17:20 Aintree

Friday 19 May 2023

All17:2017:5518:3019:0519:4020:1520:50

Visit racingtv.com Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 17:22 | Winning time: 4m 0.16s

Father Of Jazz^h¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-9| J: Aidan Coleman| T: James Owen| OR: 115| D

11/10

Useful Flat winner for Roger Varian but didn't quite match expectations in a trio of hurdle starts for Dan Skelton. Back on track after stable switch when winning 11-runner novice at Kempton last time and he sets the standard under a penalty.

Form: 277-1

Ve Day²³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-3| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr| D

6/1

Fair maiden on the level for Andrew Balding. Landed 4-runner juvenile hurdle at Musselburgh (15.6f, good to soft) on NH debut in March but went backwards when down the field at Ludlow last time. In the mix if able to bounce back.

Form: 19-

Breaking Records^t³⁹²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: Conor Rabbitt⁽⁷⁾| T: M A Barnes| OR: 75

150/1

Modest sprinter on Flat and has showed nothing in 8 starts over hurdles. Impossible to fancy after 13 months off.

Form: 9P74PP/

Buxted Too¹¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: C J Todd| T: Ian Williams

33/1

Borderline useful Flat winner was easy to back and ran below that level on his belated return to hurdling at Worcester 11 days ago. Still early days with him in this sphere but step forward necessary.

Form: 6/9

Propagation²⁷⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Henry Brooke| T: Mrs Dianne Sayer

150/1

Long-standing maiden miler on the level and failed to back up a dubious hurdling debut when down the field at Perth last seen. Can't be fancied after 9 months off.

Form: U9-

Gaius¹³³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-10| J: S Bowen| T: O Murphy

5/2

Fairly useful Flat winner for Richard Hannon and took a step forward from his hurdling debut when fourth of 8 in juvenile hurdle at Ludlow (15.8f, soft) 133 days ago. Not taken lightly.

Form: 34-

Smart Deal^h,t¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-10| J: Dylan Kitts⁽⁷⁾| T: James Owen

16/1

Kingman gelding has shown ability in a pair of starts to date but is yet to harness it to his full potential, pulling far too hard to do himself justice at Uttoxeter last week. May well to do better but needs to race more efficiently.

Form: 4-4

Arctic Fox²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 10-9| J: Sean Quinlan| T: M Todhunter

11/2

Fairly useful stayer on Flat was pulled up on her only prior hurdles outing in March 2021. Looked rusty on return to Flat action at Haydock last time, and it's certainly interesting connections are opting to have another crack at hurdling.

Form: P/

Forecasts

Father Of Jazz (11/10), Gaius (5/2), Arctic Fox (11/2), Ve Day (6/1), Smart Deal (16/1), Buxted Too (33/1), Breaking Records (150/1), Propagation (150/1)

FATHER OF JAZZ was a useful performer on the Flat and travelled with much more zest when scoring in a small field at Kempton earlier in the month. He's fancied to defy a 6 lb penalty and follow up here, though this a decent race of its type, with Gaius and VE Day also having made promising starts to their hurdling careers, albeit the latter needing to bounce back after a poor showing last time.