15:35 Newbury

Friday 28 November 2025

All12:1512:4513:1513:5014:2515:0015:35

Coral 'Pipped-At-The-Post' Payouts Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:35 | Winning time: 6m 18.4s

Classic King³⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: Rex Dingle| T: Miss E C Lavelle| OR: 135

10/1

Dual 19f hurdles/chase winner last term who signed off with a good second of 10 in handicap hurdle at Kempton (21f, good to soft). Underwent a wind op prior to an encouraging reappearance kept to hurdles at Cheltenham and shapes as though worth a try over this trip. One for the shortlist.

Form: 1U132-4

Thunder Rock²³¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-13| J: S Bowen| T: O Murphy| OR: 134

12/1

Very smart chaser at best but not at the same level in handful of outings over hurdles last season. Resumes from a 7-month absence on a potentially very handy mark, but it's not hard to have reservations all the same.

Form: P/P4447-

Punctuation^t²⁵⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-9| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson| OR: 130| C

18/1

Five-time hurdles winner for Fergal O'Brien and ended time with that yard with victory in 2m Flat handicap at Goodwood in May 2024. Good third over 21f at Kempton on the second of his 3 starts for new yard last term, but one or two of these look more solid.

Form: 855/430-

Samuel Spade²²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Ben Jones| T: B Pauling| OR: 129| D

20/1

Five-time winner over hurdles, including a career best at Ascot (23.5f, good) in February and backed that up with a solid fifth in a competitive handicap at Uttoxeter next time. However, he was tailed off on his reappearance over C&D earlier this month and is opposable on the back of that display.

Form: 38157-9

Diamond Ri⁵⁹⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Brendan Powell| T: J Tizzard| OR: 128

4/1

Easy winner only start in bumpers and confirmed hurdles debut promise when taking a Warwick maiden (19f, soft) in January 2024. Solid second in 20.2f Cheltenham novice in April of that year and, though absent since, he's unexposed and is of strong interest upped in trip for this handicap debut.

Form: 12142/

J J Moon³⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: H Cobden| T: Miss E C Lavelle| OR: 127

9/2

Signed off last term by opening his account in an Exeter maiden and, having undergone a wind op in the interim, he raised his game when making a winning handicap debut on return at Newton Abbot (21.6f, soft). Further progress likely now faced with a stiffer test and he's a key player.

Form: 36221-1

Keable²⁹²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: Callum Pritchard⁽⁵⁾| T: P Hobbs & J White| OR: 123| CD

12/1

Did the job in good style when getting off the mark in a 21.5f Exeter handicap on New Year's Day. Followed up over this C&D 2 weeks later, but struggled on final run of last season and it could be that he's a shade too high in the weights for now.

Form: P/52119-

I'm A Lumberjack²¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: Thomas Bellamy| T: A King| OR: 120

10/3

Fairly useful bumper performer who confirmed hurdling debut promise when running out a tidy winner of 11-runner maiden at Warwick (21f, soft) last December. Added to that when landing the odds in a Bangor novice on final start of last season and mark for this handicap debut doesn't look prohibitive.

Form: 9/21F31-

Permis De Tuer⁸⁰⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-13| J: Harry Kimber| T: R Walford| OR: 120

33/1

Fairly useful form when winning 11-runner listed juvenile hurdles on debut for Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm at Auteuil in September 2023. Completely unexposed, but subsequent absence has to be a major concern ahead of this handicap/stable debut.

Form: 1/

Blue Carpet²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 118

5/1

Fairly useful bumper winner who built on hurdling debut promise when easily landing the odds in 3-runner novice at Wetherby (19.7f, good). Handed a reasonable mark for this handicap bow and he's in good hands to progress.

Form: 134-21

Kruger Park^t¹⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 10-9| J: Jay Tidball⁽⁵⁾| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 116| C

20/1

Progressive switched to handicaps during second-half of 2023/24 season and made the frame twice off higher marks than this last term. However, ended that campaign on a low-key note and reappearance effort at Lingfield wasn't particularly encouraging.

Form: 334PP-4

Forecasts

I'm A Lumberjack (10/3), Diamond Ri (4/1), J J Moon (9/2), Blue Carpet (5/1), Classic King (10/1), Keable (12/1), Thunder Rock (12/1), Punctuation (18/1), Kruger Park (20/1), Samuel Spade (20/1), Permis De Tuer (33/1)

While his wellbeing has to be taken on trust following a 19-month absence, DIAMOND RI ventures into handicap company on a potentially handy mark and both the good form of his yard and the promise of improvement now upped in trip augur well in respect of his prospects here. Blue Carpet is an obvious threat given his profile, while the hat-trick seeking J J Moon and top-weight Classic King are others to consider.