Cadburys Ice Cream EBF Junior 'National Hunt' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 12:25 | Winning time: 3m 58.93s

Aqua Bleu²⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 11-0| J: Kielan Woods| T: W Greatrex

5/4

Half-brother to useful dual bumper winner/fairly useful 2m/2½m hurdle winner Destination Dubai, from good NH family. 9/2, encouraging start when second of 6 in similar event at Hereford 3 weeks ago, pulled clear of remainder (also lost a shoe). Entitled to improve and obvious claims.

Form: 2

Image of Stars that are filled with the colour gold

Big Love⁴⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 11-0| J: J M Quinlan| T: M & D Easterby

9/1

9/1, offered something to work on first time up in bumper at Market Rasen 6 weeks ago, plugging on. One to note now hurdling.

Form: 4

Dontelimurnamepike

Age: 3| Weight: 11-0| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: Ruth Jefferson

7/1

Masar gelding. Dam a fairly useful hurdler (winner around 2m, including here), also 1¼m-1½m winner who stayed 14.5f on Flat, half-sister to fairly useful 19f/21f hurdle winner Favorite Moon. Appealing newcomer on paper.

Form:

Rustbelter²²

Age: 3| Weight: 11-0| J: Lee Edwards| T: Henry Oliver

50/1

Half-brother to 3 winners, including fair hurdler Pillar of Steel and poor hurdler/chase winner Shutthegate. Dam 2m hurdle winner. 50/1, little promise and well held in Ludlow bumper on debut 3 weeks ago.

Form: 7

The Grayster

Age: 3| Weight: 11-0| J: Luke Scott⁽³⁾| T: Dr R Newland

11/4

Way To Paris gelding. Dam lightly raced in bumpers/over hurdles, half-sister to fairly useful hurdler/useful chaser (stayed 21f) Pumbaa and fairly useful hurdler/chaser (winner around 2m) Carcaci Castle. Could go well on debut.

Form:

Laysoft¹⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 10-7| J: Peter Kavanagh| T: J Parkinson & S Smith

9/2

Half-sister to 1¼m winner Life On The Rocks, from the family of useful hurdler (2m winner) Britzka. Much improved from debut when winning Huntingdon bumper a fortnight ago. One to consider on quick switch to hurdling.

Form: 51

Non-Runners

Roi Des Diamants

Weight: 11-0| Age: 3

T: Deborah Cole J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.

Forecasts

Aqua Bleu (5/4), The Grayster (11/4), Laysoft (9/2), Dontelimurnamepike (7/1), Big Love (9/1), Roi Des Diamants (33/1), Rustbelter (50/1)

Some appealing newcomers to hurdling but AQUA BLEU made a bright start in this sphere at Hereford and could be hard to beat. Dontelimurnamepike and recent bumper winner Laysoft could be the dangers.