13:00 Hexham

Friday 8 November 2019

All13:0013:3514:1014:4515:1515:50

Hexham Racecourse Supports Responsible Gambling Week Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 13:02 | Winning time: 4m 23.8s

A Ladies Milan^t¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: S Mulqueen⁽³⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell

9/1

Virtually identical efforts on both starts for Lucinda Russell; prominent until weakening from the third last flight when fifth of 13 to Do Not Disturb at Kelso (2m, good to soft) latest; is likely to need further with time.

Form: 245

Banks O' Houxty¹⁶²⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 10-12| J: Callum Whillans⁽³⁾| T: D W Whillans| DWS

15/2

With Karen McLintock when making an impressive winning debut in a Kelso bumper (2m, good) in May 2015; absent since for a sizable 1629 days (has had wind surgery); consult the market for advice on belated hurdles debut.

Form: 1/

Blaster Yeats¹⁹

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

8/1

Won a point-to-point flat race on his third start at Bitterly (2m, good); plugged on for a remote fourth placed finish on debut for Sue Smith in a 2m1f Sedgefield maiden hurdle (soft) 19 days ago; yard could be in better form.

Form: 441-4

Challow¹¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Philip Armson⁽⁷⁾| T: V Thompson| OR: 112

12/1

42-race maiden; runner-up behind a long odds-on favourite in a maiden hurdle at Bellewstown (2m4f, good) three starts back; has since joined the Embleton trainer Victor Thompson; 112-rated but best to look elsewhere.

Form: 48-P206

Clonmonarch²⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: C O'Farrell| T: N J Hawke

25/1

Nigel Hawke traditionally does well with his runners at Hexham (3-11; 27%), but this 4yo hasn't shown a great deal of ability thus far; 66-1 when sixth of nine to Old Jeroboam at Worcester (2m, good to soft) last month; this is easier.

Form: 3-44P6

Itsnotyouitsme^t1

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Ross Chapman| T: M A Barnes

28/1

Unraced Milan gelding from a 2m-2m4f hurdles winning dam (Brochrua); tongue-tied for a yard featuring among the winners during the early weeks of the jumps season.

Form:

Mill Island¹⁶⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Sam Coltherd⁽³⁾| T: W Coltherd

50/1

Failed to complete in a couple of attempts in point-to-points (May & June) and has since switched to the care of the Borders handler Stuart Coltherd; others are considered far more likely candidates.

Form: PU

Ribble Valley³⁰⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: B S Hughes| T: N G Richards| D

2/7

Useful dual bumper winner (Ayr), landing the odds with relative ease when beating Milvale by 5L in January; likely to take the world of beating on hurdles debut if fit and ready to roll; half-brother to the 2m1f-2m5f hurdles scorer Alla Svelta.

Form: 161-

Trois Bon Amis^t¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Colm McCormack⁽³⁾| T: Mark Campion

150/1

Poor on the Flat (41-rated) and has filled the rear division positions at massive odds on both starts over hurdles (Kelso and Cheltenham); simply can't be entertained.

Form: 00

Lissen To The Lady¹⁸¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-5| J: Thomas Willmott⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss S E Forster

50/1

Half-sister to the Nicky Henderson trained Pym (bumper/2m-2m5f hurdle winner); has shown a modicum of ability in bumpers and should do better for the switch to hurdling on a softer racing surface; considered unlikely nevertheless.

Form: 66-6

Forecasts

Ribble Valley (2/7), Banks O' Houxty (15/2), Blaster Yeats (8/1), A Ladies Milan (9/1), Challow (12/1), Clonmonarch (25/1), Itsnotyouitsme (28/1), Mill Island (50/1), Lissen To The Lady (50/1), Trois Bon Amis (150/1)

Nicky Richards has identified a golden opportunity for RIBBLE VALLEY to make a winning hurdles debut. Twice successful in bumpers at Ayr (debut form further enhanced by Corrieben Reiver last week) he has the makings of a fairly useful horse for David Wesley Yates. By Westerner the strong suspicion is that he'll take the switch to this softer ground in his stride, and with the North's leading rider Brian Hughes aboard is difficult to oppose. The main danger appears to come from the actual obstacles themselves rather than the opposition, although a cautious approach should be taken with the returning Banks O' Houxty.