15:43 Chepstow

Friday 9 October 2026

All13:2213:5714:3215:1215:4316:1716:5517:31

DragonBet Persian War Novices' Hurdle (Grade 2) (GBB Race)

Off time: 15:46 | Winning time: 4m 55.54s

Chicker¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Fern O'Brien| T: F O'Brien| OR: 116

50/1

Dual bumper winner who struck at the first time of asking over hurdles in 2½m Uttoxeter novice (good to soft) in May. Unable to fend off an 80/1 outsider after 4 months off at Perth (2m, good to soft) just over a fortnight ago and while he remains with potential, this is a tough ask.

Form: 1600-12

Image of Stars that are filled with the colour gold

Cosmic Connection¹⁶⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Freddie Gordon| T: C Gordon| OR: 138| C

15/8

Point winner who made a very promising start over hurdles back in the spring, making it 3-4 in 15-runner handicap at Sandown (2m, good to firm) in late-April. Open to further improvement with the longer trip unlikely to pose any issues. The first runner in Timeform's 50 To Follow this winter.

Form: 711211-

Handmedownastar²³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: S Bowen| T: Nick Scholfield| OR: 120| D

20/1

Good-looking point winner. Successful in a Fontwell novice on final start for Seamus Mullins. Needed his handicap/stable debut at Cartmel (strong in betting) before finding plenty for pressure to win a match race at Kelso (21f) last month. Better to come but he'll probably come up short here.

Form: 132-151

Hopeful Hero^h⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: J J Burke| T: T Hogan| OR: 120

50/1

Winner of maiden at Bellewstown in July and gained reward for his consistency with a first success in handicap company in 6-runner event at Clonmel (23f, good) 8 days ago. This is a completely different kettle of fish, however.

Form: 103241

Le Moulin Rouge^h¹⁸²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Sean Flanagan| T: P Nolan| OR: 123

16/1

Continued a theme of run-to-run progression after 3 months off when winning 12-runner maiden hurdle at Wexford (2½m, soft) back in the spring. Presumably not easy to train given the length of time between races but is open to further improvement, nonetheless.

Form: F/321-

Lock Stock¹⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Charlie Hammond| T: S Edmunds| OR: 124

9/1

Found improvement when making winning debut for new yard in 12-runner maiden hurdle at Worcester (2m) last month and upped his game further when following up in 15-runner handicap there (2½m) just over a fortnight later, dominating a well-contested race. Another jolt of improvement needed here.

Form: 0/229-11

West Hill Verde¹⁷⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Callum Pritchard| T: J W Mullins| OR: 124

16/1

Runner-up on first of 3 bumper starts and was going the right way over hurdles without winning in the spring, shaping better than the distance beaten suggested when third of 8 in novice at Ayr (21f, heavy) in April. Stiff task on return and the likelihood is he will need this.

Form: 533233-

Lord Byron^p³⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Harry Cobden| T: Faye Bramley| OR: 147

7/2

Runner-up on second of 2 Flat starts for Aidan O'Brien. Yet to hit the target in 6 outings in this sphere but has acquitted himself well on each occasion, going down by a head in a Grade 1 at the Punchestown Festival. Arrives fit from a spin on the Flat so could well take some stopping.

Form: 244542-

North Shore¹⁵³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 135

6/1

Highly tried over hurdles last season, finishing in the frame in a couple of Graded races at Leopardstown on his first couple of starts for connections. Didn't need to improve when landing the odds in a Killarney maiden in May and is one to look out for having joined the powerful Dan Skelton since.

Form: 340F-1

La Cote Fleurie⁴⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 119| D

5/1

Made it 3-4 under Rules when winning 9-runner novice hurdle at Kilbeggan (19f, good to soft) 7 weeks ago, always holding on having quickened to lead approaching home turn. Better still to come and this is an extremely rare Chepstow runner for this handler (just 2 previously).

Form: 1-311

Obsessedwithyou^b1⁴³

Age: 7| Weight: 10-7| J: G Sheehan| T: Jamie Snowden| OR: 111

100/1

Made her first hurdles start since October 2024 a winning one at Hexham in June. Not at her best even though finishing in the first 2 for the twelfth time in 14 starts when runner-up over fences at Newton Abbot recently but is out of her depth here. First-time blinkers applied.

Form: 21-2122

Forecasts

Cosmic Connection (15/8), Lord Byron (7/2), La Cote Fleurie (5/1), North Shore (6/1), Lock Stock (9/1), West Hill Verde (16/1), Le Moulin Rouge (16/1), Handmedownastar (20/1), Hopeful Hero (50/1), Chicker (50/1), Obsessedwithyou (100/1)

A good-looking renewal. The vote goes to COSMIC CONNECTION, who took his tally to 3-4 within the space of a couple of months in the spring and Chris Gordon's rapidly-progressive 5-y-o should have no issues with this longer trip. He can take the step up in class in his stride at the expense of Lord Byron, who was narrowly denied at Grade 1 level in Ireland and arrives fit from a spin on the Flat. Stable-switcher North Shore can get the better of La Cote Fleurie for third.