11:50 Doncaster

Saturday 12 December 2020

All11:5012:2012:5513:3014:0514:4015:15

bet365 Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 11:51 | Winning time: 4m 9.41s

Ajay's Ways¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Lily Pinchin⁽⁵⁾| T: D Killahena & G McPherson

18/1

Placed in points and showed some ability when midfield on Hereford hurdle debut (19.7f) 17 days ago. Entitled to do better.

Form: 533/6

Alexander James^t⁹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: P J Brennan| T: F O'BrienWS

4/1

Useful on Flat, stays 9f, good second in minor event at Chantilly last time. Interesting recruit to hurdling (had wind op since last seen).

Form:

Dal Horrisgle³⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Thomas Bellamy| T: A King

7/2

Useful middle-distance stayer for William Haggas. Didn't get near that level starting out in this sphere when third to Bravemansgame at Exeter but he showed aptitude for the job and should improve.

Form: 3

Dreams And Visions⁸⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Sean Quinlan| T: M & D Easterby

50/1

Fairly useful on Flat (stays 13f), shaping quite well on his return from a year off at Ayr in September. Goes hurdling now and betting perhaps the best guide to expectations.

Form:

Dubai Guest¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: G Sheehan| T: O Murphy

33/1

Fair form when landing a bumper at Musselburgh last season but has made a low-key start over hurdles, well beaten third at Bangor latest.

Form: 81-63

Jack Sharp

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: S Bowen| T: A Ralph

25/1

€90,000 3-y-o, Scorpion gelding. Half-brother to useful hurdler/very smart chaser Mister Fisher. Market should offer up some clues on debut.

Form:

L'Incorrigible⁷⁴⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: R M Power| T: T Lacey

10/3

€75,000 3-y-o who looked a fine prospect when making a winning start in a junior bumper at Warwick in November 2018. Off since but is in good hands, so still seems sure to go on to better things.

Form: 1/

Lifeisahighway²²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: David Bass| T: B Pauling

40/1

Winning pointer who shaped better than being pulled up suggests on Rules/hurdles bow and looked still in need of more time at Catterick next time, not knocked about. Others preferred.

Form: P25/1-P7

Mobham⁵³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Harry Bannister| T: J R Jenkins

300/1

Modest maiden on Flat, stays 1½m, down the field in handicap last time. Easy to look elsewhere.

Form:

Percy's Word²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Bridget Andrews| T: D Skelton| OR: 119

5/2

Useful at up to 2m on the Flat for Simon Crisford and placed first three starts over hurdles. Spared a hard race when below form on Cheltenham handicap bow last time, so not one to write off.

Form: 2/230

Pour Joie²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Dave Crosse| T: Ian Williams

200/1

Warwick bumper winner in 2019. Well held in 3 Flat runs later that year and showed nothing after 12 months off when pulled up on recent hurdle debut at Huntingdon.

Form: 13/P

Raven Court³⁸³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Paul O'Brien⁽³⁾| T: C E Longsdon

18/1

Went the wrong way after a good start in bumpers but is bred to make a jumper and shaped promisingly when third in a 2m Kempton novice a year ago. Open to improvement for new yard.

Form: 368/3-

Rock The House^h²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: David England| T: O Murphy

40/1

Left bumper efforts behind when second on 2m Fakenham hurdle debut in October, but failed to repeat that effort in a similar event at Huntingdon last time. Hood back on.

Form: 6-825

Zahraani²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Alex Chadwick⁽⁷⁾| T: J R Jenkins

300/1

Modest maiden on the Flat and offered little on last month's hurdling at Leicester.

Form: 5

Zuba⁵³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: James Davies| T: N J Gifford

12/1

Fairly useful on Flat, stays 1¾m, back to form when third last time. Sold from Amanda Perrett for 30,000 gns in October and could make a decent hurdler for new yard.

Form:

Forecasts

Percy's Word (5/2), L'Incorrigible (10/3), Dal Horrisgle (7/2), Alexander James (4/1), Zuba (12/1), Ajay's Ways (18/1), Raven Court (18/1), Jack Sharp (25/1), Dubai Guest (33/1), Lifeisahighway (40/1), Rock The House (40/1), Dreams And Visions (50/1), Pour Joie (200/1), Zahraani (300/1), Mobham (300/1)

DAL HORRISGLE showed an aptitude for hurdling in a race working out well at Exeter and seems sure to do better given his Flat ability, so he's fancied to make his second start in this sphere a winning one. Alexander James, a useful performer on the level, is an interesting recruit for the Fergal O'Brien team, with Percy's Word and L'Incorrigible also potential threats.