stable won this last year and although the drop in trip is a negative, she sets the standard.

Form: 4/225-31

Onboard^t²³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-10| J: David Noonan| T: N J Hawke

33/1

Bought unraced for £12,000 in May 2018. Pulled hard on January bumper debut but ran very poorly next time at Market Rasen, Best watched on hurdling debut.

Form: 4-9

Kims Diamond¹²

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

100/1

Has shown nothing in two bumper starts (including when refusing to race) and on recent hurdling debut. Remains easy to dismiss.

Form: 7R-9

Non-Runners

Aweeminit¹¹

Weight: 10-5| Age: 5

T: D Skelton J: Bridget Andrews

Forecasts

Vinnie's Getaway (4/6), Simply Loveleh (9/4), Royal Road (5/1), Espinator (12/1), Go Hard Or Go Home (14/1), Aweeminit (14/1), Onboard (33/1), Kims Diamond (100/1), Pinot Noir (100/1)

There's not an awful lot of depth so the winning form of Simply Loveleh could easily be good enough despite the concern over the drop in distance. VINNIE'S GETAWAY though is an interesting hurdling debutante following on from some good bumper form for a trainer and jockey both going so well. The pair rate clear of the rest with Royal Road taken to chase them home.