12:00 Ayr

Saturday 4 November 2023

All12:0012:3213:0713:4214:1514:5315:2816:04

Argyll Bar Paisley EBF 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race) (Div 1)

Off time: 12:02 | Winning time: 3m 54.74s

I Love My Baie¹²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: D A Jacob| T: S R B Crawford| D

9/1

Successful on the first of 2 starts in bumpers and impressed in making a winning hurdling debut in 5-runner event at Perth in July, just shaken up to assert. Shoulders a penalty but he's a good looker who's entitled to progress.

Form: 1-31

Ballyfort²¹⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Bruce Lynn⁽³⁾| T: N W Alexander

40/1

£30,000 5-y-o, Fame And Glory gelding. Dam (h121), hurdle winner around 2m (stayed 19f), sister to modest hurdler (2½m winner) Metro Boulot Dodo. Maiden Irish pointer, third last time (Apr 8).

Form: 63F423-

Florida Dreams²⁰³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Danny McMenamin| T: N G Richards| D

6/5

Doyen gelding who overcame some trouble to make it 2 from 2 in bumpers in 20-runner Grade 2 at Aintree in April. Exciting recruit to the hurdling ranks.

Form: 11-

Follow Charlie¹⁷⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Callum Bewley| T: R M Smith

200/1

Well held in bumper/maiden hurdle. Sold from Paul John Gilligan for only £2,500 in September.

Form: 0-0

Indeevar Bleu²²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: S Bowen| T: O Murphy| D

6/5

Looked something out of the ordinary when blowing away the opposition in a Wetherby bumper on debut back in March. Exciting prospect for hurdling.

Form: 1-

Joie More¹⁸⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Ryan Mania| T: Mrs J Stephen

80/1

€58,000 3-y-o, £18,000 5-y-o, Getaway gelding. Closely related to fair chaser Whiskey Lullaby, and half-brother to numerous winners, including very smart hurdler/chaser Petit Robin. Dam unraced. Made frame both completed starts in Irish points, pulled up latest (May 1).

Form: P24-P

Paddy Elvis²⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: B S Hughes| T: S R B Crawford

40/1

Modest in bumpers and ran to only a similar level sent hurdling at Sedgefield (16.8f, good to soft) 24 days ago.

Form: 92-665

Primoz^t1²⁰²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: S Mulqueen| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell

15/2

Runner-up both starts in Irish points in spring 2023 and bought for £150,000 after, so is an interesting Rules newcomer.

Form: 22-

Snow Shepherdess¹⁴⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Craig Nichol| T: I Jardine| BF

100/1

Half-sister to numerous Flat winners and made a sound start to her career when placed in a couple of bumpers earlier in the year. Not bred for jumping but he's a good-looking type who should have a future over hurdles.

Form: 23

Non-Runners

Rockstown Girl³³

Weight: 10-7| Age: 5

T: A McCann J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Florida Dreams (6/5), Indeevar Bleu (6/5), Rockstown Girl (6/1), Primoz (15/2), I Love My Baie (9/1), Ballyfort (40/1), Paddy Elvis (40/1), Joie More (80/1), Snow Shepherdess (100/1), Follow Charlie (200/1)

A strong race of its type for the track. INDEEVAR BLEU and Florida Dream are 2 cracking hurdling prospects judged on their bumper exploits. The latter won a Grade 2 event at Aintree in April, but it was very hard not to be impressed with the way the former blew away the opposition at Wetherby in March and he shades the vote. I Love My Baie shouldn't be overlooked either.