12:10 Doncaster

Thursday 29 December 2022

All12:1012:4513:2013:5514:4015:1015:40

bet365 British EBF 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 12:10 | Winning time: 4m 41.26s

Moon Hunter⁴⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: T J O'Brien| T: H D Daly

4/1

Comfortably off mark in points at second attempt and made a successful debut over hurdles with a bit up his sleeve at Wetherby (19.7f) 47 days ago. Sure to improve and highly respected under a penalty.

Form: 21-1

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Theatre Man³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: David Bass| T: R Bandey| OR: 127

9/4

Showed fair form when placed both starts in bumpers. Proved no match for the useful Hermes Allen on his Stratford hurdling debut but showed improved form to go one better at Hereford (19.7f) 36 days ago, unchallenged. Likely to progress further.

Form: 232-21

Val Dancer³³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: Alex Edwards⁽³⁾| T: Mrs M Rowley

6/1

Runner-up in a bumper and made second hurdles start a winning one at Bangor (19.6f, heavy) 33 days ago, going with enthusiasm. Penalty makes life harder but he's open to further progress.

Form: 2-251

Barley Breeze⁴¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Thomas Dowson| T: P A Kirby

200/1

Hasn't shown enough in bumpers to warrant interest on hurdling debut.

Form: 645-6

Bob Delaney¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Alison Clarke⁽⁷⁾| T: P Winks

250/1

Looked in need of the experience when well held in Southwell bumper on debut 18 days ago. Makes hurdles debut. Up in trip.

Form: 8

Coachman⁴²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: G Sheehan| T: O Signy

33/1

Successful on second of 2 starts in Irish points and bought for £140,000 after but was well held on his hurdling debut at Chepstow just over a year ago.

Form: 31/0-

Hands Off⁴¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson

5/2

Half-brother to useful hurdler/chaser Scorpion Sid. Failed to meet market expectations when mid-field in a Warwick bumper but fared much better sent hurdling when runner-up at Ascot (19.3f) 41 days ago. Sure to improve.

Form: 6-2

Heads Or Harps⁶³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: T Scudamore| T: M Scudamore| BF

33/1

Successful on the second of 2 starts in points but failed to meet expectations switched to Rules when pulled up in a maiden hurdle at Worcester back in October. Clearly thought capable of better.

Form: P1-P

Hermino AA⁴⁰

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

12/1

Made an encouraging start to his career when second of 8 in bumper (6/1) at Ascot (15.7f, good) 40 days ago. Upped in trip for hurdles debut and one to consider.

Form: 2

Largy Train²⁸²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: H Hogarth

150/1

Strong in the betting when making a winning bumper debut for Stuart Crawford in May 2021. Swamped for pace faced with less testing ground under a penalty at Wetherby in March and has since left Paul Nicholls for £26,000.

Form: 15-

Lunar Contact⁴²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Tom Cannon| T: A King| BF

18/1

Off mark in Irish points at second attempt in May and shaped like a stayer when third of 7 in maiden hurdle at Market Rasen (20.6f, heavy, 6/4) on Rules debut 42 days ago. Entitled to do better.

Form: 3-13

Prince De Juilley⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: J J Burke| T: A Ralph

80/1

Off mark in Irish points at second attempt and shaped better than the bare result when well held on Market Rasen hurdle debut. Should do better in time, most likely in handicaps.

Form: 41-5

Scene One²²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Bryony Le Clerc| T: L Wadham| OR: 109| BF

14/1

Third in a well-contested novice at Newbury in March and filled same position in a similar event at Lingfield on his return. However, went backwards at Leicester last time (possibly amiss).

Form: 3-39

Bear A Hand³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: Sean Houlihan| T: R J Price

300/1

Well held in bumper/maiden hurdle.

Form: 07

Walk In The Storm²⁶⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: C J Todd| T: Ian Williams

66/1

Confirmed her debut promise at the second attempt when landing a Newcastle bumper in January. Struggled in listed/Grade 2 company thereafter but should have a future over obstacles.

Form: 2/0160-

Non-Runners

Harkangel⁴⁸

Weight: 10-7| Age: 4

T: T R Gretton J: Stan Sheppard

Forecasts

Theatre Man (9/4), Hands Off (5/2), Moon Hunter (4/1), Val Dancer (6/1), Hermino AA (12/1), Scene One (14/1), Lunar Contact (18/1), Coachman (33/1), Heads Or Harps (33/1), Walk In The Storm (66/1), Prince De Juilley (80/1), Harkangel (100/1), Largy Train (150/1), Barley Breeze (200/1), Bob Delaney (250/1), Bear A Hand (300/1)

HANDS OFF shaped with plenty of encouragement under considerate handling when runner-up on his hurdling debut at Ascot last month and is sure to have derived plenty from that experience, so he gets the nod to go one better. Moon Hunter was nicely on top of a subsequent winner at Wetherby so is highly respected under a penalty, as is Theatre Man, who dominated from start to finish at Hereford.