14:40 Newcastle

Saturday 30 November 2019

All11:4512:2012:5513:3014:0514:4015:20

Ryder Architecture British EBF 'National Hunt' Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 14:42 | Winning time: 4m 9.5s

Arnica²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Grant Cockburn⁽³⁾| T: N W Alexander

40/1

Finished 9L third to Lemon T in a bumper here in March (fourth placed Glenduff runs earlier); 7-2 for hurdles debut at Kelso (2m, heavy) three weeks ago when a weakening fifth of eight to Le Cheval Noir.

Form: 543-5

Ballydonagh Boy³³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Henry Brooke| T: Miss P Robson

22/1

Joined Pauline Robson for £14,000 in May; 16-1 when seventh of 16 to the strapping Corrieben Reiver on rules/hurdles debut at Ayr (2m, soft) last month.

Form: 23-7

Baron De Midleton⁷²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: B S Hughes| T: B Ellison

5/1

Joined Brian Ellison/Phil Martin for £32,000 in December 2017; off the track for 727 days since winning for John O'Donovan in a 3m 4yo maiden at Ballindenisk (soft to heavy); market considered a helpful guide.

Form: F661/

Lemon T²⁴⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: Ruth Jefferson| CD

4/1

Sulamani gelding; made all (won unchallenged) in a 2m bumper here in March (good to soft) - had the reopposing Arnica 9L back in third; is bred for a hurdling/chasing career (brother to the 2m winner Temple Man).

Form: 51-

Mannochmore^h³³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: S Mulqueen⁽³⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell

50/1

Dylan Thomas gelding from a 2m4f hurdler (Loch Dhu); took a much needed step forward when introduced to obstacles at Ayr (2m, soft) 33 days ago; holds a similar chance to Ballydonagh Boy.

Form: 6-06

Overcourt²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Ryan Mania| T: A M Thomson

66/1

Court Cave gelding (from the 3m-3m4f chaser Overlady); 40-1 when finishing in midfield in a Carlisle bumper (2m1f, soft) four weeks ago; appears to be one for the future rather than the present.

Form: 8

Rare Clouds¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| BF

3/1

Brought along fairly steadily by Sue Smith, finished a creditable sixth to Glenduff (runs earlier) on hurdles debut at Carlisle (2m4f); beaten favourite at Wetherby (2m3½f) latest, yet should remain competitive dropped in trip in maiden company.

Form: 6-64

Thor De Cerisy⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: R Patrick⁽³⁾| T: M Scudamore| D

11/8

Won by 9L on debut in a Ffos Las bumper (20-1) and highly tried thereafter; paid for making a mistake at the final flight (headed close home) on hurdles debut at Uttoxeter (2m, soft); was always in the rear in a Listed race at Haydock last week.

Form: 180-27

Whispering Waters²¹⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: C O'Farrell| T: I Jardine

80/1

With Martin Brassil when well beaten (13th of 20) in a 2m Punchestown bumper in May; dam (Eventide) was a winning hurdler; is probably worth a cautious market check on hurdles/stable debut.

Form: 0

Non-Runners

Saint Jude²⁷⁹

Weight: 11-0| Age: 6

T: A Wilson J: Danny McMenamin

Forecasts

Thor De Cerisy (11/8), Rare Clouds (3/1), Lemon T (4/1), Baron De Midleton (5/1), Ballydonagh Boy (22/1), Arnica (40/1), Mannochmore (50/1), Saint Jude (50/1), Overcourt (66/1), Whispering Waters (80/1)

A very winnable contest in which the course bumper winner Lemon T will surely prove competitive now introduced to hurdles (has the required pedigree) by Ruth Jefferson, while the returning Baron De Midleton merits close inspection on belated debut for the Brian Ellison/Phil and Julie Martin combination. Of those with more recent hurdles form, the bar isn't set too high by the likes of Rare Clouds and Arnica but a more logical evidence-based case can be made for the Michael Scudamore-trained THOR DE CERISY. On the whole, he has acquitted himself well when set a realistic task, including when runner-up at Uttoxeter on his penultimate start.