14:00 Warwick

Sunday 8 March 2020

All14:0014:3015:0515:3516:1016:4017:10

Dreamland Bedding Centre Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 14:01 | Winning time: 4m 8.3s

Nickolson¹⁴³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: R Johnson| T: O Murphy| D

1/1

Winner of both starts, a bumper at Ayr and a Wincanton maiden hurdle (2m, good; 1-1f) in October; should be more progress to come and much respect due under penalty.

Form: 1-1

Trincomalee²⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: D A Jacob| T: L Wadham| OR: 128| CD

2/1

Won his bumper here in May and improved on consistent hurdles form when taking a novice contest (2m5f, soft; 4-1) over timber last month; probably has more work to do back over minimum trip with penalty to carry.

Form: 3-13321

Eyes Up⁷⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: Tom Cannon| T: T LawesWS

125/1

Didn't show anywhere near enough on his debut at Doncaster (sent off 50-1, so little expected) in December and faces another uphill struggle here seemingly despite drop in trip.

Form: 9

Hooligan⁶⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: J J Burke| T: T R George

25/1

€44,000 3yo. Half-brother to bumper winner Mr Antolini; not without promise in a New Year's Day bumper at Exeter (2m1f, soft; 14-1) but will need to come forward on that effort now tackling jumps.

Form: 5

Llanbeau²⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-1| J: James Nixon⁽⁵⁾| T: D L Williams

100/1

Didn't win any of the ten point-to-points he contested before making an inauspicious debut under rules at Plumpton last month; hard to recommend on the evidence available.

Form: PP8P-69

Manintheshadows⁵⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.| T: J & A O'Neill

80/1

Bumper form suggested he'd be a stayer in the long term but January's hurdles bow at Doncaster (2m5f, soft; 50-1) devoid of promise and one to treat with caution despite stable being in decent form now.

Form: 447

Shareef Star²⁶²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: James Bowen| T: P & M Bowen

25/1

Winner over 1m2f on the AW at Newcastle in May last year and placed off a mark of 85 at Windsor (1m2f, good-to-firm) subsequently. Worth a check in the market on hurdles and stable debut having been bought for £35,000 at the sales last August.

Form:

The Cob⁴³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: N de Boinville| T: B Pauling

7/2

Improved on seasonal/hurdles bow to be second in a maiden at Uttoxeter (2m, heavy; 7-1) in January, winner anything but disgraced next time out in Grade 2 novice and there should be more to come here.

Form: 237-2

Celtic Tara¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-8| J: David England| T: O Murphy

100/1

Modest form in two runs over hurdles so far, coming on good-to-soft/heavy ground at Taunton and Huntington either side of New Year. Up against it on that evidence.

Form: 7-87

Leading Knight³¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: David Bass| T: B Pauling

50/1

Couple of average efforts so far at Ludlow and Doncaster over similar trips; must improve significantly but stable in better form now.

Form: 75

Rollo¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Conor Shoemark| T: D Skelton

125/1

Nicely-bred sort with plenty of winners in her pedigree; though very hard to be enthused on what she has shown at Bangor and Doncaster in her two starts. May need more time.

Form: P8

Vorashann¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Joshua Moore| T: G & J Moore

16/1

Soft ground winner on the Flat in France; 40-1 chance in the Grade 2 Adonis Hurdle latest (seventh of nine) and likely to appreciate this more manageable assignment; possible improver.

Form: 47

Checkinforsquirels¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-0| J: William Marshall⁽⁷⁾| T: D Skelton

150/1

Stablemate to Rollo, ran in same Doncaster Novices' Hurdle as that rival last time and unseated rider at the start (66-1 chance). Best to watch for now.

Form: U

Non-Runners

Blood Eagle¹⁶⁰

Weight: 10-7| Age: 4

T: D J Jeffreys J: Kielan Woods

Forecasts

Nickolson (1/1), Trincomalee (2/1), The Cob (7/2), Vorashann (16/1), Hooligan (25/1), Shareef Star (25/1), Blood Eagle (25/1), Leading Knight (50/1), Manintheshadows (80/1), Celtic Tara (100/1), Llanbeau (100/1), Eyes Up (125/1), Rollo (125/1), Checkinforsquirels (150/1)

Previous winners Nickolson and Trincomalee are feared – in that order – despite the penalties they have to carry but THE COB ran into a decent sort on his hurdling bow when finishing second at Uttoxeter in January and the winner has since shaped well in the Grade 2 Premier Novices' Hurdle. Ben Pauling's team have found some form lately and Nico De Boinville's can make the most of the 6lb he receives from those previous winners. Flat recruits Shareef Star and Blood Eagle command a look while Vorashann finds an easier challenge than in the Adonis last time.