16:10 Wetherby

Friday 1 November 2019

All13:2013:5514:3015:0515:4016:10

Enjoy The Jumps On Racing TV Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 16:14 | Winning time: 5m 0.80s

Castle On A Cloud⁶⁵⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 10-12| J: Miss C R Crane⁽⁷⁾| T: C Grant

150/1

Irish point runner-up on only completed start in that sphere. 40-1 and tailed off on rules debut at Kelso in January. Can only watch on this delayed return.

Form: 2UP9/

Dhowin²²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: R P McLernon| T: J & A O'Neill

50/1

Showed promise in a couple of bumpers last season, the latter here (soft) in March. Has a good hurdles pedigree and should be capable of going well now stepped up in trip for his debut in this discipline.

Form: 52-

Donald Dux^t1²²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: J Kington| T: A Crook

200/1

Big prices and well beaten on both starts to date. Tongue-tie goes on.

Form: 04-

Dont Tell The Wife²⁰⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: James Bowen| T: Mrs Caroline BaileyWS

100/1

Nice pedigree and showed some promise on debut in a Warwick bumper in January. Well held both subsequent starts, including on hurdles debut in April. Had wind surgery since. Probably more one for the future than today.

Form: 480-

I'm Wiser Now¹⁵³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: P J Brennan| T: F O'Brien

11/2

Third in all three bumpers, when showing promise (including here on good to soft). Unseated at second flight on hurdles debut at Perth in May, but didn't look in love with the game when second at Worcester in June. Has ability, but a bit to prove.

Form: 333-U2

Kauto D'Amour²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith

100/1

Not devoid of promise in his second start in Irish points in May. Never involved on rules debut in a Hexham bumper recently. Should be better for that and a hurdle to jump here. Check market for any confidence.

Form: P-45

Kerrkenny Gold³⁷⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: G Sheehan| T: O Murphy

8/1

Showed promise when runner-up in a couple of Irish bumpers for Margaret Mullins in 2018. Changed hands for £60,000 11-months ago, but not seen for just over a year. In good hands and no surprise to see him go close on hurdles debut.

Form: 9/22-

Le Grand Fromage²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: N de Boinville| T: T Lacey| BF

17/2

Beaten favourite on his recent hurdles debut in a Hereford maiden (2m4f, soft), when racing keenly would not have helped him. Looked as though he would come on for that, and should be a force again here.

Form: 2

Redford Road³⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: N & W Twiston-Davies

9/2

Showed promise in both bumpers, winning the more recent of them at Warwick (good to soft) in September. Good to see him step up in trip for this hurdles debut (dam won 2m7f hurdle). Should be thereabouts.

Form: 2-1

Shan Blue²³⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton

11/8

Maiden Irish point winner (good) on debut 11-months ago. Made a promising rules debut when 4¼L third in a Warwick bumper (soft) in March. Dam won 2m4f hurdle, so this looks a good starting point. Probable contender.

Form: 13-

Xcitations¹⁴⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Kielan Woods| T: Mrs P Sly

50/1

Showed some promise on debut in a Market Rasen bumper (good) in May, but was too keen back there next time. Half-brother to five winners, with plenty of hurdles success in the family, so should be more to come now tackling obstacles.

Form: 56

Princess Nearco³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Billy Garritty⁽⁵⁾| T: L Bailey| D

66/1

Nibbled at in the market when a 16-1 winner on her hurdling debut in a mares' race at Southwell (2m4½f, good) in September. Pulled up back there when stepped up to 3m (soft) under a penalty last time. Drop in trip fine, but this looks tough.

Form: 1P

Highway Girl³⁴⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-5| J: Aidan Coleman| T: C E Longsdon

7/1

Made the frame in back-to-back bumpers a couple of seasons ago (on good to soft/soft). Showed promise here on hurdles debut (C&D, good) 11-months ago. Not seen since. Needs improvement on her return.

Form: 33/4-

Stormy Reception³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-5| J: Thomas Dowson| T: C Grant| OR: 75

250/1

Has shown nothing in four starts to suggest that she is capable of going close to winning this.

Form: PP7-3

Non-Runners

Forewarning²⁰

Weight: 10-12| Age: 5

T: Julia Brooke J: Henry Brooke

Forecasts

Shan Blue (11/8), Redford Road (9/2), I'm Wiser Now (11/2), Highway Girl (7/1), Kerrkenny Gold (8/1), Le Grand Fromage (17/2), Forewarning (10/1), Xcitations (50/1), Dhowin (50/1), Princess Nearco (66/1), Kauto D'Amour (100/1), Dont Tell The Wife (100/1), Castle On A Cloud (150/1), Donald Dux (200/1), Stormy Reception (250/1)

A very interesting novices' hurdle to bring down the curtain on the day. Several of them look likely to prove capable of winning races in this discipline, and those include Dhowin, Forewarning, Le Grand Fromage, Kerrkenny Gold and Shan Blue. I'm Wiser Now clearly has some ability, but he appeared a bit reluctant when the chips were down last time, so may prove a risky proposition. Xcitations and Highway Girl can't be ruled out, but the suggestion is REDFORD ROAD, who would be one of the better runners in this field on bumper form and represents a trainer who has won two of the last eight runnings of this race.