15:50 Taunton

Wednesday 30 December 2020

All12:3513:0513:3514:0514:4015:1515:50

Newton King Estate Agents Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 15:55 | Winning time: 5m 1.96s

Bob Backus¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Rex Dingle| T: A J Honeyball

150/1

9/1, remote eighth of 10 in novice hurdle at Exeter (16.8f, heavy) on NH debut 13 days ago. In excellent hands so could still do better.

Form: 8

Diamon Des Flos^h1⁵⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Adam Wedge| T: Evan Williams

18/1

Ninth of 12 in bumper (18/1) at Newbury (16.3f, good) on NH debut 55 days ago. Hooded for hurdles debut and not ruled out for in-form yard.

Form: 9

Earl Of Wisdom²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: R M Power| T: C L Tizzard

66/1

50/1, off 20 months before ninth of 15 in novice hurdle at Exeter (16.8f, heavy) on hurdles bow 26 days ago. Sort to do better in due course.

Form: 9/9

Equus Dreamer⁶²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: David Bass| T: K Bailey & M Nicholls

13/2

£25,000 4-y-o, Getaway gelding. Dam unraced half-sister to fair 3m hunter chase winner Thornleigh Ben. Placed in points and yard can ready them so interesting debutant.

Form: 322/

Fanfan La Colmine^h⁶²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: David Noonan| T: C J Down

125/1

Modest form in bumpers, hooded when sixth of 9 at Newton Abbot (16.8f, heavy) 62 days ago. Makes hurdles debut but others appeal more.

Form: 3/5-86

Millbank Flyer⁵⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: S Bowen| T: H Fry

5/4

5/1, promising second of 12 in novice hurdle at Hereford (16.2f, good to soft) on hurdles bow 50 days ago. Sure to improve over this extra distance, so he sets a good standard.

Form: 8-2

Montys Medoc²⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Lorcan Williams⁽³⁾| T: P F Nicholls| BF

40/1

7/4 but very green when last of 5 in bumper at Chepstow (16f, soft) on NH debut 25 days ago. Goes hurdling now and sort to do better for leading yard.

Form: 5

Rod's Dream¹³¹⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: Benjamin Poste| T: Ella Pickard

150/1

Encouraging third in bumper at Newton Abbot (16.8f) on NH debut for David Pipe in 2017 but off track since. Fitness a clear concern on belated hurdles bow for new handler.

Form: 3/

Stellar Magic³³²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: R Johnson| T: P Hobbs & J White

9/4

€35,000 3-y-o, Arctic Cosmos gelding. Half-brother to 3 winners, notably smart chaser Heron Heights. Winning pointer who is in excellent hands so newcomer is not without interest.

Form: 1-

Time To Tinker^t1⁶⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: H Cobden| T: P F Nicholls

8/1

Fairly useful in bumpers before (had wind op) encouraging sixth of 12 in novice hurdle at Chepstow (19.4f, good to soft) on hurdles bow 64 days ago. Tongue strap on now and should progress.

Form: 20-6

Westhill²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Bryony Frost| T: P F Nicholls

33/1

9/1, hung left when thirteenth of 15 in novice hurdle at Exeter (16.8f, heavy) on hurdles bow 26 days ago. Big step forward is required.

Form: 60

What A Baloo¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Sean Houlihan⁽³⁾| T: J D Frost

400/1

200/1, first run since leaving Kim Bailey when eighth of 11 in novice hurdle at Wincanton (15.3f, soft) 15 days ago. Back up in trip with plenty of work to do.

Form: 90P-8

Windance²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: R P McLernon| T: A J Honeyball

22/1

28/1, failed to build on hurdling debut fifth at Fontwell when sixth of 14 in 2m novice hurdle here 20 days ago. Should still do better over this longer trip, so not written off.

Form: 4-56

Young O'Leary³⁴⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: David Prichard⁽⁷⁾| T: N J Hawke

22/1

€15,000 3-y-o, Scorpion gelding. Dam unraced out of fairly useful 20f chaser Zayta. Placed in points and not without interest on breeding so respected on his first go over hurdles.

Form: 455P22-

Forecasts

Millbank Flyer (5/4), Stellar Magic (9/4), Equus Dreamer (13/2), Time To Tinker (8/1), Diamon Des Flos (18/1), Young O'Leary (22/1), Windance (22/1), Westhill (33/1), Montys Medoc (40/1), Earl Of Wisdom (66/1), Fanfan La Colmine (125/1), Rod's Dream (150/1), Bob Backus (150/1), What A Baloo (400/1)

MILLBANK FLYER sets the bar quite high on the form of his debut Hereford second so Harry Fry's son of Milan looks the one to focus on with improvement very much in the pipeline over this longer trip. Winning- pointer Stellar Magic is much respected for his leading yard on his hurdling bow, while Equus Dreamer is another debutant who has shown up well in points and needs considering.