15:20 Plumpton

Monday 17 October 2022

All14:1014:4515:2015:5516:3017:0517:40

Summertree Novices' Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:20 | Winning time: 3m 43.51s

Mordred^h²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 12-1| J: Mitchell Bastyan| T: M F Harris| OR: 101| C

3/1

Dual Flat winner who opened hurdles account at the seventh attempt here last month. Only needed the one attempt to get it right over fences, making a successful chase debut at Sedgefield (17f, good to soft) 9 days later, and should remain competitive back in this sphere, despite going up 7 lb.

Form: 54-6411

Image of Stars that are filled with the colour gold

Cornicello²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 12-1| J: J J Burke| T: Jamie Snowden| OR: 102

9/4

Fairly useful on the Flat in Germany and has made the frame on all 5 completed starts over hurdles, including when fourth on return in a 10-runner novice at Warwick (2m, good) where he was considerately handled. Remains capable of better and he has to enter calculations.

Form: 3243F-4

Martin Spirit¹⁴¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-13| J: J E Moore| T: P Butler| OR: 99

25/1

Winner over fences in France and while initial efforts for present yard were poor, he got back on track in first-time cheekpieces/refitted tongue strap when second in a Fontwell handicap hurdle (17.7f, good) in May. However, record in this sphere stands at 0-17 and goes without headgear this time.

Form: 28PPP-2

Henry Box Brown⁶⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Adam Wedge| T: Evan Williams| OR: 93

11/2

Winner of a Wexford bumper on debut/sole start in Ireland and he was a good third on his handicap bow in this sphere at Fontwell in May. Form has nosedived since, though, and others are more appealing.

Form: 33-3405

Many Words¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: M G Nolan| T: A W Carroll| OR: 89

40/1

Very modest form in this sphere to date and recent effort on the Flat at Brighton was hardly inspiring.

Form: 6745F-

Hill Station¹⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 10-11| J: N F Houlihan⁽³⁾| T: G & J Moore| OR: 100

7/2

Gambled on and all set to make a winning hurdles bow when coming down at the last at Newton Abbot in June. Recent defeat in a Fontwell juvenile event (17.7f, good) was at the hands of a progressive type who was completing the hat-trick, and he's of strong interest now pitched into a handicap.

Form: F32

Encashment^p,t¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-4| J: Dylan Whelan⁽⁷⁾| T: B Pauling| OR: 76| BF

5/1

Still seeking first taste of success following 11 attempts in this sphere. Conversely, she's finished in the money on 6 of her 8 starts since switched to handicaps and it's not hard to envisage her play a part in the finish.

Form: 382326

Non-Runners

Rebel Roxy³⁵

Weight: 11-6| Age: 6

T: F O'Brien J: Nick Slatter

Forecasts

Cornicello (9/4), Mordred (3/1), Hill Station (7/2), Encashment (5/1), Henry Box Brown (11/2), Rebel Roxy (7/1), Martin Spirit (25/1), Many Words (40/1)

There were positives to glean form CORNICELLO's reappearance effort at Warwick and, entitled to come on for that, he's appealing off a reduced mark returned to handicap company. The 3-y-o Hill Station has to be feared given his weight-for-age allowance and he is second choice ahead of the hat-trick seeking Mordred and Encashment.