newtonabbotracing.com Open NH Flat Race (GBB Race)

Off time: 17:00 | Winning time: 4m 11.89s

Axel Bleue^t⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-9| J: James Bowen| T: M Bowen| D

8/15

Point winner who landed 8-runner bumper at Market Rasen (16.6f, heavy) on Rules debut in July. Tongue strap on first time (retained here) when second at Worcester recently and it could be that his penalty will again find him out.

Form: P4-112

Bacardi Blue

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Bryan Carver| T: D Summersby

28/1

€10,000 3-y-o, out of unraced half-sister to fairly useful hurdler (stayed 25f) As I See It out of smart 2m-21f hurdle winner Chomba Womba. Trainer's first runner in a bumper and it's probably best to look elsewhere on this occasion.

Form:

Peaky Girl^h1

Age: 5| Weight: 10-9| J: S Bowen| T: A E Jones

16/1

Linda's Lad mare. Dam bumper winner (stayed 19f), herself a sister to listed bumper winner/fairly useful 2m/19f hurdle winner Joanne One. Slight concern that she sports a hood for this debut, but she's clearly bred for the job and booking of Sean Bowen is an obvious plus.

Form:

Anabil Blue

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Taylor Fisher| T: J Tickle

40/1

Blue Bresil filly. Dam French hurdler (2m winner), herself a half-sister to French hurdler (17f winner) Muratello. Yard 0-14 in bumpers and she doesn't have the look of a probable first-time-out winner on paper.

Form:

Victors Spirit²²

Age: 4| Weight: 10-6| J: J M Quinlan| T: N B King

2/1

Half-brother to 2 winners on Flat and highly encouraging start to his career when narrowly outpointed by the long odds-on Way Maker at Stratford (16.3f, good to firm), in turn pulling clear of the rest. Likely to make a bold bid to go one better, provided the forecast slower ground isn't an issue.

Form: 2

Forecasts

Axel Bleue (8/15), Victors Spirit (2/1), Peaky Girl (16/1), Bacardi Blue (28/1), Anabil Blue (40/1)

VICTORS SPIRIT went down all guns blazing when tackling a potentially useful type at Stratford and, assuming that the slower ground here doesn't count against him, he should prove hard to beat. Sean Bowen is an eye-catching booking for newcomer Peaky Girl and it'll be interesting to see what the market makes of her. She may prove to be a bigger threat than Axel Bleue.