13:50 Wincanton
Wednesday 25 February 2026
All13:5014:2014:5015:2015:5016:2016:50
Happy 18th Birthday James Dunford Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race)
- 4YO plus  |  Class 4  |  1m 7f 50y  |  Good to Soft (Soft in places)  |  18 Runners  |  Turf
Cloth number
Odds
Star rating
Horse A-Z
Show odds
Ran to a fairly useful level on hurdle bow in France. Undermined his obvious potential by pulling hard on first 2 UK starts but turned in a much more measured effort when second of 17 in a C&D maiden latest. No easy ride but sets the standard.
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Modest maiden on the Flat who has shown little in a pair of maiden hurdles this season.
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€52,000 3-y-o, Crystal Ocean gelding. Dam, ran once over hurdles, sister to useful hurdler/chase winner (stayed 2¾m) Duke des Champs. Made frame both starts in Irish points in spring 2025.
Made the ideal start when landing a bumper at Ffos Las on debut in autumn 2024 and showed similar form when midfield under a penalty next time. Low-key start over hurdles though, shaping as if needing the run after a year off over C&D recently. This will reveal more.
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Poet's Word gelding. Half-brother to fair 2½m hurdle winner Baratablet but has offered little in 2 bumpers.
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Modest handicapper at best on Flat (stays 1½m), won twice in 2025 but down the field final 3 starts. Makes little appeal on hurdling debut.
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Showed only a modest of form in a trio of bumpers (for Ed De Giles), including when having no excuses at Lingfield (16f, standard) on most recent outing. Improvement needed now switching to hurdling for new stable.
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Unpromising in points but showed more when fourth of 12 in a Naas bumper and shaped like a stayer switched to hurdling by his new yard when third of 6 at Aintree in May. Off since and looks more one for handicaps further down the line.
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Created a good impression when making all in 5-runner bumper at Ascot (15.7f, good) on debut in November. Looked a hard ride fitted with a hood on Newbury hurdling debut but left that form well behind when second at Huntingdon (15.8f, soft) latest. Likely to progress further.
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Fair in bumpers and showed promise on hurdling debut after near 2-year absence when third of 11 in novice hurdle at Chepstow (17/2) in December. However, he took a backward step when finishing a distant fifth in a Lingfield maiden (19.5f, heavy) since. Tongue tie now applied.
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In good hands but looks one for handicaps after this run. Tongue tie on for 1st time.
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Jack Hobbs gelding. Dam unraced half-sister to useful hurdler/chaser (stayed 2½m) Violet Dancer. Market for clues.
Brother to connections' useful performer Secret Squirrel and showed fair form when placed in bumpers at Exeter and Hereford at the end of 2024. Not quite in same form at Ascot on reappearance in November.
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£48,000 5-y-o, Shirocco gelding. Half-brother to useful hurdler/smart chaser Idas Boy. Dam point winner. Off mark in Irish points at second attempt (Nov 2025). Noteworthy Rules newcomer.
Cheap purchase given his good pedigree and looks more one for handicaps after this run.
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Fair form shown when twice placed in bumpers and stepped up on her hurdling debut effort when sixth of 16 in 2m maiden at Kempton (soft) earlier in the month. Has each-way claims.
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In a top yard but has shaped with only minor promise in a bumper/pair of novice hurdles so far.
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€16,000 Doyen mare closely related to fairly useful hurdle winner/chaser Well Dick, but has shown only modest form at best in a trio of bumpers and her pedigree suggests she's more one for longer trips.
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Forecasts
Aguellid (2/1), Tap Tap Shamie (9/2), Loustic Du Chatel (13/2), Secret Sniper (7/1), Matthias (7/1), Lemon Leaf (10/1), Aj's Diamond (14/1), Midnight Doyen (14/1), Full Force Gale (16/1), Are You Joking (25/1), King Berry (33/1), Independent Lady (33/1), Padel Bandit (33/1), Montrachet Fin (50/1), Governors Island (50/1), Viva Vincente (100/1), Hawa Jumeirah (150/1), Anthracite (150/1)
AGUELLID is no easy ride but clearly possesses a good deal of ability and with another big field scenario likely to help curb his free-going tendencies, he's taken to get off the mark. Loustic du Chatel left his hurdling debut form behind when runner-up at Huntingdon last month and is likely to progress further, with Tap Tap Shamie a noteworthy Rules debutant having joined a good stable following an Irish point win.
Prize Money
1st: £5,446.002nd: £2,509.003rd: £1,254.004th: £628.00
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