16:05 Exeter

Wednesday 15 November 2017

All12:5013:2514:0014:3015:0015:3516:05

Free Spins At 188Bet Casino Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 16:07 | Winning time: 5m 56.72s

Settings

Selected odds by:

Chosen Path³⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-4| J: Tom Cannon| T: A King

3/1

Overcame greenness to quicken clear impressively before scoring at Fontwell. The runner-up has been beaten since but it would be unwise to underestimate him.

Form: 3-1

Watcombe Heights^h¹¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: R Johnson| T: M Hill| OR: 120

20/1

Winner at Newton Abbot during the summer. Beaten when coming down three out in an Ascot handicap since and looks vulnerable under his penalty.

Form: 10/21F

White Moon^t1²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: H Cobden| T: C L Tizzard

13/8

Beat a subsequent winner in a point-to-point before landing an uncompetitive maiden at Wincanton. Needs to prove his effectiveness on ground this soft, but sire's stock do handle cut. This is a much tougher assignment than last time.

Form: 5F-11

Broken Quest¹⁸²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: T E Whelan| T: David Dennis

66/1

Winner of a point-to-point last winter but well beaten on hurdling debut when the ground was much softer in May. Off the track since and needs to have improved considerably.

Form: 31-4

Cottstown Fox⁷⁰⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 10-12| J: T Scudamore| T: N P Mulholland

66/1

Soundly beaten at long odds on both hurdles starts and will be of more interest when he has qualified for a handicap mark.

Form: 74/

De Rasher Counter²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: L P Aspell| T: Miss E C Lavelle

3/1

Winning point-to-pointer who joined this yard for £50,000 after landing a Clonmel bumper. Conditions were much quicker when third on hurdling debut and the softer ground here is a plus. Yard have won this three times during this decade.

Form: 3F211-3

Garrane¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Nick Scholfield| T: J Scott

250/1

Showed little in seven point-to-points and has not fared any better under rules. Has the best part of 100L to find with Coastal Path on running at Fontwell last month.

Form: 4-68F00

Hugos Horse¹⁷⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: S Bowen| T: P F Nicholls

20/1

Third of four finishers in a modest point-to-point in May. Has since joined a top yard who have won three of the last ten renewals of this particular race.

Form: 3

Pauls Hill¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Conor Shoemark| T: F O'Brien

80/1

Runner-up on his second point-to-point start and joined current yard for €19,000. The form looked nothing special with the third now an 89 rated hurdler and that was reaffirmed when tailed off on Uttoxeter debut.

Form: P2-0

Phoenix Park⁴⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: G Sheehan| T: David Dennis

250/1

Last home in two starts and pulled up on his latest. Looks up against it at this level and hard to fancy despite recent successes for the yard.

Form: 383P

Pistol Shoot^p¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Matt Griffiths| T: Nicky Martin

66/1

Landed a weak Stratford bumper on good ground and has had his limitations exposed in both starts since over hurdles.

Form: 2-25127

Rhaegar¹⁸³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: David Bass| T: K Bailey & M Nicholls

9/2

€110,000 half-brother to Stellar Notion looked a nice prospect when justifying favouritism in a Warwick bumper. Stable companion in third made a successful hurdling debut and, with the trainer's horses continuing in good form, he could do likewise.

Form: 1

Non-Runners

No Hiding Place¹⁵⁸

Weight: 10-12| Age: 4

T: N J Henderson J: N de Boinville

Forecasts

White Moon (13/8), De Rasher Counter (3/1), Chosen Path (3/1), Rhaegar (9/2), No Hiding Place (7/1), Watcombe Heights (20/1), Hugos Horse (20/1), Pistol Shoot (66/1), Broken Quest (66/1), Cottstown Fox (66/1), Pauls Hill (80/1), Garrane (250/1), Phoenix Park (250/1)

This looks a race to savour with plenty of potential future winners entered. Emma Lavelle has a good record in this race and DE RASHER COUNTER may add to that with his yard striking form in the last few days. There was little wrong with his hurdling debut and his Irish form suggests the softer ground will serve him better. The weight he receives from previous winners Chosen Path and White Moon could be the difference in these conditions. Rhaegar looked an intriguing prospect when landing his bumper in May and he has to enter calculations with the yard in top form.