Follow Hexham Racecourse On Facebook & Twitter Novices' Hurdle

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: Sean Quinlan| T: P A Kirby

Le Fou gelding out of a High-Rise mare. Won on his sole starts in Irish point-to-points taking a maiden over 3m in yielding to soft conditions. Raced keenly on debut at Doncaster last month. More needed.

Form: 15

Cockle Bay^t⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-1| J: D R Fox| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell

Not seen for the best part of three years when returning to action at Kelso in January. Well beaten and never a factor on both starts and no realistic chance on what he has shown so far.

Form: PBP1/94

Get Real³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: Colm McCormack⁽³⁾| T: P A Kirby

Managed a place in a point-to-point before making an inauspicious start over hurdles for Henry Oliver. Beaten over 50L on stable debut at Doncaster last month and hard to entertain his chances here.

Form: 8-2P0

Giovanni Change⁶¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: M Walford| OR: 122

Solid and consistent sort in a couple of initial bumper efforts last year before two decent runs at Wetherby, the latest of which came in a 2m soft ground maiden in January.

Form: 1333

Itsnotyouitsme^t⁶¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: Ross Chapman| T: M A Barnes| OR: 110

Posted a career best effort over hurdles finishing third of eight beaten 6L in a Wetherby 2m3½f novice hurdle on soft ground in January. Open to plenty of improvement.

Form: 2253

Non-Runners

Flying Moon⁴⁵

Weight: 10-7| Age: 4

T: R M Smith J: Dale Irving

Forecasts

Giovanni Change (8/13), Itsnotyouitsme (3/1), Cockle Bay (10/1), Get Real (12/1), Bushypark (14/1), Flying Moon (50/1)

The Mark Walford-trained GIOVANNI CHANGE has posted a couple of creditable efforts over hurdles since his debut in December and can improve enough in this company to get off the mark for connections at the third time of asking. The five-year-old can hold off the attentions of Itnotyouitsme who produced a career best effort over hurdles finishing third of eight beaten 6L in a Wetherby 2m3½f novice hurdle on soft ground in January. The Lucinda Russell-trained Cockle Bay can go well for a yard that targets this meeting.