13:30 Kempton

Monday 11 November 2019

All12:2012:5513:3014:0514:4015:1515:50

Wise Betting At racingtv.com Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 13:35 | Winning time: 5m 8.85s

Ofalltheginjoints³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: R M Power| T: C L Tizzard

5/2

Joined Colin Tizzard for €75,000 in May; gamely fended off Flic Ou Voyou when making a winning rules debut at Chepstow (2m, good to soft) last month - that form looks strong, franked by Proschema (third) and Harry Senior (fourth) since.

Form: PP-11

Versatility¹⁸⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: J McGrath| T: N J Henderson

7/4

Contested a competitive Newbury bumper (fourth) on his second start before raising his game further to score on hurdles debut at Warwick (2m3f, good) in May, beating Bbold by 5L; should continue to progress for Nicky Henderson.

Form: 04-1

Boss Man Fred²³⁹

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

9/1

Dubai Destination gelding; half-brother to the 2m3f chase winner Inch Lala; purchased by current connections for £70,000 in April after winning a 3m maiden for Liam Kenny at Ballyragget (soft); rules/hurdles debut.

Form: 1-

Clondaw Promise²⁸¹

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

50/1

Bang in contention when falling at the final fence on his second point start at Ballinaboola (3m, good to yielding); returns to action on rules/hurdles debut for new connections off a 281-day absence; worthy of a market check.

Form: 3F-

Grey Getaway¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Harry Cobden| T: P F Nicholls

4/1

Joined Paul Nicholls for £190,000 in November 2018 after finishing second on debut in a 4yo maiden at Dromahane (winner modest with the benefit of hindsight); 33-1 when soundly beaten in a competitive race on hurdles debut at Aintree (2m4f, soft).

Form: 26-6

Hacksaw Ridge¹⁶⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Tom Cannon| T: A King

8/1

Raced prominently in both of his point-to-point starts for Richard Black, winning a 3m maiden at Inchydoney (good); has since switched to the care of Alan King for £60,000; rules/hurdles debut.

Form: P-1

Horatio Star³⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: J E Moore| T: C Gordon

40/1

Won once in ten starts on the Flat (Bath, 1m6f, good to firm); ticks plenty of the required boxes for a career over hurdles, although may ultimately come into his own once sent handicapping; can't really be expected to figure positively.

Form:

Joyrider²⁵¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: Adam Wedge| T: Miss E C Lavelle

33/1

Runner-up to the Fergal O'Brien-trained Coolanly in a Chepstow bumper (2m, good to soft) in October 2017; his career has been punctuated by a couple of lengthy absence since and equally he hasn't really looked the part over hurdles; safely ignored.

Form: 42/7P-

Spice War³⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: L P Aspell| T: O Sherwood

40/1

Productive on the AW during September, winning here at Kempton (1m4f) and at Chelmsford (1m6f); should take to hurdling, as his half-brother Captain Peacock was a winner over 2m3f, albeit this opposition looks to be fairly testing on paper.

Form:

Vital Sign¹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: James Davies| T: R Rowe

100/1

Often placed during a six-race point-to-point career for R.J.McGrath; 66-1 when a comfortably held fifth on rules/hurdles/stable debut at Fontwell (2m3f, soft) 19 days ago; is similarly in very deep here; other more realistic targets lie ahead.

Form: P3F22-5

Forecasts

Versatility (7/4), Ofalltheginjoints (5/2), Grey Getaway (4/1), Hacksaw Ridge (8/1), Boss Man Fred (9/1), Joyrider (33/1), Spice War (40/1), Horatio Star (40/1), Clondaw Promise (50/1), Vital Sign (100/1)

An intriguing novices' hurdle which features a couple of previous rules winners, namely the Colin Tizzard-trained OFALLTHEGINJOINTS and the Nicky Henderson-trained Versatility as well as a whole host of new recruits from the Irish point-to-point scene, most notably Boss Man Fred (Dan Skelton), Clondaw Promise (Jonjo O'Neill) and Hacksaw Ridge (Alan King). However, with his game Chepstow win franked since by both Proschema (third) and Harry Senior (fourth), the sound advice is to stick with the penalised Tizzard runner.