Best Odds Guaranteed At Yeeehaaa.Bet Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race)

4YO plus | Class 4 | 2m 1f 162y | 9 Runners | Turf

Age: 9| Weight: 11-5| J: James Davies| T: R Rowe

Successful on the last of 4 starts in Irish points but has offered little in 2 novice hurdles 28 months apart, latterly when pulled up at Kempton (21f, soft) 26 days ago. Can only be watched. Engaged 3.02 Lingfield Tuesday.

Form: P2214/P

Dontaskchris³³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: M Goldstein| T: Mrs D Grissell

£9,000 3-y-o, Ask gelding. Brother to fair hurdler/useful chaser Nothin To Ask. Dam dual point winner. Offered little when pulled up in a Plumpton bumper last spring.

Form: P-

Ghost Hunter⁸⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: James Bowen| T: W Greatrex

£80,000 buy after finishing second in an Irish point in April but well beaten both starts over hurdles thus far. Likely a longer-term prospect back over further.

Form: 2-94

Isocrate²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.| T: J & A O'Neill

Hinted at ability only start in bumpers and much improved from hurdling debut effort when going down narrowly in 5-runner Sandown novice (2m, soft) 3 weeks ago. Feasible to think he can do better still and sound claims here.

Form: 44/45-52

Motazzen¹⁴⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Brendan Powell| T: Miss H C Knight

Fairly useful handicapper on Flat (stays 2½m) who won at Nottingham (14f) in September prior to a rare below-par display in Cesarewitch at Newmarket final start in 2023. Market should guide now starting out over hurdles for new yard.

Form:

The Cypriot¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Jordan Nailor| T: Evan Williams

€58,000 3-y-o, Jukebox Jury gelding. Modest form in 2 bumpers and sent off at long odds, offered little starting out over hurdles at Taunton 2 weeks ago.

Form: 359

Vendant⁷⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: N F Houlihan| T: R Rowe

Vendangeur gelding. Placed in points but well held only start in bumpers and never got competitive in pair of novice/maiden hurdles at Plumpton late last year. Handicaps moving forward will be more his bag.

Form: 3/30-86

Village Master³⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Paul O'Brien| T: W GreatrexWS

Runner-up on second of 2 starts in Irish points and showed a bit, despite finishing well beaten, when fifth of 11 in novice at Chepstow (19.4f) on hurdles debut in December. Disappointed at Hereford in January and has since undergone wind surgery. Best watched.

Form: 5257

Nachtgeist²⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-9| J: H Cobden| T: Anthony Charlton| OR: 100

Useful on Flat in Germany and better with each outing over hurdles, second of 5 in Plumpton juvenile (2m) in January. Tailed off last of 3 on the Flat at St Moritz 24 days ago but better showing expected returned to these shores/back over timber with Cobden booked.

Form: 632

Forecasts

Isocrate (7/4), Nachtgeist (2/1), Motazzen (3/1), Ghost Hunter (12/1), Village Master (14/1), The Cypriot (33/1), Dance To Fame (33/1), Vendant (50/1), Dontaskchris (66/1)

ISOCRATE left his hurdling debut effort in his wake when narrowly failing at Sandown 3 weeks ago and with further progress anticipated, he looks the way to go in a maiden lacking depth. Nachtgeist returned to these shores and back over timber rates a threat, whilst the market should guide with hurdles debutant Motazzen, who was a fairly useful operator on the level.