Creative Pod Award Winning Design & Marketing Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 13:16 | Winning time: 4m 58.83s

Heaven Smart¹⁹⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: J E Moore| T: G & J Moore

13/2

Out of a 1½m/1¾m bumper winner, herself a half-sister to bumper winner/smart hurdler Cracking Smart (stays 3m). Runner-up twice between the flags earlier this year and interesting to see how he fares in the betting, particularly in relation to stablemate Fascinating Lips.

Form: 54P22F-

Image of Stars that are filled with the colour gold

Hermes Le Gris¹⁷⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Henry Brooke| T: W Greatrex

18/1

Placed on 2 of his 3 starts in bumpers and encouraging start over hurdles when finding just one too strong in a 7-runner Warwick maiden (2m, good) in May. This stiffer test promises to suit and he should make his presence felt.

Form: 293-2

I'm Digby⁷⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Miss Victoria Malzard⁽⁷⁾| T: O Sherwood

100/1

Winner of just one of his 25 starts on the Flat and while he's joined a respected yard ahead of this Rules debut, it's easy enough to look elsewhere.

Form:

Record High²⁴⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: M G Nolan| T: Miss S Smith

9/1

Showed ability in a couple of Irish points and winning start under Rules in a Fontwell maiden bumper (17.7f, soft) in February. That probably wasn't the strongest of races and much more on his plate now switched to hurdles.

Form: 251-

Scarface²²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Brendan Powell| T: J Tizzard| OR: 128

1/4

Runner-up first 2 starts over hurdles last season, namely an Exeter maiden (16.7f, soft) and Ascot novice (19.3f, heavy) before struggling in the Ballymore at the Cheltenham Festival. Very much the one to beat with his sights significantly lowered on return.

Form: 540227-

Smith^v³³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: M Goldstein| T: Mrs L Richards

40/1

Five-time winner at up to 2m on the Flat but beaten a country mile on sole start over hurdles to date.

Form: 9-

Non-Runners

Fascinating Lips³¹

Weight: 11-7| Age: 5

T: G & J Moore J: N F Houlihan

Forecasts

Scarface (1/4), Fascinating Lips (4/1), Heaven Smart (13/2), Record High (9/1), Hermes Le Gris (18/1), Smith (40/1), I'm Digby (100/1)

It's hard to look beyond SCARFACE, who found just one too strong on his first 2 starts over hurdles (beaten by useful types on each occasion) and this is far more realistic than the assignment he faced at the Cheltenham Festival on his final appearance of last season. Fascinating Lips looked good on his debut in this sphere at Fontwell and is second choice ahead of Hermes Le Gris.