13:30 Leicester

Saturday 28 December 2019

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

Tap 'N' Shower Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 13:32 | Winning time: 4m 11.10s

Dont Tell The Wife²³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: S Bowen| T: Mrs Caroline Bailey

50/1

0-5 under rules, and has been extremely underwhelming of late. Managed to complete at Leicester (2m; heavy) earlier this month, but was tailed-off despite finishing sixth. Pulled-up the time before that at Wetherby (2m3f; soft). Best watched.

Form: 480-P6

Down To The Sea^h1,t⁸²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Bryony Frost| T: M Bradstock

50/1

Pulled-up on hurdles debut when making mistakes early on at Stratford (2m; good to soft) in October. Only piece of form to his name before that was when he was a distant fifth in a Market Rasen (2m; good) bumper. Look elsewhere.

Form: 5P

Durouyn¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Lee Edwards| T: Henry Oliver| OR: 118| D

11/2

Fared best of the rest when no match for the exciting Bullionaire at Uttoxeter (2m; heavy) earlier this month. He was 14-length clear of the third that day too so he must have solid place claims once again.

Form: 1-2562

Faire Part Sivola³⁰⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Chester Williams⁽⁵⁾| T: Nick Williams

10/1

Wincanton (2m; good) bumper scorer back in January who then finished down the field at Kempton (2m; good) a month later. Still retains plenty of potential and is likely to have a part to play on seasonal/hurdles debut.

Form: 16-

Hazzaar³⁷²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Charlie Deutsch| T: Miss V Williams| BF| D

9/4

Won a bumper at Ascot (2m; good to soft) before finishing in midfield in a 'Listed' contest at that same track last year. Now makes hurdles debut for new yard who are firing on ally cylinders, and should have a leading role to play.

Form: 17-

Present Endeavour^t¹⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Paul O'Brien⁽³⁾| T: C E Longsdon

50/1

Finished tailed-off again over hurdles at Newbury (2m; soft) recently and is impossible to make any sort of case for. Connections evidently keen to get him qualified for handicaps and so he remains best watched.

Form: 0F00

Rathnure Ranger^h¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Benjamin Poste| T: Katy Price

125/1

Well-beaten on hurdles debut for this yard at Uttoxeter (2m; heavy) recently. Major step up needed on that basis, and there are much more solid propositions to be interested in.

Form: U4R-F57

Trincomalee²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Maxime Tissier⁽⁵⁾| T: L Wadham| OR: 128| D

8/11

This is a considerably easier task than the two he has been faced with over hurdles so far. Bumped into the exciting Son Of Camas (1st) & King Roland (2nd) when third at Newbury (2m; soft). The one they all have to beat.

Form: 3-133

Wasdell Dundalk⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Nick Scholfield| T: J & A O'Neill

16/1

Probably ran to a similar level than he did on hurdles debut when midfield at Hereford (2m; heavy) just nine days ago. Qualifies for a handicap mark after this, and will be of more interest when entering that sphere.

Form: 4746

Sheeza Legend^h,t³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-5| J: Jamie Bargary| T: Mrs E Bishop

100/1

Finished last of 12 on her second start over hurdles at Taunton (2m; good to soft) last month. Cannot be taken seriously given how little she has showed in her short career so far, and is therefore readily opposed.

Form: 636-00

Forecasts

Trincomalee (8/11), Hazzaar (9/4), Durouyn (11/2), Faire Part Sivola (10/1), Wasdell Dundalk (16/1), Down To The Sea (50/1), Present Endeavour (50/1), Dont Tell The Wife (50/1), Sheeza Legend (100/1), Rathnure Ranger (125/1)

Plenty of these can be ruled out with confidence, with four realistic contenders the ones to focus on. Despite running underwhelmingly after they both won bumpers first time out, Faire Part Sivola and Hazaar still have plenty of potential as they go hurdling for the first time. The latter is particularly interesting given he makes his stable debut for an in-form yard. Durouyn drew comfortably clear of the remainder when second to an above-average sort last time and is a solid place contender, but this looks like a golden opportunity for TRINCOMALEE to break his hurdles duck at the third attempt after running in much stronger contests than this the last twice.