11:25 Bangor-on-Dee

Saturday 17 April 2021

All11:2511:5512:2512:5513:2513:5514:25

Potter Group Handicap Hurdle (Div 1)

Off time: 11:26 | Winning time: 4m 45.74s

Rubytwo^p²²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: B S Hughes| T: N G Richards| OR: 100| D

13/2

Wasn't winning out of turn when opening hurdles account in a Newcastle mares' maiden (20.3f) in November. Below par since, but down in class and the weights here, so she's worth considering.

Form: 214955

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Brother Pat^p1¹⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Peter Kavanagh⁽¹⁰⁾| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 100

33/1

Encouraging third in a Stratford novice in October, but he has offered little switched to handicaps the last twice and hopes now pinned on first-time cheekpieces.

Form: 9-733P7

Lady Sally²⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: J J Burke| T: A Ralph| OR: 97| D

33/1

Point winner who stepped up plenty on her reappearance run when third at Leicester in November. Completely bombed both starts since, though, and she has a point to prove now.

Form: 85-93P9

Guildhall^p,t³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-9| J: T J O'Brien| T: S Allwood| OR: 97

20/1

Fair 7f Flat winner and has translated most of that ability to hurdles, albeit he misfired on debut for new yard at Huntingdon last time and is now 0-7 in this sphere.

Form: 559355

Badness Backfires²⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: Lorcan Williams⁽³⁾| T: Henry Oliver| OR: 96

7/2

Fair ex-Irish maiden for Denise Foster and shaped encouragingly starting out for new yard following a 5-month break at Hereford (19.7f, good). 1 lb lower now and he needs a second look.

Form: 452504

Near Kettering^t³¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: Jonathan England| T: S England| OR: 96

33/1

Fit from a Flat win and opened account over hurdles at Sedgefield last August. It's been downhill all the way since, though, and he needs to bounce back in a major way.

Form: 10885-8

Nefyn Point²²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: Theo Gillard⁽⁵⁾| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 94

20/1

Sole hurdling win came in 2019 and arrives here on the back of a string of inauspicious displays. Claims if able to bounce back, but it's clearly a big 'if'.

Form: 5-92969

Dan Gun¹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 92

13/8

Justified strong market support when making a winning start for this yard at Stratford (22f, good) recently. 9 lb rise may not be enough to prevent him from striking again.

Form: 073091

Staithes^h⁴¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Tabitha Worsley⁽⁵⁾| T: L Horsfall| OR: 92| D

100/1

Point winner who didn't cut much ice in a bumper/novice hurdle for Nicky Henderson and has failed to complete switched to fences the last twice.

Form: 1/0-5FPU

On The Platform¹²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Lee Edwards| T: J Groucott| OR: 90

50/1

Poor maiden hurdler who will need to improve plenty now pitched into a handicap if he's to have a say in the finish.

Form: U-3086

Watchman^t¹⁵⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Mr Jason Dixon⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs N S Evans| OR: 88

20/1

Appeared to take a step forward when fourth on handicap debut in this sphere at Uttoxeter in October. However, failed to match that form back there the following month and he's been absent since.

Form: 7-7647

Say The Word^b²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: C Gethings| T: T R George| OR: 86

5/1

Some decent efforts to his name, including when sixth of 16 in a 3m Taunton handicap last time. However, record over hurdles stands at 0-11 and there's an air of vulnerability about him.

Form: 7755P6

Jalingo^b²³

Age: 10| Weight: 10-10| J: David Noonan| T: A Stronge| OR: 84| D

33/1

Continues to fall in the weights, but for good reason and there were very few positives to glean from his effort at Chepstow last month.

Form: 66-5570

Non-Runners

Ocean Voyage¹⁴

Weight: 11-4| Age: 6

T: Ian Williams J: C J Todd

Forecasts

Dan Gun (13/8), Badness Backfires (7/2), Say The Word (5/1), Rubytwo (13/2), Nefyn Point (20/1), Watchman (20/1), Guildhall (20/1), Ocean Voyage (25/1), Brother Pat (33/1), Lady Sally (33/1), Near Kettering (33/1), Jalingo (33/1), On The Platform (50/1), Staithes (100/1)

A chance is taken on BADNESS BACKFIRES, who didn't shape at all badly without being knocked about on debut for this yard at Hereford where he was returning from a break. He is an appealing alternative to likely favourite Dan Gun, a winner on debut for this yard at Stratford recently. Dan Skelton's charge is a much-respected main danger, while Rubytwo also enters calculations.