12:28 Hereford

Saturday 21 December 2024

All11:5812:2813:0313:3814:1314:4815:23

Accasion Marquees Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 12:29 | Winning time: 4m 3.27s

Iddergem^p³⁰³

Age: 8| Weight: 12-0| J: David Noonan| T: Miss C Dyson| OR: 98| D

80/1

Has won selling events at Stratford and Southwell for Olly Murphy this winter but found nothing in handicap at Wincanton on debut for new yard. Quick turnaround and blinkers back on when running to similar level in February. Cheekpieces back on for return to action after 10 months off.

Form: 122165-

Jim De Sarti^t⁵¹

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Cameron Iles⁽⁷⁾| T: T Lacey| OR: 98

16/1

Bumper winner in France. Underwhelming for Nicky Henderson, including on hurdling debut at Newbury 8 months ago. Sold quite cheaply and weakened out of it behind Nowmelad at Uttoxeter in October. Tongue tie made little difference when tailed off at Stratford later in month. Returns off 51-day break.

Form: 31/83-60

Gwennie May Star³⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-13| J: Tristan Durrell⁽³⁾| T: D Skelton| OR: 97

22/1

Showed some ability in bumpers 3 months apart and made late headway on second run over hurdles at Ludlow in October. Never involved on final qualifying run at Bangor (16.7f) 38 days ago and looks the type to have been brought along with low-grade handicaps in mind. Not ruled out for powerful yard.

Form: 9-3P85

Goodwin Face⁶¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-12| J: Rex Dingle| T: C Gordon| OR: 96

11/2

Best effort to date over hurdles when runner-up at Plumpton 61 days ago. Still displayed signs of greenness there, so could be more to come on handicap debut from feasible opening mark.

Form: F-52

Lucky Draw^h⁵⁰⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Jay Tidball⁽⁵⁾| T: D Bourne| OR: 96

100/1

Fair on Flat and over hurdles, shaping well when finding only one too good in 8-runner handicap at Market Rasen in June. Held back by mistakes at Southwell since and performed poorly when last seen in August 2023 (well beaten 16.3f) at Stratford. Something to prove on first run for over 500 days.

Form: 49/2246-

Scherbobalob³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: Murray Dodd⁽⁷⁾| T: A Ralph| OR: 94| D

11/1

Shed maiden tag in quite convincing fashion at Ludlow (15.7f) in spring of last year but struggled for form during the autumn. Attracted some support on return/following wind surgery but shaped as if needing the run when sixth of 7 in handicap hurdle at Uttoxeter 35 days ago. Chance on best form.

Form: 15/6P8-6

Culligran¹⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: R P McLernon| T: J G M O'Shea| OR: 91| BF| CD

6/1

Found improvement when getting off the mark in 8-runner handicap hurdle over C&D (good to soft) in November, comfortably. Could not replicate that effort when returning to the track off a 7 lb higher mark 10 days ago (fifth beaten 4 lengths) but clearly acts around here and one for the shortlist.

Form: 4-23315

Penna Rossa^b,t³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: Joe Anderson⁽³⁾| T: Kieran Burke| OR: 90| D

4/1

Not won since 2022 but promising first effort for new yard when runner-up at Exeter in November. Ran too badly to be true at Stratford but back in form at Huntingdon just 3 days later (19.5f possibly stretched him). Best run in a while when 2nd back down in trip (15.2f Wincanton) last month. Player.

Form: 082P52

By The Grace²²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: James Bowen| T: N J Henderson| OR: 90

9/2

Has looked one of her stable's lesser lights to date, pulling up at Kempton (2m) and again failed to complete when upped in trip (2m 6f) back in May. Back down in distance after 7 months off but does represent top connections at a moderate level.

Form: 3847P-P

Timeforarum⁵³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: James Best| T: B Eckley| OR: 90

9/1

Improved effort over hurdles when second in a 2m Stratford maiden in July, bare form reads well with winner (now rated 107 on official ratings) scoring at this track last month. Might have needed the run back from nearly 4 months off when well held in 2m Chepstow handicap 53 days ago.

Form: 7-66429

Baikal^t⁵³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Ben Jones| T: G Harris| OR: 84| D

22/1

Dual winner over hurdles for Adam West in 2023 but yet to get his head in front this year and three low-key runs for current connections make him hard to fancy on return to track after short break, although jockey booking does catch the eye, so worth monitoring to see if any market support.

Form: P-68390

Greenways³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Benjamin Poste| T: T Symonds| OR: 84| BF| C

4/1

Justified support having joined this yard from Dominic Ffrench Davis when readily scoring in handicap hurdle here (21.7f, good) in November (second has won since). Best forgiven effort 8 days later on much softer ground (20f Ffos Las) and respected now freshened up and returned to this venue.

Form: 443613

Mind Hunter^b⁵⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Ellis Collier⁽⁷⁾| T: B J Llewellyn| OR: 82

66/1

Missed whole of 2023 and beaten a long way back from a lengthy absence on the Flat in October.

Form: 126458/

Fan Magnet^h⁴⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-8| J: Sean Houlihan| T: Sheila Lewis| OR: 78

50/1

Showed ability in bumpers in Ireland but no show in qualifying hurdles for this yard. Retains hood today but plenty to find on handicap bow.

Form: U5005

Grandmaster Flash^b⁴¹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-3| J: Lee Edwards| T: B J Llewellyn| OR: 73| D

66/1

Three-time AW winner on the Flat but no real impact in his starts over hurdles, pulling up at Newton Abbot in May and again failing to complete when tried in blinkers at Ffos Las (20f, good to soft, 80/1) 41 days ago, Blinkers retained today but lots to find on recent evidence.

Form: 774-UPP

Non-Runners

Guinessed⁸⁸

Weight: 10-4| Age: 7

T: J & S Best J: Bryan Carver

Forecasts

Greenways (4/1), Penna Rossa (4/1), By The Grace (9/2), Goodwin Face (11/2), Culligran (6/1), Timeforarum (9/1), Scherbobalob (11/1), Jim De Sarti (16/1), Guinessed (20/1), Baikal (22/1), Gwennie May Star (22/1), Fan Magnet (50/1), Grandmaster Flash (66/1), Mind Hunter (66/1), Iddergem (80/1), Lucky Draw (100/1)

A very competitive handicap hurdle. It might be worth chancing that SCHERBOBALOB can recapture his best form. He likely needed his comeback run following a wind operation, and that should put him spot on for this. Penna Rossa arrives here off the back of two encouraging efforts, although he does find it tough to win, while better is expected of Gwennie May Star now tackling a handicap for the first time. Course winner Greenways and the lightly-raced Goodwin Face are others worth noting.