13:33 Taunton

Thursday 11 April 2024

All13:3314:0814:4315:1815:5316:2817:0317:35

Blackdown Motor Company Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 13:33 | Winning time: 4m 9.32s

Helnwein⁴⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: Tom Cannon| T: A King| OR: 121| D

9/2

Useful bumper winner who made a successful switch to hurdling at Warwick in November. Better form in defeat at Listed/Grade 2 level since. Should be thereabouts with his sights lowered.

Form: 513-124

Johnny Jump Up³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: Caoilin Quinn⁽³⁾| T: G & J Moore| OR: 127| BF

6/1

Point recruit who made a taking winning start to his Rules career in a 2¼m novice hurdle here in January. Ran well under a penalty at Plumpton (20.5f) since. Back down in trip.

Form: 44-12

King Of Tara³²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.| T: J & A O'Neill| D

17/2

Placed on all 3 starts in bumpers prior to making a successful switch to hurdles at Warwick (2m, heavy) last month. Definitely more to come.

Form: 2231

Lario¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: Paul O'Brien| T: Harry Derham| OR: 125| D

11/5

Fair 11f winner on Flat in Germany in 2022. Winner of his completed start over hurdles for Anthony Charlton this winter and made a sound start for the Harry Derham stable when third of 11 at Newbury (2m, good to soft) 19 days ago. Likely to have a big say.

Form: U13

Meatloaf¹¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: Freddie Gingell⁽⁵⁾| T: P F Nicholls

6/1

Dual bumper winner who overcame greenness to make a successful debut over hurdles in 9-runner novice at Wincanton (15f) in November. Given a break since a lesser run at Cheltenham the following month. Retains potential for his leading stable.

Form: 1251-18

Secret Squirrel³⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: David Bass| T: H Morrison| OR: 125| CD

10/3

Bolted up on his hurdling debut at Kempton and good runner-up efforts on next 2 outings. Also fourth on AW Flat last month. Another to consider.

Form: 11-122

Captain's Pick¹⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: Jack Tudor| T: Christian Williams

200/1

Runner-up in a bumper in Ireland last summer but hasn't achieved enough in a bumper and 2 maiden hurdles for current yard to suggest he's likely to play a prominent role here.

Form: 5-25P4

Chancycourt³⁵⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-3| J: C Brace| T: F O'Brien

22/1

Third in an Irish point before shaping well when second in a Worcester bumper (heavy) in October 2021. Not seen again until sixth in a Cheltenham novice hurdle last April. Off a further 12 months but he has the potential for better.

Form: 322/6-

Giddy Up

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Sean Houlihan| T: M Hunt

250/1

Black Sam Bellamy gelding. Brother to a point winner and modest hurdler/chaser William Philo. Likely outsider on debut.

Form:

Got Grey²²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Charlie Price⁽³⁾| T: Mrs H R J Nelmes| OR: 93

250/1

Modest maiden hurdler in Ireland for Gavin Cromwell and has plenty to find on form now setting out for a new stable after 7 months off.

Form: 00-F607

Skin Full¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Thomas Bellamy| T: D Pipe

250/1

Cost £82,000 after finishing runner-up sole in an Irish point last spring but he didn't offer any short-term encouragement on last month's C&D hurdle debut.

Form: 2-0

Maryollie¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: David Noonan| T: C J Down

250/1

£45,000 Irish point winner but well beaten on his recent Wincanton hurdle debut.

Form: 418

Raindance Queen²⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 10-10| J: Ben Jones| T: W De Best-Turner| OR: 86

250/1

Placed both starts between the flags early in 2022 but has shown little in 3 novice hurdles this season. Booked for another struggle.

Form: 23/8P7

Nobody Told Me¹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 10-9| J: Nick Scholfield| T: D Faulkner

200/1

Fair handicapper on Flat for Jedd O'Keeffe but remote sixth on C&D hurdle debut 16 days ago. Unlikely to be of interest in this sphere until handicapping.

Form: 6

Forecasts

Lario (11/5), Secret Squirrel (10/3), Helnwein (9/2), Meatloaf (6/1), Johnny Jump Up (6/1), King Of Tara (17/2), Chancycourt (22/1), Captain's Pick (200/1), Nobody Told Me (200/1), Got Grey (250/1), Maryollie (250/1), Raindance Queen (250/1), Giddy Up (250/1), Skin Full (250/1)

Six previous hurdle winners clash in an interesting novice to open the card. LARIO shaped well behind a couple of useful sorts starting out for Harry Derham at Newbury recently and gets the nod ahead of Secret Squirrel and Jonjo O'Neill's Warwick winner King of Tara.