6 Horses Challenge At bet365 Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 12:35 | Winning time: 3m 50.11s

Minella Hollow²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: Harry Skelton| T: J Nallen| OR: 125| D

2/7

Dual bumper winner who put his experience to good use to get off the mark over hurdles at Killarney (2m) in August. Found life tougher when third of 6 in Grade 3 company latest but very much the one to beat back in calmer waters.

Form: 4/43-413

Image of Stars that are filled with the colour gold

Loopy Mag¹⁸⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Danny McMenamin| T: J Parkinson & S Smith

10/1

€46,000 3-y-o, £21,000 5-y-o, Kapgarde gelding. Half-brother to 2 winners, including 19f hurdle winner in France Hermine Mag. Off mark in Irish points at second attempt in April and presumably the choice of Danny McMenamin.

Form: P1-

St Michael's Well²⁰²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: J Parkinson & S Smith

25/1

£14,000 6-y-o, Diamond Boy gelding. Brother to fair hurdle winner/chaser Hardy Diamond, and half-brother to modest chaser Mistymal. Off mark in Irish points at third attempt in April but Loopy Mag is seemingly the stable first string on jockey bookings.

Form: 661-

Measure Of A Man¹⁸⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: B S Hughes| T: Ruth Jefferson

9/1

£31,000 4-y-o, Sholokhov gelding. Dam, fairly useful 3m hurdle/chase winner, is a sister to useful hurdler/chaser (stayed 25f) Ten Ten. Runner-up on second of 2 starts in Irish points in April and worthy of consideration now going hurdling, for all that he may require longer trips in due course.

Form: P2-

Some Good Men Gone¹⁸⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: C O'Farrell| T: J Bedi

125/1

Fair maiden on Flat for A. Slattery (stays 10.5f) but hasn't offered any encouragement on either start this year and looks best watched on this switch to hurdling.

Form:

Venezuelan^p²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: S Bowen| T: G Hanmer

7/1

Hasn't been at his fairly useful best on the Flat since joining his present yard but made quite an encouraging debut over hurdles with cheekpieces refitted when second of 8 in 2m maiden at Uttoxeter recently. A big step forward required to trouble standard-setter Minella Hollow, though.

Form: 2

Forecasts

Minella Hollow (2/7), Venezuelan (7/1), Measure Of A Man (9/1), Loopy Mag (10/1), St Michael's Well (25/1), Some Good Men Gone (125/1)

Irish raider MINELLA HOLLOW sets a good standard back in calmer waters and is taken to defy a penalty. Of the opposition, Loopy Mag is an Irish-point winner who is presumably the choice of Danny McMenamin and needs a close look in the betting on his Rules debut for a yard starting to hit a bit of form, while Measure Of A Man is another to note.