JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2) (Registered As The Finesse)

Off time: 12:41 | Winning time: 4m 24.13s

Monte Cristo¹⁰⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-3| J: D A Jacob| T: N J Henderson| OR: 140

10/11

Looked useful when successful at Auteuil back in October and joined current connections earlier in the month; form of latest win franked by the second since, and interesting to see what the market makes on him on British debut for powerful yard.

Form: 6621

Rowland Ward²⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-3| J: C Gethings| T: S Edmunds

7/2

Useful for Ralph Beckett on the Flat (rated 85) and put his Warwick debut fall behind him with a good win at Kempton over Christmas; drying ground ideal and if he's allowed to use his speed late on, looks a big danger to all.

Form: F1

Galahad Quest¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: H Cobden| T: Nick Williams

6/1

Made favourite to beat Allmankind on Warwick debut, so clearly something good was expected but disappointed. Much better when just touched off at Taunton last time, despite signs of greenness, and may well do better again on drying ground here.

Form: 42

Gerolamo Cardano²²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Kielan Woods| T: D J Jeffreys

5/1

Showed ability in an Aintree bumper on her debut in November but bettered that by some way when an easy winner on hurdles debut at Hereford earlier in the month. This is harder, but no saying how much improvement is left in the locker at this stage.

Form: 41

Gold Standard¹⁶²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Harry Bannister| T: A W Carroll

100/1

Rated just 50 on the Flat in Ireland for John Joseph Murphy and faces an uphill battle here on hurdles debut. Others readily make more appeal.

Form:

Night Edition^h²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: David Noonan| T: D Pipe

22/1

Winner in the French provinces last June and not seen out again until having debut for this yard last month, finishing a 12l fourth to Blacko at Taunton. Work to do to turn that form around, but clearly has ability and may do better.

Form: 4

Forecasts

Monte Cristo (10/11), Rowland Ward (7/2), Gerolamo Cardano (5/1), Galahad Quest (6/1), Night Edition (22/1), Gold Standard (100/1)

The market is going to tell us what can be expected from Monte Cristo, who looks a useful French import for his top connections and if he can carry over his French form, looks to hold a big chance, but the more the ground dries out the better the chance of ROWLAND WARD, who was quite impressive ar Kempton over Christmas and is making up into a useful hurdler. He can continue his progress here. Night Edition is worth keeping one eye on with the future in mind, and Galahad Quest may bounce back on better ground too.