16:45 Doncaster

Saturday 29 February 2020

All13:5014:2515:0015:3516:1016:4517:20

888Sport Download The App Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 16:49 | Winning time: 4m 23.8s

Aeglos⁵⁷⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 12-2| J: Edward Austin⁽⁷⁾| T: J & A O'Neill| OR: 121| D

9/2

Bumper/maiden hurdle winner for Joseph O'Brien who now joins a new yard (same owner) having last been seen over fences at Galway (August 2018). Makes his handicap debut returning to hurdles; interesting if the market speaks in his favour.

Form: 17133/4-

Zig Zag^p,t²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: Thomas Dowson| T: P A Kirby| OR: 116| D

12/1

Profile more miss-than-hit since winning at Cartmel last May in testing conditions off a 2lb higher mark. Certainly wasn't on a going day last time when struggling from halfway (soon done with); looks one to treat with an air of caution.

Form: 977350

Stonific²²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: R Johnson| T: D O'Meara| OR: 115| C

10/3

Fairly useful sort on the Flat at up to 1m4f he's yet to win over hurdles but has given the aura of one who is much better than his current mark. Travelled well last time until blundering late on; a better round on jumping will see him go close.

Form: 233F3

Shanroe Tic Tec³⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: David Bass| T: B Pauling| OR: 115| D

5/1

Completed a quick-fire hat-trick in March last year handling the increasing handicap mark/penalties with aplomb. Handicapper looks to have got to grips with him since then; may well have failed to stay last time over 2m3f on chase debut.

Form: 14-0347

For Pleasure⁴⁵²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Kielan Woods| T: A M Hales| OR: 110

7/1

Had some useful Flat form to his name in Ireland prior to joining this yard although he could be headstrong. Keen on all his juvenile hurdles starts back in 2018 (always wore hood); returns from now minus a hood for his handicap debut.

Form: F35-

Farmer Boy²⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: T J O'Brien| T: C R Dore| OR: 106

7/1

Previously with Nigel Hawke he remains with a hurdling record of 1-20 having as yet failed to spark for this stable. Well below form last time having played up at the start (slow away); general profile and demeanour mean he's one to avoid.

Form: 304647

Little Stevie²²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: Charlie Hammond⁽³⁾| T: Mrs Stella Barclay| OR: 105| D

7/1

Dual winner last year over hurdles/fences cashing in on a reduced mark to score in the latter sphere. Undergone wind surgery since then and returned to form out of the blue last time; no reason to doubt that form but does have to back that effort up.

Form: 146382

Castletown⁴³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: Henry Brooke| T: Miss P Robson| OR: 105

8/1

Frustrating sort who often travels well in his races but has failed to deliver on numerous occasions especially over fences. Ran to his usual pattern over hurdles at Musselburgh last time; hard to trust especially in testing conditions.

Form: 231-266

Non-Runners

Mabela²²

Weight: 11-4| Age: 6

T: D Skelton J: Non Runner

Hereia²⁷

Weight: 11-2| Age: 4

T: N P Mulholland J: T Scudamore

Forecasts

Stonific (10/3), Aeglos (9/2), Shanroe Tic Tec (5/1), Little Stevie (7/1), For Pleasure (7/1), Farmer Boy (7/1), Hereia (7/1), Castletown (8/1), Zig Zag (12/1), Mabela (12/1)

Unlike plenty of the other events on the card this doesn’t looks particularly deep in its nature. STONIFIC is well handicapped on his Flat form and these conditions will hold no fears having travelled like the winner on heavy ground at Bangor last time until late jumping failings proved his undoing; that run suggested should be winning something like this. Little Stevie returned to form last time (finished just in front of Stonific) but he has to prove that he can string two runs together and a bigger danger may be Hereia who should find this easier than his last two tasks. The wild card is Aeglos he was decent when trained in Ireland but the market is likely the best guide to his chance.