12:50 Kempton

Thursday 26 December 2019

All12:5013:2013:5514:3015:0515:40

Get Your 1 Ladbrokes Free Bet Today Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 12:50 | Winning time: 3m 57.3s

Ecco³⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-8| J: H Cobden| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 138| BF| D

4/1

Sixth of 14 (100-1) in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham in March before taking lesser maiden/novice contests at Wincanton & Ascot respectively; beaten favourite (third) in a Gr 2 at Cheltenham (soft) six weeks ago; a stablemate of Red Force One.

Form: 66-113

Getaway Fred³⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: R M Power| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 135| D

4/1

Getaway gelding who cost £40,000 from the Irish point-to-point scene (ex Pat Crowley); off the mark at the second time of asking under rules when making all in a Chepstow novices' (2m, soft); with further progress likely rates as a strong contender.

Form: F-121

Red Force One³⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-5| J: Lorcan Williams| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 128| BF| D

14/1

Made a fair start to the season when winning at Fakenham (2m, good) and bettered that form when going down by a neck to Gumball in a Listed contest at Ascot (1m7½f); more modest on soft since; the Nicholls second string (to Ecco)?

Form: 43-125

Ballycloven Beat²³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: N F Houlihan| T: G & J Moore

150/1

Midfield finishes in a couple of AW bumpers since joining Gary Moore (also saddles Touchthesoul); in plenty deep enough for his hurdles debut and can be expected to struggle as a result; look elsewhere.

Form: 755

Fred³⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: B J Geraghty| T: N J Henderson| OR: 131| BF

9/2

French import (ex S.Dehez); placed on both starts for Nicky Henderson, including when beaten in excess of 4L by Heaven Help Us at Cheltenham (2m, good to soft) in October - form franked since by Master Debonair; stablemate of Vegas Blue.

Form: 9222-33

South Seas²³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton

14/1

Talented on the Flat (Grp 3 Solario Stakes winner in Aug 2016); sold for 150,000gns in Oct 2018 (last in the Lincoln on sole start for Phil Kirby); always held by First Lord De Cuet on hurdles/stable debut at Southwell (soft) three weeks ago.

Form: 2

Touchthesoul⁵²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: J E Moore| T: G & J Moore| OR: 127| BF

25/1

Won twice on the Flat in France (1m2½f-1m3½f) prior to joining Gary Moore (also saddles Ballycloven Beat); has run respectively on each of his last two starts over hurdles without quite lasting home (races prominently); others more appealing.

Form: 243

Vegas Blue¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson| D

6/4

Getaway filly from a dam who produced the 2m hurdle winner Rathhill; 2-2 in bumpers, kept on well to beat Wynn House by 4L in a Listed race at Huntingdon (2m good/soft) most latterly; receives weight all round on hurdles debut; a stablemate of Fred.

Form: 11

Forecasts

Vegas Blue (6/4), Ecco (4/1), Getaway Fred (4/1), Fred (9/2), Red Force One (14/1), South Seas (14/1), Touchthesoul (25/1), Ballycloven Beat (150/1)

Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson and Gary Moore are doubly represented in the opening race on Kempton's Boxing Day extravaganza. Henderson sends the unbeaten filly Vegas Blue over hurdles on the back of an impressive Listed bumper win at Huntingdon, while the dual hurdles scorer Ecco looks best positioned of the Ditcheat duo despite having something to prove on a soft racing surface. However, the solution may come in the shape of the Colin Tizzard-trained GETAWAY FRED. On a strict line through Hang In There (Exeter) he should have the beating of Ecco. Furthermore, he took a definite step forward next time when justifying favouritism in a ready manner at Chepstow (on soft).