12:25 Huntingdon

Thursday 2 January 2025

All12:2512:5513:2514:0014:3515:1015:40

Advertise Your Business At Huntingdon Racecourse Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 12:25 | Winning time: 3m 49.15s

Baseline^h³⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: Sean Houlihan| T: P Hobbs & J White| OR: 109

6/1

Pulled up sole start between the flags but stepped forward from hurdling debut when runner-up in a novice at Southwell last time and that's probably not his limit.

Form: P4/2

Image of Stars that are filled with the colour gold

Classical Sting^h1³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Adam Wedge| T: L Morgan

200/1

Bred to stay well and hasn't shown a great deal yet. Hooded now but he's probably more of a handicap type.

Form: 38

Educator¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Brendan Powell| T: Miss H C Knight

33/1

Fairly useful at best on the Flat for Mick Appleby and showed a bit to work on making stable/hurdling debut in novice at Southwell. Needs to improve on that if he's to get involved, though.

Form: 5

George's Lad³⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Harry Cobden| T: Miss E C Lavelle

11/5

Held every chance when falling at the last in a point in April and built on hurdling debut when runner-up in a novice at Kempton last time, finishing with running left. Open to further progress.

Form: F-52

Hestina Hill³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Kielan Woods| T: D Skelton

150/1

Easy to back and well beaten on bumper debut at Southwell last month, hanging left and faltering early in straight. Switches to hurdles but others make more appeal.

Form: 8

Malfoy Manor²³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Henry Brooke| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero

18/1

Runner-up in a point and generally better than the result so far over hurdles, finishing with running left when fifth in a novice at Uttoxeter last time. May yet improve.

Form: P/28-645

Rubber Ball⁴³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: J M Quinlan| T: N B King

11/1

Irish point winner who ran to a fair level when fifth of 14 in bumper at Cheltenham and showed some aptitude when third in a novice at Warwick on hurdling debut. Dropped in trip and open to improvement.

Form: 1-53

Serious Challenge¹⁸⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: J J Burke| T: F O'Brien

9/2

Brother to fair hurdler Sheer Bravado (17f winner). Smart on Flat (stays 1¾m), in frame last 5 starts, not disgraced in listed event last time. Sold from J. S. Bolger 82,000 gns later in July and looks a potentially above-average recruit to hurdling.

Form:

Theatre Tom^h1¹³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: S Bowen| T: O Murphy

14/1

Made frame both completed starts in Irish points and has shown fair form so far over hurdles, not having a hard time when fifth at Uttoxeter 13 days ago. Can do better with hood applied.

Form: F-44375

Vanderpoel⁴⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Ben Jones| T: B Pauling

3/1

€38,000 3-y-o, £90,000 5-y-o. Dam unraced half-sister to fair hurdler/useful chaser (2m-2½m winner) Gentle Alice. Off mark in Irish points at second attempt (Nov 23). Clearly of interest.

Form: P-1

Tillaway^h¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: Liam Harrison| T: T R George

66/1

Has shown ability in both bumpers and over hurdles but it will likely be in handicaps where she makes a bigger impact.

Form: 4-3554

Viva Valentina⁴¹³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton

20/1

Masked Marvel mare who left the form of her sole bumper outing well behind when second in a Market Rasen novice on hurdling debut. That was 13 months ago and not seen since, but remains with potential.

Form: 8/2-

Voleur De Terres¹⁶⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: David Noonan| T: Miss C Dyson

250/1

Dual winning Irish pointer but didn't offer much at Uttoxeter on Rules debut 5 months ago.

Form: 31233-7

Foreseen^h1,t⁶²

Age: 4| Weight: 10-9| J: Lee Edwards| T: A West

100/1

Fairly useful on Flat (stays 9f), runner-up in Newmarket handicap last time. Interesting hurdling newcomer.

Form:

Non-Runners

Sharp Distinction¹⁷

Weight: 11-8| Age: 6

T: Miss A Murphy J: Non Runner

Another Pearl²⁹

Weight: 11-1| Age: 5

T: G Nicholls J: James Bowen

Forecasts

George's Lad (11/5), Vanderpoel (3/1), Serious Challenge (9/2), Baseline (6/1), Rubber Ball (11/1), Theatre Tom (14/1), Malfoy Manor (18/1), Viva Valentina (20/1), Sharp Distinction (20/1), Educator (33/1), Another Pearl (33/1), Tillaway (66/1), Foreseen (100/1), Hestina Hill (150/1), Classical Sting (200/1), Voleur De Terres (250/1)

SERIOUS CHALLENGE's Flat form is well above average and he's joined a shrewd stable, so he's worth a chance to make a winning start at the possible expense of Vanderpoel, a notable recruit from points. Baseline is the pick of those with hurdling experience.