16:45 Newcastle

Saturday 10 April 2021

All13:1513:5314:3315:0515:4016:1016:4517:30

Vertem Investing For The Future Handicap Hurdle (Div 1)

Off time: 16:45 | Winning time: 5m 5.69s

Tabou Beach Boy^p,t¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 12-2| J: Nathan Moscrop⁽³⁾| T: R Menzies| OR: 101

12/1

Fair 2m winner over hurdles. Not disgraced in jumpers bumpers at start of year but has performed no more than respectably in handicap hurdle/chase since.

Form: 035845

Image of Stars that are filled with the colour gold

Old Jewry⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Ross Chapman| T: D Bourke| OR: 97

4/1

Not the most consistent but found some form in recent weeks, winning then second at Carlisle. Leading claims if able to continue the good work back up in trip.

Form: 150P12

Royal Cosmic¹⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Oakley Brown⁽⁵⁾| T: R A Fahey| OR: 95

7/1

28/1, bit below form fifth of 15 in handicap hurdle at Musselburgh (2m, good) 15 days ago, racing lazily. Races beyond 2m for the first time now.

Form: 105-575

Espion De Saflo²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: Craig Nichol| T: A Nicol| OR: 94| D

25/1

Fairly useful chaser but below par over hurdles this term, including over C&D 3 weeks ago on his first run for 3 weeks.

Form: 3-88080

Cilluirid^t³⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: T D Easterby| OR: 92

11/1

Got back on track when making all at Catterick in December but has found little on all 4 subsequent outings, leaving him with a bit to prove.

Form: P1P090

Let's Sway^t⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: Sam Coltherd| T: S Corbett| OR: 88

7/2

Sixteen runs since last win in 2018. 5/1, good second of 6 in selling hurdle at Wetherby (19.7f, good) 9 days ago. Likely to be in the mix again.

Form: 853482

Akkapenko¹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: R T Dunne| T: Tim Vaughan| OR: 88| D

14/1

Runner-up twice in the opening months of the season but has lost her way since, including well held back from a break latest.

Form: 8-22700

Seapoint^b³⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: Miss Becky Smith⁽³⁾| T: Miss J E Foster| OR: 86| C

7/1

Placed at Wetherby in February and better than the result over 25f at Catterick since (likely still in form). Each-way claims.

Form: P89635

Christmas In Usa^b,t¹¹

Age: 9| Weight: 10-9| J: Bruce Lynn⁽⁵⁾| T: N W Alexander| OR: 80

11/1

Has slipped to a potentially very handy mark (18 lb lower than for his Sedgefield success last term), but well below par so far this season. Up in trip with blinkers back on.

Form: 7-75556

Excalibur^p⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 10-6| J: Alain Cawley| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 77| D

16/1

Has struggled since opening hurdles account at Sedgefield last season and there's no real reason to anticipate a revival here.

Form: 69-00U5

Kitty Fisher^p¹⁹

Age: 11| Weight: 10-4| J: Rachel McDonald⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss S E Forster| OR: 75| D

50/1

Won handicap chase at Hexham last season, but no show in chase/hurdle this time round.

Form: 2355-P7

Unique Company²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-1| J: Aaron Anderson⁽⁷⁾| T: M Weatherer| OR: 72

12/1

Poor on Flat/over hurdles but does arrive on the back of a runner-up effort at Carlisle last month.

Form: 630072

Kisumu^p,t¹⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 10-0| J: Joe Williamson⁽⁷⁾| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 69

33/1

Temperamental sort who is a long-standing maiden. 2 lb out of the weights.

Form: 769875

Non-Runners

Jedhi¹²

Weight: 11-6| Age: 6

T: Jedd O'Keeffe J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Let's Sway (7/2), Old Jewry (4/1), Jedhi (13/2), Seapoint (7/1), Royal Cosmic (7/1), Christmas In Usa (11/1), Cilluirid (11/1), Unique Company (12/1), Tabou Beach Boy (12/1), Akkapenko (14/1), Excalibur (16/1), Espion De Saflo (25/1), Kisumu (33/1), Kitty Fisher (50/1)

OLD JEWRY has found a rich vein of form in recent weeks and might be able to notch another win here. Let's Sway has proved tricky to win with in recent times but she's more consistent than a lot of these and ought to be in the mix again. Seapoint shaped as if still in form over a trip too far last time and also makes the shortlist.