17:10 Newton Abbot

Saturday 8 April 2023

All13:4014:1514:5015:2516:0016:3517:10

William Hill Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 17:10 | Winning time: 4m 24.31s

Talimar Pearl^t1²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-11| J: Harry Kimber⁽³⁾| T: J Tizzard| OR: 95

11/2

Showed ability on first starts over hurdles but last couple of efforts have been uninspiring. Now tongue tied, but others make more appeal.

Form: 9-4599

Good Time Ahead⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-9| J: Adrian Heskin| T: J & S Best| OR: 93

4/1

Looked better than ever when easily winning a 12-runner handicap hurdle at Lingfield (2m) in February. Not disgraced since, including on the Flat last time, and makes plenty of appeal in a thin race.

Form: 83-6414

Coconut Twist^h²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Harry Reed| T: B Barr| OR: 86

11/1

Unplaced in points and just poor form to date in this sphere, respectable sixth at Taunton last time. Needs to up his game.

Form: 3463P6

Shaw's Cross⁴

Age: 11| Weight: 11-0| J: W T Kennedy| T: P Henderson| OR: 84| D

9/2

Career best when winning 8-runner handicap chase at Plumpton (17f, good to soft) in January solid efforts in defeat since. Likely to be on the premises in a weak affair.

Form: 241442

Pak Army^b,t⁵³

Age: 8| Weight: 10-12| J: B Roberts⁽⁷⁾| T: B Barr| OR: 82

8/1

Modest maiden hurdler in Ireland and hasn't fared any better in a handful of appearances for present yard. Blinkers are back on (also tongue tied for first time over jumps).

Form: 09F5P7

Zillion¹⁴⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 10-10| J: Sean Houlihan| T: Mrs S Gardner| OR: 80

9/1

Little impact so far over hurdles. Not disgraced on the Flat at Wolverhampton last time but hard to make a case for returning to this sphere.

Form: 568/86-5

Daany^h²⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 10-8| J: M G Nolan| T: J Tickle| OR: 78

22/1

Modest 1m winner on Flat. Poor form so far over hurdles and was beaten a long way out in a handicap at Taunton last time. Others make more appeal.

Form: 3/5-008P

Agent Empire^t⁶⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-3| J: James Davies| T: O Signy| OR: 73

5/1

Fairly useful on Flat in Germany but lightly raced and hard to enthuse about given his efforts over hurdles for current yard.

Form: 9P8-P5

Demothi^t1¹²

Age: 8| Weight: 10-2| J: Bryony Frost| T: J D Frost| OR: 72

12/1

Placed in points but no better than poor form under Rules so far, so needs to up his game.

Form: 4U-3P46

Loudspeaker¹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 10-2| J: Bradley Harris⁽⁷⁾| T: J W Mullins| OR: 74

10/1

Fair maiden on Flat (stays 1½m) and sold from Michael Bell 50,000 gns in July. Yet to match that over hurdles and faces a stiff task from out of the weights.

Form: 0345

Non-Runners

Privatory²⁶

Weight: 12-0| Age: 5

T: G & J Moore J: N F Houlihan

Tik Tok⁵¹

Weight: 11-4| Age: 6

T: Christian Williams J: Nick Scholfield

Forecasts

Good Time Ahead (4/1), Shaw's Cross (9/2), Agent Empire (5/1), Talimar Pearl (11/2), Privatory (7/1), Tik Tok (7/1), Pak Army (8/1), Zillion (9/1), Loudspeaker (10/1), Coconut Twist (11/1), Demothi (12/1), Daany (22/1)

GOOD TIME AHEAD is in good order and this race lacks depth, so he looks like the most solid proposition. Tik Tok is a likely improver on handicap debut and a return to form from Privatory wouldn't be a huge surprise given how well his stable has been going lately.