12:40 Newbury

Saturday 31 December 2022

All12:1012:4013:1513:5014:2515:0015:35

Coral Racing Club Join For Free 'Introductory' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 12:42 | Winning time: 4m 2.5s

Jet Powered³⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson| CD

2/7

Bought for 350,000 gns after winning sole start in Irish points and impressed on Rules debut when landing a 12-runner C&D novice last month. Exciting prospect for top connections and very much the one to beat.

Form: 1-1

Palace Boy⁶⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: P J Brennan| T: F O'Brien| D

8/1

Flat winner in Germany and made a successful start in this sphere following a lengthy absence in a 2m Chepstow novice in October (subsequently gelded). Much more on his plate under a penalty here but he's clearly promising.

Form: 1

Bascule²⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Brendan Powell| T: R Hughes

25/1

Useful on the Flat, successful 4 times on the AW at up to 1¾m. Sole run over hurdles to date saw him finish a modest fourth in this race 12 months ago but he's out of a winning hurdler and is likely capable of a good deal better in this sphere.

Form: 4-

Hourvari²³⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Aidan Coleman| T: O Murphy

40/1

Appealing NH pedigree and improved on debut run when second in a Fontwell bumper in January. However, failed to meet expectations when fourth of 9 at Haydock on latest start during the spring and pitched into a tough race for this hurdles bow.

Form: 42-4

Inneston⁴⁴⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: J E Moore| T: G & J Moore

11/2

Maiden bumper winner on sole start in France last October, form which looks strong given the subsequent exploits of the runner-up, Irish Point, who went close in a Grade 1 novice at Fairyhouse this month. Interesting to see what the market has to say.

Form: 1-

Klitschko^h1⁴²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Tom Cannon| T: A King| BF| D

14/1

Showed a fine turn of foot when impressively winning a 2m Huntingdon bumper in May. Turned over when odds on for return/hurdles debut at the same course (jumping lacked fluency) but he remains a useful prospect. Hood applied.

Form: 13

Steal My Sunshine³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton

66/1

Shaped with some encouragement in a couple of bumpers but hard to warm to here judged on his hurdles debut display at Market Rasen earlier this month.

Form: 45-4

Titanium Bullet^t1⁴⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: James Bowen| T: W GreatrexWS

100/1

Fair form in bumpers but didn't find much when a well-held sixth upped to 20.5f on hurdles debut at Plumpton. Since undergone a wind op and addition of a tongue strap/drop back in trip may help but he's passed over all the same.

Form: 256

Whenitrainsitpours³⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Harry Reed| T: M F Harris

100/1

Finished last of 4 on Rules debut in a bumper at Bangor last month and, on that evidence, he looks up against it on this hurdles bow.

Form: 3-4

Space Voyage²¹¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: W T Kennedy| T: O Murphy

100/1

Sister to fairly useful hurdler/fair Crest and stepped up on debut effort when landing a bumper at Market Rasen (16.6f, good to firm) in June, displaying a willing attitude in the process. Much tougher task awaits on this hurdles debut and Hourvari is presumably the stable No 1.

Form: 61

Jupiter Du Gite^h1²³⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 10-6| J: N F Houlihan⁽³⁾| T: G & J Moore

66/1

Hooded/tongue strap on when debut third in French bumper 8 months ago. Hood retained now switched to hurdles for new yard and he should have a future but jockey bookings suggest that Inneston is the yard's first-string.

Form: 3-

Forecasts

Jet Powered (2/7), Inneston (11/2), Palace Boy (8/1), Klitschko (14/1), Bascule (25/1), Hourvari (40/1), Jupiter Du Gite (66/1), Steal My Sunshine (66/1), Space Voyage (100/1), Titanium Bullet (100/1), Whenitrainsitpours (100/1)

JET POWERED was mightily impressive in a C&D novice last month, leaving the impression that he could be something out of the ordinary. Indeed, the 5-y-o is already second favourite in most firms' lists for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham in March and can take another step towards a potential clash with Facile Vega and others at the Festival by landing this. The form of the bumper Inneston won in France now looks very good and he is second choice ahead of Klitschko and Palace Boy.