William Hill Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 18:08 | Winning time: 4m 10.36s

Etretat¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: D R Fox| T: A B Hamilton

125/1

Fair Flat winner for Charlie Johnston but offered little on recent Perth hurdle debut for new yard.

Form: P

Flying Ace¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: S Bowen| T: G Elliott

8/11

Third in sole point and has offered something to work on when fourth in bumper at Navan (2m, soft) and maiden hurdle at Downpatrick (19f, good) this spring. Open to improvement and might have found a good opening here.

Form: 34-4

Masekela²⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Charlotte Jones| T: James Moffatt

10/1

Fair middle distance performer on the Flat for Tim Easterby. No immediate promise switched to hurdles for new yard at Hexham 25 days ago but the stable's good record here offers hope for better this time.

Form: 6

Ribble River^t⁴⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Sean Quinlan| T: Lizzie Quinlan

20/1

Three-time Flat winner for Kevin Ryan but no show in 2 hurdles since joining Lizzie Quinlan.

Form: P5-

Colinski^p¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Nathan Moscrop| T: R Menzies

14/1

Modest 1½m Flat winner. Well-held fourth switched to hurdles at Hexham (2m, soft) 18 days ago.

Form: 4

Military Cross^t¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: R P McLernon| T: S England

9/4

Fairly useful maiden on the Flat. Too free in 1½m York handicap on recent stable debut but this half-brother to high-class hurdler Wicklow Brave starts out over hurdles in a very winnable contest.

Form:

Big Gypsy King³⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 10-5| J: Leah Noreci⁽¹⁰⁾| T: James Moffatt

20/1

7f Flat winner who failed to get home in 2 hurdle runs last year. Well held on all-weather Flat in recent months ahead of this return to jumping.

Form: 54-

Forecasts

Flying Ace (8/11), Military Cross (9/4), Masekela (10/1), Colinski (14/1), Big Gypsy King (20/1), Ribble River (20/1), Etretat (125/1)

FLYING ACE gets the vote for Gordon Elliott and Sean Bowen but Military Cross will be a major threat if he can translate anything like his Flat ability to hurdles at the first time of asking.