12:50 Newbury

Wednesday 29 December 2021

All12:1512:5013:2514:0014:3515:0515:35

MansionBet Watch And Bet 'Introductory' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 12:50 | Winning time: 4m 10.2s

Hardi Du Mesnil^h1³⁵⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-10| J: Mr Sam Waley-Cohen| T: O Murphy

10/1

This half-brother to smart hurdler Gaillard du Mesnil landed a Pau juvenile on hurdles debut in January. Subsequently sold for €250,000 and very much of interest for his new connections. Hood applied.

Form: 7F81-

Hiway One O Three¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-5| J: J E Moore| T: C Gordon

125/1

Showed ability in a trio of bumpers, but cut little ice starting out over hurdles at Wincanton (19.8f) recently.

Form: 45-49

Horn Cape¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-5| J: Aidan Coleman| T: N J Henderson| BF

13/2

Ex-French bumper winner who has failed to measure up to market expectations on both starts in Britain, albeit early mistake cost him dearly on recent Exeter hurdles debut. Yard also saddles Surfman.

Form: 617-P

Joey's Gift²⁷⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-5| J: N F Houlihan⁽⁵⁾| T: M J Attwater

200/1

Little impact in a handful of bumpers and it would be a major surprise were he to figure prominently on this hurdles debut.

Form: 6993-

Ladykiller¹⁵¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: T Scudamore| T: D Pipe| BF

22/1

Smart for Andreas Wohler on Flat (stays 15f), winner of Group 3 event in 2019 and listed race in January. Underwhelming start over hurdles at Southwell in September, but surely capable of much better.

Form: 3-

Party Island²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-5| J: Adrian Heskin| T: D J Coakley

22/1

Fairly useful five-time winner on Flat at up to 1½m. Promising introduction to this sphere when third of 7 at Leicester (15.5f) and improvement should be forthcoming.

Form: 3

Peking Rose^t⁶⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: P J Brennan| T: F O'Brien

1/1

Runner-up in a Grade 2 Aintree bumper on final start of last term. Hurdles debut third in a 10-runner Ascot novice (15.7f) on return in October was promising and he's open to improvement.

Form: 142-3

Sands Chorus¹⁰²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-5| J: David Noonan| T: Mark Gillard

200/1

Four-time winner on the Flat this year, but sold from Karen Tutty's yard for only £1,000 in November and looks up against it on this hurdles debut.

Form:

Sarim^p¹⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: G Sheehan| T: W Greatrex

250/1

Fair on the Flat (stays 2m), but didn't show much on C&D hurdles debut a fortnight ago.

Form: 0

Surfman⁹⁴¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson

4/1

Pretty smart on the Flat for Roger Varian in 2019, third in the Dante at York that year. Lengthy absence to overcome ahead of this hurdles debut, but joined top jumps yard and very much of interest.

Form:

Think For A Minit

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: M G Nolan| T: J W Mullins

125/1

Very limited appeal on paper.

Form:

Bascule¹³

Age: 3| Weight: 10-4| J: Brendan Powell| T: R Hughes

11/2

Useful on the Flat (stays 1¾m), completed 4-timer in AW handicaps at Chelmsford recently. Dam was a winning hurdler and interesting to see how he fares in the betting on debut in this sphere.

Form:

Telefina²²

Age: 3| Weight: 10-0| J: Lee Edwards| T: A West

250/1

Poor maiden on the Flat and unlikely to do any better in this sphere judged on what he showed on hurdles debut at Fontwell.

Form: 6

Non-Runners

Alghazaal³²

Weight: 11-5| Age: 4

T: C E Longsdon J: Paul O'Brien

Fiesta De Vega⁴⁶⁷

Weight: 11-5| Age: 4

T: A M Balding J: S Bowen

Madiba Passion⁷⁶⁵

Weight: 11-5| Age: 7

T: A King J: Tom Cannon

Forecasts

Peking Rose (1/1), Surfman (4/1), Bascule (11/2), Horn Cape (13/2), Hardi Du Mesnil (10/1), Fiesta De Vega (10/1), Alghazaal (16/1), Madiba Passion (16/1), Ladykiller (22/1), Party Island (22/1), Hiway One O Three (125/1), Think For A Minit (125/1), Joey's Gift (200/1), Sands Chorus (200/1), Telefina (250/1), Sarim (250/1)

Though his well-being has to be taken on trust following a lengthy absence, SURFMAN, who was last seen finishing mid-field in the 2019 French Derby, could be a smart recruit to the hurdling ranks for the Nicky Henderson yard. Bascule has been in fine form on the Flat of late and is another intriguing candidate, but Surfman may have most to fear from Peking Rose and Hardi Du Mesnil.