Coral 'We're Here For It' Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 16:10 | Winning time: 4m 17.4s

Don't Look Back⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Sam Coltherd| T: W Young Jnr| OR: 83

125/1

Fair handicapper on Flat (stays 1m) but well held completed starts in this sphere, held when making a mistake at Musselburgh last week.

Form: 4/6F7-96

I Am Max²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Ryan Mania| T: A M Thomson

5/6

Vendangeur gelding. Dam unraced half-sister to a French Grade 1 winner Galop Marin. Well backed and justified support in fine style starting out in a bumper at Carlisle 3 weeks ago. Good hurdles prospect.

Form: 1

The Best Way²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Danny McMenamin| T: N G Richards

11/1

Shaped well when fourth of 10 in a course bumper in May 2022, making good progress early in the straight before his effort flattened out. Absent 21 months after and with that in mind there were also positives to take from his opening effort at Carlisle 3 weeks ago. Should do better.

Form: 4-8

Two Auld Pals^t1⁵¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: D R Fox| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 106| BF

11/8

Fairly useful handicapper on Flat for Jim Goldie (stays 2¼m), winning 3 times in 2023. Has shown aptitude for hurdling when runner-up both starts in novices, latterly beaten a neck only. More to come in this sphere and he sets the standard with a tongue tie on for the first time.

Form: 22

Dollar Collar¹²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: S Mulqueen| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell

22/1

£30,000 5-y-o, half-sister to fairly useful 2½m hurdle winner Minellafordollars and fair 19f chase winner Bigpipenotobacee (both by King's Theatre). Dam, 2m-2½m hurdle/chase winner. Easily off mark in Irish points at third attempt in October.

Form: F-71

Suleiman Artist⁴²

Age: 4| Weight: 10-9| J: Alan Doyle⁽⁵⁾| T: A B Hamilton

200/1

Modest form at best in a trio of bumpers for Nigel Twiston-Davies.

Form: 766

Forecasts

I Am Max (5/6), Two Auld Pals (11/8), The Best Way (11/1), Dollar Collar (22/1), Don't Look Back (125/1), Suleiman Artist (200/1)

I AM MAX could hardly have created a better impression on debut when a ready winner of a Carlisle bumper 3 weeks ago, and with connections wasting no time switching to hurdles, he can go in again. Lucinda Russell trains the obvious dangers, albeit from different backgrounds in point-winner Dollar Collar and ex-Flat performer Two Auld Pals.