12:50 Sedgefield

Sunday 29 January 2023

All12:5013:2514:0014:3515:1015:4516:20

MW Paving And Groundworks Mares' Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 12:50 | Winning time: 5m 7.30s

Nell's Bells³⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr| D

7/4

Bumper winner who had her limitations exposed at top tracks last season but well prepared to make a successful hurdles debut at Wetherby on Boxing Day. Penalty to shoulder but she's entitled to build on that.

Form: 4/180-1

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Darsi's Darling³⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: Thomas Willmott⁽³⁾| T: J Parkinson & S Smith

25/1

Third on bumper debut in November 2021 but little to shout about since, falling in race won by Nell's Bells last month.

Form: 386-F

Jims Apple^h³⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: Edward Austin⁽⁵⁾| T: J Ewart

33/1

Runner-up a couple of times in points but well held both starts in bumpers to end 2022. Up in trip for hurdles debut.

Form: F/224-75

Maisie Too²²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: D B Hurst⁽⁷⁾| T: S Corbett

18/1

Modest form in a quartet of bumpers. Hood left off for hurdles debut up in trip.

Form: 3445

Midnight Shuffle³²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: Sam Coltherd| T: W Coltherd

5/1

Bumper winner at Kelso in 2021. Off for 16 months before fading fifth of 9 in novice hurdle at Catterick and she should step up on that.

Form: 33/71-5

Miss Solitaire¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: William Shanahan⁽⁷⁾| T: J Candlish

150/1

Little sign of ability.

Form: 060

Our Laura B⁶⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Jack Hogan⁽⁵⁾| T: B Haslam

20/1

Fair form to make the frame in a trio of bumpers. Makes hurdles debut in an ordinary race.

Form: 7-224

Windtothelightning⁶⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Craig Nichol| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero

5/4

£35,000 4-y-o, Sans Frontieres filly. Dam, fair 21f hurdle winner, is a half-sister to temperamental but fairly useful hurdler/smart chaser Spring Heeled. Runner-up in a point and made an encouraging hurdles debut when third despite mistakes at Doncaster in November. More to come.

Form: 2-3

Non-Runners

Aubis Walk²⁰

Weight: 11-2| Age: 7

T: N G Richards J: Sean Quinlan

Forecasts

Windtothelightning (5/4), Nell's Bells (7/4), Aubis Walk (9/4), Midnight Shuffle (5/1), Maisie Too (18/1), Our Laura B (20/1), Darsi's Darling (25/1), Jims Apple (33/1), Miss Solitaire (150/1)

WINDTOTHELIGHTNING showed plenty to work on when third on Rules debut at Doncaster in November and, likely to know more this time, she's just about the most persuasive option. Aubis Walk is a big player if over a fall 3 weeks ago, while Nell's Bells has a penalty to shoulder for her Wetherby win but has to command respect.