13:50 Carlisle

Thursday 24 October 2019

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

Maurice Barnes Racing Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 13:51 | Winning time: 5m 4.0s

Boric^p³⁶⁸

Age: 11| Weight: 10-12| J: Henry Brooke| T: S Waugh| OR: 116| BF

16/1

Better known as a useful staying chaser he returns over hurdles after a significant absence. Even on this stiffer of the two hurdles tracks at this venue he's likely to find this test too sharp, others appeal more; should be sharper over fences.

Form: 2P4/223-

Champagne Noir³¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: C E Longsdon

7/2

£70,000 purchase as a 4yo after finishing third on his only Irish point-to-point last December. Withdrawn on intended Rules debut (unsuitable ground) at Warwick last April, now makes his Rules debut, likely to attract market interest.

Form: 3-

New Frontier

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: B S Hughes| T: K DalgleishWS

12/1

€40,000 purchase as a 3yo, half-brother to three winners including fairly useful chaser Lord Fingal and fairly useful chaser Ballylifen, stays 3m. Interesting newcomer who has already had a wind op, unlikely to be ignored in the market.

Form:

Overthetop¹⁸²

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

4/7

Cost 150,000 after winning an Irish point-to-point on debut last December; followed up with a bumper win on Rules debut at Warwick in April. Bred to stay well so should appreciate this test on hurdling debut; looks a good prospect for the future.

Form: 11-

Skiddaw Tara²²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: R D Day| T: N G Richards

25/1

Relatively well found in the market on his Ayr bumper debut last March but found that test coming too early (only showed inexperience). Given some time; related to a couple of decent hurdlers, not hard to imagine that there may be more to come.

Form: 7-

Slade Storm^h¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: S Mulqueen⁽³⁾| T: K Scott

50/1

Showed modest ability for his former yard (Alistair Whillans) in a solitary bumper/novice hurdle before joining this yard for his second start over hurdles (off a long absence). Offered very little (first-time hood); hard to see him getting involved.

Form: 73/56-5

Theflickeringlight¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-5| J: A Nicol| T: P A Kirby

22/1

Dual Irish point-to-point winner (2-2 in that sphere) who made an encouraging bumper debut at Sedgefield in March despite being beaten at odds-on. Not quite lived up to that form since; well beaten (46L) on hurdles debut at Kelso.

Form: 1125-5

Non-Runners

Donald Dux²²¹

Weight: 10-12| Age: 5

T: A Crook J: Danny McMenamin

Order Of Thistle²³

Weight: 10-12| Age: 4

T: Miss Lucinda V Russell J: Blair Campbell

Forecasts

Overthetop (4/7), Champagne Noir (7/2), Order Of Thistle (7/2), New Frontier (12/1), Boric (16/1), Theflickeringlight (22/1), Skiddaw Tara (25/1), Slade Storm (50/1), Donald Dux (100/1)

The market leader (all odds-on) has won this race for the last four years and those strong in the betting look as though that’s where the winner will be found again. Overthetop followed up his point-to-point success with a bumper win and he merits plenty of respect on his hurdling debut although his yard could be a little sharper at the moment. CHAMPAGNE NOIR also has winning form between the flags having cost £70,000 after winning his sole outing in that sphere; he’s taken to make a winning Rules debut. Bumper winner Order Of The Thistle also enters the equation with another Rules/hurdling newcomer New Frontier who cost €40,000.