Weatherbys TBA Introductory Juvenile Hurdle

Off time: 11:48 | Winning time: 4m 12.7s

Navajo Pass¹⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 11-3| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr

13/8

85-rated on the Flat; made a winning hurdles debut in an 'egg and spoon' race at Bangor (2m, heavy) 17 days ago; is penalised accordingly; trainer/owner/jockey were successful with a similar type of horse (Goobinator) at Wetherby on Wednesday.

Form: 1

Robeam⁴¹

Age: 3| Weight: 11-3| J: Henry Brooke| T: B Ellison

7/2

56-rated on the Flat; off the mark over hurdles at the first attempt when easily justifying favouritism at Sedgefield (2m1f, soft) - beat Tabou Beach Boy by 32L; is penalised accordingly for the Malton handler Brian Ellison.

Form: 1

Art Of Diplomacy⁵⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: P J Brennan| T: M & D Easterby

28/1

70-rated on the Flat, and a winner of a Class 5 handicap at Hamilton (1m4f, soft) in September; interesting to see how he figures in the market (in terms of confidence) in a winnable contest on hurdles debut.

Form:

Grazeon Roy²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: Danny Cook| T: J & S Quinn

11/4

85-rated on the Flat; race-fit for hurdles debut following a couple of recent AW wins at Southwell (1m4f); with a trainer who is perfectly adept at producing winning juvenile hurdlers; dam (Graze On And On) was a winning hurdler herself; appealing.

Form:

Tavus⁵³

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: Joe Colliver| T: Jedd O'Keeffe

9/2

78-rated on the Flat (3-5 on turf); left the care of Roger Charlton for 105,000gns at the Newmarket Autumn Sale; switches to hurdling for Jedd O'Keeffe with stamina virtually guaranteed (by Pour Moi) and heavy ground winning Flat form; interesting.

Form:

Forecasts

Navajo Pass (13/8), Grazeon Roy (11/4), Robeam (7/2), Tavus (9/2), Art Of Diplomacy (28/1)

Without a Nicholls or Henderson representative, the opening race on Newcastle's Fighting Fifth card will be fought out between the northern-based trainers. Both Robeam (Sedgefield) and Navajo Pass (Bangor) made successful winning hurdle debuts in relatively low-key contests, and are penalised accordingly. Tavus is an expensive recruit from the Flat (cost 105,000gns from Roger Charlton) who carries the Quantam silks on debut for Jedd O'Keeffe. By Pour Moi he's bred for stamina and has heavy ground winning form in the book. However, in an open race we'll chance the John Quinn-trained hurdles newcomer GRAZEON ROY who has won twice recently on Fibresand at Southwell.