15:10 Newbury

Thursday 7 November 2019

All12:5513:3014:0514:3515:1015:4016:15

Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:11 | Winning time: 6m 7.35s

Canyon City¹⁶⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Bryony Frost| T: N B King| OR: 142

16/1

5-17 over hurdles; sits on a joint-career high mark on his first competitive start for 166 days; 5lb higher than when beating Ocean Cove by 3¾L at Haydock (2m7f, good) in May; surely has plenty on his plate.

Form: 0316-14

Robin The Raven^p,t¹⁶⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Chester Williams⁽⁵⁾| T: K Bailey & M Nicholls| OR: 142| BF

16/1

A strong stayer (4-7 over hurdles); 7lb higher than when beating Max Forte by 7L at Warwick (3m1f, good) in April; like Canyon City was disappointing at Cartmel (same race) latterly; others preferred.

Form: F1/3F1-5

Dingo Dollar²⁰⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: Tom Cannon| T: A King| OR: 141| BF| C| D

12/1

Finished fourth in this race last year (beaten in excess of 10L) before running an absolute blinder (third) in the Ladbrokes Trophy (formerly the Hennessy) the following month; fairly weighted over hurdles (6lb lower than over fences).

Form: 2/4362P-

Geordie B²³⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: Aidan Coleman| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 140

5/1

Seeks an elongated hat-trick following wins at Lingfield and Exeter (2m7f, soft); stayed on stoutly when beating Tidal Flow by 8L in a novices' hurdle most latterly; will need to be on his mettle off a 234-day absence (opening mark of 140).

Form: 1/6211-

Daklondike²⁵⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: T Scudamore| T: D Pipe| OR: 139| C| D

40/1

Visored when ploughing through the mud in the Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock (2m7f, heavy) last December, but his other form figures of PUR make for rather grim reading; first hurdles start since April 2017 (now rated 21lb higher).

Form: 1P/P1UR-

Diablo De Rouhet²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson| OR: 136

15/8

Makes his first start over hurdles for Nicky Henderson since joining the yard in the summer (2-3 over fences); stayed on dourly when a 7L winner of a 2m6½f (soft) novices' limited handicap chase at Uttoxeter three weeks ago; major chance.

Form: 324-121

Gunfleet³¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: L P Aspell| T: Miss E C Lavelle| OR: 133| BF| D

6/1

Won a similar event at Doncaster (3m) in February 2018 and has mixed hurdling with chasing since then without further success; still lightly raced, yard in good form and shaped okay at Stratford (2m6f) recently; each-way claims.

Form: 1/23P0-4

Any Drama³³¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: S Bowen| T: H Fry| OR: 132

20/1

Developed a lofty reputation winning twice as a novice hurdler (Market Rasen & Exeter); pulled up in the 2017 Supreme Novices' and off for a further 18 months until falling in an exceptionally strong Beginners' Chase at Uttoxeter last December.

Form: 6411P/F-

Alrightjack²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-13| J: Page Fuller⁽³⁾| T: Jamie Snowden| OR: 129

7/2

Sole hurdles win came in a Lingfield maiden (2m, soft), although it's impossible to knock his consistent and steadily improving profile; fine fourth (beaten 5L) in the Grade 3 Silver Trophy at Chepstow on seasonal reappearance; 2lb higher.

Form: 81222-4

Forecasts

Diablo De Rouhet (15/8), Alrightjack (7/2), Geordie B (5/1), Gunfleet (6/1), Dingo Dollar (12/1), Canyon City (16/1), Robin The Raven (16/1), Any Drama (20/1), Daklondike (40/1)

Despite keeping very much on the right side of the intriguing and evidently talented Any Drama, a confident nod is aimed in the direction of the progressive DIABLO DE ROUHET. A major improver over fences since taken under the wing of Nicky Henderson (2-3), he reverts back to the smaller obstacles seeking to exploit a more favourable handicap mark. Of the remainder, Geordie B rates as a watching brief only on his return to action (also his handicap debut) while Alrightjack steps up markedly in trip after making a most satisfactory return in the Grade 3 Silver Trophy (Chepstow).