Virgin Bet EBF Mares' 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 16:15 | Winning time: 5m 9.44s

Corey's Courage²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: Aidan Coleman| T: O Murphy| OR: 117

9/4

Bumper winner on debut last term and maintained unbeaten record when making it 2-2 over hurdles in good style at Uttoxeter (15.8f). This is tougher under a double penalty, but she could be useful.

Form: 1-11

Nextdoortoalice⁴⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Harry Bannister| T: A M Hales| OR: 118| BF| CD

5/4

Winning start for this yard over C&D in November and solid efforts in defeat at Ludlow and Warwick since. Arguably lacks the potential of one or two of these, but she should give another good account.

Form: 4-32122

Guidedbythescience¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Tom Midgley⁽⁵⁾| T: G Boanas

66/1

Promising signs on hurdles debut/second start for this yard at Sedgefield in January, but it would be something of an understatement to say that she failed to build on that next time.

Form: 34-4644

Moonamacaroona^p1²²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: B S Hughes| T: A King| OR: 108| BF

11/4

Winner of 2 of her 3 starts in bumpers and has hit the crossbar twice in this sphere, including on first run following a wind op in a C&D handicap last month. Cheekpieces added and she's a big player.

Form: 11-U272

My Girl Lollipop²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Charlie Hammond| T: S Edmunds

12/1

Underwent a wind op following hurdles debut and duly improved when 9 lengths second to Corey's Courage (5 lb worse off here) at Uttoxeter. This stiffer test should help, but big step forward needed.

Form: 20-72

Poetria⁴⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-0| J: Sean Quinlan| T: M Walford

40/1

Didn't shape badly starting out in this sphere at Wetherby in December, but that form has hardly worked out well and she was never in the hunt at Newcastle next time.

Form: 6437

Non-Runners

Signal Point⁷

Weight: 11-5| Age: 6

T: D Skelton J: Harry Skelton

Forecasts

Nextdoortoalice (5/4), Corey's Courage (9/4), Moonamacaroona (11/4), Signal Point (8/1), My Girl Lollipop (12/1), Poetria (40/1), Guidedbythescience (66/1)

MOONAMACAROONA has yet to strike over hurdles, but she posted her best effort yet when runner-up in a C&D handicap last time and is taken to go one better. The unbeaten Corey's Courage remains with potential and is an obvious danger, but she'll need to be pretty useful to get the better of the selection under a double penalty. Nextdoortoalice will ensure that this is by no means a two-horse race.