12:50 Newbury

Tuesday 23 January 2024

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

Get Best Odds Guaranteed At BetVictor Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race) (Div 1)

Off time: 12:50 | Winning time: 4m 10.79s

Another Fine Mess^h1²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Bryan Carver| T: J Scott

66/1

Has an ordinary pedigree but is a good type and has shown ability in making the frame both outings in bumpers, paying for his early keenness at Wincanton last time. Hood added for hurdle bow.

Form: 34

Arthurian Fable³⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: Harry Bannister| T: R Bandey

4/1

Useful on the Flat (stays 1¾m) for Brian Meehan and made an encouraging start over hurdles after a long absence when third of 18 over C&D last month. Entitled to do better.

Form: 3

Aworkinprogress⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: N F Houlihan| T: N J Gifford

200/1

Maiden pointer and more one for handicaps after this based on his 2 efforts in novice hurdles this winter.

Form: 64-59

Be Aware

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton

11/1

Martaline gelding. Brother to connections' useful hurdler/chaser Lac de Constance, and half-brother to fairly useful French hurdler Irish Bar. Respected on debut.

Form:

Fasol¹⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: H Cobden| T: P F Nicholls

6/4

Smart on Flat in France, stays 15.5f, runner-up in Group 3 last time. Sold from Christope Ferland for €155,000 in September and makes lots of appeal on hurdle/stable debut.

Form:

Greenways¹¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Mr Daniel Kyne⁽⁷⁾| T: A Stronge

250/1

Showed some promise in bumpers and shaped in kind tried hurdling when tenth of 17 in a maiden at Wincanton (15.2f, soft) 11 days ago. One for later on.

Form: 3-F850

Harbour Bridge⁴⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: J J Burke| T: Miss J S Davis

250/1

Showed some ability in finishing midfield both starts in bumpers but was pulled up on his Chepstow hurdle debut last month.

Form: 45P

Jim De Sarti⁴⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson| BF

14/1

Improved from debut when winning 7-runner amateurs maiden at Loudeac in April. Disappointed with his finishing effort on his British debut at Ludlow 8 weeks on but it remains early days with his top stable.

Form: 31-8

Navajo Indy³³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Caoilin Quinn⁽³⁾| T: T Symonds| CD

3/1

Course bumper winner in November who made an encouraging start to his hurdle career when 3 lengths second of 16 at Exeter (17f, heavy) just before Christmas. There should be more to come from him.

Form: 34-12

Optimistic Joe³¹⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: M G Nolan| T: P Hobbs & J White

20/1

£60,000 purchase after finishing third in a point last March and needs a market check now starting out under Rules.

Form: 3-

Royal Regard⁷⁴⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: N P Mulholland

250/1

Showed fair form when down the field on the first of 2 starts at Compiegne in the spring of 2021 but was pulled up on his British debut at Wetherby later that year and fared no better both starts back on the Flat. Subsequently sold out of Tom George's stable for only £4,000.

Form: 8PP/

Ruler Legend²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: R P McLernon| T: J & A O'Neill

100/1

Useful Irish Flat performer in 2022 but nowhere near that level in 2 hurdle outings for current yard. Way too soon to write him off in this sphere but he might be more one for handicaps after this.

Form: 47

Stonking³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Freddie Gordon⁽⁵⁾| T: H Main| C

33/1

Dam half-sister to fairly useful hurdler (stayed 19f) Vorashann. Fairly useful handicapper on Flat (stays 1¾m) but ran well below form on most recent outing.

Form:

The Blueberry One

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Paul O'Brien| T: Harry Derham

7/1

Blue Bresil gelding. Dam (h134) bumper/19f-21f hurdle winner (stayed 3m). Newcomers from promising yard warrant respect.

Form:

Vision De Maine^t⁴⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Jack Tudor| T: D PipeWS

40/1

Successful sole start in Irish points and offered something to work on when second of 6 in a bumper at Sedgefield (16.8f) on Rules debut in October. Made novicey mistakes when well held on Chepstow hurdling debut 6 weeks later.

Form: 1-27

Twyford's Diamond¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: Ben Jones| T: B Pauling

150/1

Showed little in a brace of bumpers and fared no better sent hurdling at Hereford (21.7f, soft) 19 days ago. Back down in trip.

Form: 0-58

Forecasts

Fasol (6/4), Navajo Indy (3/1), Arthurian Fable (4/1), The Blueberry One (7/1), Be Aware (11/1), Jim De Sarti (14/1), Optimistic Joe (20/1), Stonking (33/1), Vision De Maine (40/1), Another Fine Mess (66/1), Ruler Legend (100/1), Twyford's Diamond (150/1), Aworkinprogress (200/1), Royal Regard (250/1), Greenways (250/1), Harbour Bridge (250/1)

FASOL showed smart form on the level in France and, having joined Paul Nicholls, he makes plenty of appeal on this switch to hurdling. Course bumper winner Navajo Indy should improve on his opening effort in this sphere at Exeter, while Arthurian Fable showed an aptitude for hurdling back from a long absence when third over C&D last month and must enter calculations, also.