13:30 Taunton

Tuesday 23 February 2021

All12:3013:0013:3014:0014:3015:0515:40

Aspen Waite Complete Business Growth Service Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 13:31 | Winning time: 4m 27.80s

Big Chief¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: C O'Farrell| T: N J Hawke

125/1

Sent off a big price prior to being pulled up in a novice at Chepstow on hurdling debut, so hard to make any sort of case for.

Form: P

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Blackthorn Winter⁷⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: C Brassil⁽⁵⁾| T: J Farrelly

50/1

No impact in a bumper at Catterick and is bred to need time and distance, so likely to have a considerate start to hurdling.

Form: 6

Druim Samhraidh⁷⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: Mitchell Bastyan⁽³⁾| T: J Farrelly

11/2

Fair form in bumpers in 2019, but was never involved on hurdles/stable debut here in January.

Form: 43D-0

Frankeur^t⁶⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton

3/1

Third in a couple of bumpers in France in spring 2019 but, having joined Dan Skelton, returned from a long absence with a sketchy display of jumping in a novice at Newbury on first crack at hurdling.

Form: 3/3-0

Kingcormac¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: M G Nolan| T: N J Hawke

22/1

Little impact in a couple of points and a novice hurdle at Wincanton. Set to struggle again.

Form: P67

Lusitanien^h³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Adam Wedge| T: Evan Williams

10/1

Well held in a bumper at Hereford prior to showing some aptitude when a distant third in a novice at Chepstow on hurdling bow. Needs to step up markedly from that if he's to feature.

Form: 03

Second Chapter⁴⁶⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: James Best| T: M Young

150/1

Arcadio gelding. Half-brother to useful hurdler Palmers Hill. Dam unraced half-sister to fair hurdler Lou's Coole Girl (19f winner). Winning pointer, last of 3 finishers last time (Nov 2019).

Form: 4F8/13-

That Ole Chestnut³⁵⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Matt Griffiths| T: J Scott

14/1

Half-brother to fairly useful hurdler/smart chaser Drovers Lane and bumper winner/fairly useful hurdler Thats My Rabbit. However, his efforts in bumpers last season were not overly inspiring.

Form: 06-

The Widdow Maker^h1³³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: Harry Cobden| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 118

13/8

Much improved when third under positive tactics in a novice at Wincanton last time and boasts excellent claims of opening his account against lesser opposition in a first-time hood.

Form: 9-783

Worth Knowing²²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Kai Lenihan⁽⁷⁾| T: K Davis

300/1

Little show in bumpers, so hard to expect much from him now switched to hurdling.

Form: PP35-69

Young O'Leary¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: David Prichard⁽⁷⁾| T: N J Hawke

11/2

Placed in points and (22/1) but not much to write home about in two novice hurdles to date, pulled up at Chepstow last time. Plenty to prove.

Form: 5P22-4P

Courtly Love^h1,t³⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 10-9| J: James Davies| T: O Signy

200/1

Placed in points but first run since leaving Mrs L. Pomfret when pulled up in novice at Newbury (20.5f, 250/1) on hurdles bow 34 days ago. Hard to fancy.

Form: 52/28B-P

Flaming Red⁶⁶⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-9| J: Sean Houlihan⁽³⁾| T: R G Hawker

300/1

Tailed-off last in 2 Flat maidens for Kevin Bishop in 2019. Very hard to make any sort of case for making hurdling debut after long absence.

Form:

Tibbie Dunbar¹⁸¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-9| J: T Scudamore| T: W S Kittow

20/1

Modest maiden on the Flat. Hooded for 1st time when only seventh of 9 in handicap at Lingfield (11.6f) in August. Makes hurdles debut with her fitness to prove.

Form: 45-

Forecasts

The Widdow Maker (13/8), Frankeur (3/1), Young O'Leary (11/2), Druim Samhraidh (11/2), Lusitanien (10/1), That Ole Chestnut (14/1), Tibbie Dunbar (20/1), Kingcormac (22/1), Blackthorn Winter (50/1), Big Chief (125/1), Second Chapter (150/1), Courtly Love (200/1), Flaming Red (300/1), Worth Knowing (300/1)

THE WIDDOW MAKER upped his game when third at Wincanton last time and, in a much weaker race, he faces an excellent opportunity to get off the mark if he's able to reproduce that level of performance. Most of the others have questions to answer, but Lusitanien is open to improvement and Second Chapter has at least won between the flags.