12:40 Ffos Las

Thursday 22 December 2022

All12:4013:1013:4014:1014:4015:1015:40

Cazoo Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 12:40 | Winning time: 5m 12.0s

Firestream^t³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Aidan Coleman| T: A J Honeyball

6/5

Took another step forward in bumpers when winning at Exeter in January and ran to a similar level when fourth under a penalty at Newbury next time. Tongue tie fitted and created a fine impression when making a winning hurdles debut at Chepstow last month. Useful prospect.

Form: 4214-1

Gunnery Officer³³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: C Gethings| T: S Edmunds

14/1

Successful twice in points since finishing third in a Tipperary bumper for Colin Bowe in March 2021 and ran to a fairly useful level when making a winning start over hurdles at Warwick (19f, soft) last month. Well held at Ascot 3 weeks later but he can bounce back.

Form: 12F1-1P

Rath Gaul Hill⁴⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: R T Dunne| T: S Drinkwater| C

11/2

Doyen gelding. Dam unraced, out of half-sister to smart chaser Hi Cloy (winner up to 3m). Narrowly denied on sole start in Irish points and looked a good prospect when outclassing 7 rivals on Rules debut here (2m) last month. Won with any amount in hand and sure to progress. Up in trip.

Form: 2-1

Ballyhigh⁴³²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: D A Jacob| T: N J Henderson

7/2

£100,000 4-y-o, Canford Cliffs gelding. Dam, maiden, is closely related to Musidora/Nassau Stakes winner Zahrat Dubai. Won only start in Irish points (Oct 2021) so he merits serious consideration for his leading yard.

Form: 1-

Coal Fire²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: S Bowen| T: P & M Bowen

300/1

Showed only greenness when well held in Market Rasen bumper on debut 21 days ago. Big step forward required now switched to hurdling.

Form: 7

Exmoor Forest²⁷¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Miss Thomosina Eyston⁽⁷⁾| T: B Lund

300/1

Just one effort of note from 4 starts in bumpers and readily passed over sent hurdling here following 9 months off.

Form: 7577-

Great Name That^t²³⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: J J Burke| T: H Fry

33/1

€45,000 3-y-o, £100,000 5-y-o, Flemensfirth gelding. Dam, runner-up both starts in bumpers, sister to useful chaser (stayed 23f) Pressurize. Yard having good spell. Winning pointer but fitted with a tongue tie and shaped as though amiss on debut in April. Up in trip now hurdling.

Form: P10-

Hercules Morse⁵⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Kielan Woods| T: B Pauling

14/1

Blue Bresil gelding who made a promising start when third of 12 in novice at Worcester (20f, 16/1) on debut in October. Will know more this time.

Form: 3

Hurricane Highway⁵⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Adam Wedge| T: Evan Williams

16/1

£90,000 4-y-o, Malinas gelding. Half-brother to a point winner. Dam (c73) winning pointer. Won only start in Irish points in March and shaped like a stayer when fifth sent hurdling over 19.5f at Chepstow last month.

Form: 1-5

Propelled²⁸¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson

33/1

Shaped well on first of his 2 starts in bumpers and performed about as well as could have been expected when chasing home the useful Gentleman At Arms on hurdles debut at Huntingdon (20.7f, soft) in March. Off since.

Form: 242-

The Brew Master⁴¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: James Bowen| T: N J HendersonWS

11/2

€15,000 3-y-o, £100,000 4-y-o, Mahler gelding. Half-brother to fairly useful hurdler Mr Utah and poor hurdler Brae On. Irish point winner in October 2021 and though off since (also had a wind op) he's in top hands.

Form: 1-

Desert Fortune³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: Jack Tudor| T: Christian Williams

125/1

£80,000 buy after easily winning her second start in Irish points in January. Runner-up in a bumper at Plumpton but looks a handicap project over hurdles.

Form: 212-47

Orange Gina¹²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: Shane Quinlan⁽³⁾| T: Mrs N S Evans

300/1

Hasn't been the easiest to train but showed a bit more than previously when second in 6-runner bumper at Worcester (16f, good to soft) in August, very much having run of race. Makes hurdles debut.

Form: 4/4-42

Our Flying Angel²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Ben Jones| T: P & M Bowen

250/1

Debut effort in a bumper here wasn't devoid of promise but it would be something of an understatement to say that she failed to build on that switched to hurdles at Doncaster.

Form: 57

Non-Runners

Spring Meadow³⁶

Weight: 11-7| Age: 5

T: N & W Twiston-Davies J: Sam Twiston-Davies

Forecasts

Firestream (6/5), Ballyhigh (7/2), The Brew Master (11/2), Rath Gaul Hill (11/2), Spring Meadow (10/1), Gunnery Officer (14/1), Hercules Morse (14/1), Hurricane Highway (16/1), Great Name That (33/1), Propelled (33/1), Desert Fortune (125/1), Our Flying Angel (250/1), Exmoor Forest (300/1), Orange Gina (300/1), Coal Fire (300/1)

This looks quite a deep novice but FIRESTREAM looked useful when making a winning hurdles debut at Chepstow last month and is taken to defy a penalty. Rath Gaul Hill can leave the bare form he achieved here last month behind and he's a threat, while the market may help sort out the pecking order of the Henderson-trained trio.