14:50 Exeter

Monday 25 March 2024

All14:2014:5015:2015:5016:2016:50

Exeter Novices' Selling Hurdle

Off time: 14:51 | Winning time: 5m 9.25s

Hard Rain^p¹⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 11-8| J: Miss Brodie Hampson⁽³⁾| T: A Watson| OR: 106

10/3

Plenty of decent efforts to his name in this sphere and over fences for previous yards in Ireland. Hasn't shown much in a couple of handicap hurdles for new yard since returning from a break, though, and needs to bounce back in a major way with cheekpieces refitted/eased in grade here.

Form: 232064

Nick The Greek³⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Fergus Gregory| T: J Coulson| OR: 103

9/2

Caused a surprise on first run since leaving Olly Murphy when landing a weak novice at Southwell (15.8f, heavy) last month, belying odds of 40/1 in the process. Will need to build on that in order to follow up in this contest but he's unexposed and may well have more to offer.

Form: F4-671

Foxey⁵⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-3| J: Lewis Stones⁽³⁾| T: O Murphy| OR: 102| D

11/8

Off the mark over hurdles in a selling handicap at Newton Abbot in October. Added to his tally when opening chase account at the second attempt at Lingfield on penultimate start and while his good run of form came to a halt back hurdling last time, he's dangerous to discount in this grade.

Form: 4/51217

Far Away West^h1³⁶⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: Harry Reed| T: Daisy Hitchins

50/1

Unseated sole start in points and beaten a county mile on Rules debut in a Cork bumper for Josh Halley last spring. Difficult to make case for her starting out over hurdles for new yard here. Hood applied.

Form: U6-

Mermaids Cave¹¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: R Patrick| T: M Sheppard| OR: 92

10/3

Half-a-dozen starts when trained on the other side of the pond yielded just one effort worthy of note, namely when runner-up in a Perth novice in September (well beaten by the winner). Still, she's well worth a second look in the betting on debut for new connections at this level.

Form: 602098

My Mate Polly¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-2| J: Ben Ffrench-Davis⁽⁵⁾| T: W G M Turner

80/1

No promise in bumpers and her 2 starts over hurdles.

Form: 8087

Non-Runners

Millford Sound⁴⁰

Weight: 11-3| Age: 8

T: Henry Oliver J: David Noonan

I'm Too Tired¹⁵

Weight: 10-10| Age: 4

T: J Candlish J: Luke Scott

Forecasts

Foxey (11/8), I'm Too Tired (11/4), Hard Rain (10/3), Mermaids Cave (10/3), Nick The Greek (9/2), Millford Sound (10/1), Far Away West (50/1), My Mate Polly (80/1)

While it wasn't much of a race in which NICK THE GREEK made a winning debut for this yard at Southwell, he at least arrives here on an apparent upward curve whereas pretty much all of his rivals have a bit to prove for one reason or another. Foxey and Mermaids Cave are tentatively nominated as the main dangers, largely owing to the fact that it's hard to find plausible excuses for the recent poor form shown by Hard Rain and I'm Too Tired.