12:55 Leicester

Saturday 28 December 2019

All12:5513:3014:0514:4015:1515:45

Parsley Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 12:58 | Winning time: 5m 30.2s

Bendy Bow¹⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Bryony Frost| T: M Bradstock

4/1

Hurdles debut over C&D was highly promising when he managed to push the potentially above-average Keppage (sent off 2-9f) all the way to the line. Showed a likeable attitude then, and is sure to be bang there.

Form: 52

Captain Blackpearl⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: C Gethings| T: T R George

11/8

Posted an encouraging start to life over obstacles when runner-up at Uttoxeter (2m4f; heavy). Reproduction of that would be enough to see him go extremely close in this contest. Leading player for yard with a 22% strike-rate at this track.

Form: 2-2

Enchancia⁵⁹¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Luca Morgan⁽⁷⁾| T: B Pauling

14/1

Milan gelding. €15,000 three-year-old. Scored on his only start in a point-to-point when winning at Cothelstone back in May 2018. Now makes rules/hurdles debut and he is a half-brother to the useful Sky Pirate (OR 132). Interesting sort.

Form: 1-

Kiteinahurricane

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: L Heard| T: S Allwood

100/1

Four-year-old newcomer by Court Cave. Cost €7,000 as a three-year-old. Half-brother to a couple of point-to-point winners. Difficult to know what to expect on debut, but he is unlikely to give the major players much to think about.

Form:

Oscar Academy¹⁴⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Lewis Stones⁽⁷⁾| T: O Murphy

25/1

One of two runners in this race for the stable, but appears to be second-string based on jockey bookings. Makes debut for this yard after finishing well-beaten in bumpers during the summer for John Brennan in Ireland. Watching brief advised.

Form: 11-4258

Port Of Mars⁶⁷⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Aidan Coleman| T: O Murphy

9/2

Won a point-to-point at Brocklesby Park (3m; good to soft) before being snapped up for £60,000 in March 2018. Now makes rules/hurdles debut after 679-day absence. Market likely to be informative as to his chances. Should be involved to some extent.

Form: 1/

The Macon Lugnatic³⁰¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: T Scudamore| T: B Pauling

6/1

Stable beginning to come back to form after a difficult spell. Showed useful form in bumpers last season. Now makes debut over hurdles at a low level, and has to be considered as one of the major contenders.

Form: 2618-

Tricky Customer²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Benjamin Poste| T: Katy Price

100/1

Has his first start under rules/over hurdles after holding a record of 0-6 in the point-to-point sphere. Impossible to fancy and is therefore best watched for yard who haven't had a winner for just over four months.

Form: P-P6353

Harmattan²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: J M Quinlan| T: Miss A Murphy

100/1

Was beaten an awfully long way on hurdles/rules debut at Bangor (2m3f; heavy) last month. Stable remain in good form but she is likely to be in need of further experience based on that evidence.

Form: 4

Streets Of Fire²³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: Hugh Nugent⁽⁵⁾| T: Jean-Rene Auvray

10/1

Showed improved form on second hurdles start recently when runner-up over this C&D. She would have leading claims on that form but needs to reproduce it and prove it was no fluke.

Form: P217-82

Forecasts

Captain Blackpearl (11/8), Bendy Bow (4/1), Port Of Mars (9/2), The Macon Lugnatic (6/1), Streets Of Fire (10/1), Enchancia (14/1), Oscar Academy (25/1), Tricky Customer (100/1), Harmattan (100/1), Kiteinahurricane (100/1)

A tricky contest to start proceedings with unknown quantities on show in the form of point-to-point winners Enchancia and Port Of Mars who both look nice types on paper, but are making their return from long absences. Bendy Bow made a very pleasing debut over hurdles when runner-up over C&D earlier this month, and he should figure prominently once again on that evidence. Captain Blackpearl showed a similar level of encouragement when second at Uttoxeter last month. However, the selection is THE MACON LUGNATIC who showed more than enough ability in bumpers last season to suggest he could take a race as open as this on his hurdles debut.