12:20 Ascot

Saturday 25 November 2017

All12:2012:5513:3014:0514:4015:1515:50

Mitie Events & Leisure Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 12:21 | Winning time: 5m 16.00s

1^st

Count Meribel

511-6

7/2

T: N & W Twiston-DaviesJ: M D Grant

Made all, clear from 4 out, hit last, stayed on strongly, unchallenged op 9/2 tchd 5/1

2^nd

Perfect Harmony

510-12

10/3j

T: A KingJ: Ian Popham

Held up towards rear, good headway chasing leaders after 4 out, went 3rd before next, 2nd and keeping on same pace when hit 2 out, soon lost 2nd, went 2nd again run-in, just held on for 2nd, no chance with winner op 7/2

3^rd

nse

Bob Mahler

510-12

11/1

T: W GreatrexJ: G Sheehan

Chased leaders on inside, went 2nd 4 out until hit next, chased leaders, 2nd again 2 out, no impression when hung right and left jumped left and mistake last, hung left and lost 2nd run-in, kept on close home op 14/1

4^th

Palmers Hill

411-3

10/3j

T: J & A O'NeillJ: B J Geraghty

Chased leaders, 2nd 3 out until next, ridden between last 2, weakened before last op 11/4 tchd 9/4

5^th

Darius Des Bois

410-12

33/1

T: N J HendersonJ: S Bowen

Held up and behind, headway on outside approaching 4 out, pushed along and struggling after next, 5th and no chance before 2 out

6^th

1 ¾

Polydora

511-3

8/1

T: T LaceyJ: Aidan Coleman

Chased leaders, jumped slowly and lost place 6th, weakened next op 13/2

7^th

Take To Heart

511-6

5/1

T: N J HendersonJ: N de Boinville

Held up and always behind, tailed off op 6/1 tchd 9/2 and tchd 13/2

Also Ran

Coeur Pensif

510-12

50/1

T: B PaulingJ: Thomas Bellamy

Held up in last trio, ridden and struggling when fell 4 out op 40/1

Johnny Ocean

510-12

33/1

T: K Bailey & M NichollsJ: David Bass

Chased winner until 4 out, chased leaders, weakened after next, tailed off and pulled up before 2 out

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Betting Breakdown

Tote Win:£3.90Pl:£1.40, £1.50, £3.00EX:£16.20Trifecta:£101.80SF:£15.27Swingers:£2.40, £4.90, £5.40

Forecasts

Perfect Harmony (10/3), Palmers Hill (10/3), Count Meribel (7/2), Take To Heart (5/1), Polydora (8/1), Bob Mahler (11/1), Darius Des Bois (33/1), Johnny Ocean (33/1), Coeur Pensif (50/1)

A tricky opener to the Ascot card, and a race where a number of the runners are stepping up in grade after making a reasonable early impression over hurdles. Count Meribel arrives seeking the hat-trick on the back of a couple of Carlisle successes, and he is tough, hardy and clearly goes well right-handed, so is much respected despite giving weight away to the majority of his rivals. Palmers Hill is unexposed, and very much the talking horse based upon his eye-watering £310,000 price tag. He will almost certainly have more to offer going forward, but his Uttoxeter maiden success isn't necessarily the strongest form on offer. Therefore, a token selection is the Alan King trained PERFECT HARMONY. He was beaten less than 10L by On The Blind Side on hurdles debut at Aintree last month, and we all know what that rather exciting winner has achieved at Cheltenham since.

Perfect Harmony
Count Meribel
Polydora

Previous Winners

2016

Elegant Escape

Weight: 11-3 |Age: 4

J: T Scudamore | T: C L Tizzard

8/1

Prize Money

1st: £12,996.002nd: £3,816.003rd: £1,908.004th: £954.00