14:40 Bangor

Saturday 2 December 2017

All12:2513:0013:3514:0514:4015:1515:45

Roger And Carola Glover Golden Wedding Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 14:40 | Winning time: 5m 0.8s

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Selected odds by:

El Presente²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-5| J: David Bass| T: K Bailey & M Nicholls| BF| D

3/1

Made a good return from a break with a win at Huntingdon in maiden company in October, and matched that in novices' company under a penalty last time. Yet to race on ground this soft but pedigree suggest he will cope and looks a leading player.

Form: 313

Marten²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: D A Jacob| T: B Pauling| D

7/4

Warwick bumper winner who returned with a resounding 16L success on his hurdles debut at Southwell last month (2m4½f, good). Carries a penalty for that and this is a stronger contest, but nonetheless looks to have strong claims.

Form: 510-1

Asking Questions^t²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Ross Turner⁽⁷⁾| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero

66/1

Best effort under rules so far came on debut here in a bumper back in April (good ground). Well beaten on both starts over hurdles in the past six weeks or so (2m5f/2m4f) and looks one to watch until he goes handicapping.

Form: 8122-40

Atomic Rumble^t²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: James Bowen⁽⁵⁾| T: P & M Bowen

14/1

Has run with some credit despite not winning in four bumper starts. Looks sure to be better for this step up in trip on his hurdles debut and handles some cut in the ground, so improvement possible and a market check is suggested.

Form: 42-53

Happy Ring House^t1⁵⁸²

Age: 8| Weight: 10-12| J: Charlie Hammond⁽⁷⁾| T: Mike Hammond

33/1

Won a maiden point-to-point in Ireland (seventh start) but failed to complete on his rules debut in a novices' hunter chase here in April. Not a huge amount of encouragement in that ahead of this hurdles debut and looks best watched.

Form: 23142/P-

Leskinfere²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Ian Popham| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero

25/1

100-1 but not a bad effort on his hurdles debut at Carlisle (2m4f, soft), being in it until weakening late on to be beaten 29L. Does need to improve a fair bit on that to be winning, but a share of the money could not ruled out.

Form: 3-6

Luckime²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Charlie Deutsch⁽³⁾| T: Miss V Williams

16/1

Has run to similar levels of form in all three starts, the most recent being when beaten 28L on his hurdles debut at Chepstow (2m3½f, soft). That was not a bad race in the context of this and a good showing here would not surprise.

Form: 2-57

Mega Mind¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Mr James King⁽⁵⁾| T: S Thomas

66/1

Cost just £4,500 earlier in the year and reflected that on his rules debut when beaten 74L at Uttoxeter (2m, good to soft) last month. Will be looking for some signs of ability this time around.

Form: F6-7

Quasi

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Alan Johns| T: Tim Vaughan

20/1

Full-brother to smart 2m1f-2m6f hurdle/chase winner Ballycasey out of an unraced half-sister to bumper/2m3f-3m hurdle winner Two For Joy. Grandam a half-sister to National winner Royal Athlete. Lovely pedigree and market check advised on debut.

Form:

The Dellercheckout²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Stan Sheppard⁽³⁾| T: P F Nicholls

4/1

Won an Irish point-to-point on debut (heavy) and made a promising debut over hurdles (2m4f, good to soft) last month. Plenty of potential for improvement on that and should be thereabouts this time.

Form: 1-6

Uppertown Prince³⁰⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: W T Kennedy| T: D McCain Jnr

6/1

Bought for £35,000 after winning an Irish point-to-point (second run) by 10L. First foal of a placed 2m4f chaser, who is half-sister to 2m-2m4f hurdle/chase winner Ballybogey. Yard in form and he should be well prepped for this debut. Market check.

Form: 61-

Dauphiness²³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-5| J: G Sheehan| T: H D Daly

66/1

Well beaten in both bumpers and also when sent off at 100-1 on her hurdles debut at Ludlow last month (2m5f, good). Needs a lot of improvement to figure today.

Form: 7-76

Forecasts

Marten (7/4), El Presente (3/1), The Dellercheckout (4/1), Uppertown Prince (6/1), Atomic Rumble (14/1), Luckime (16/1), Quasi (20/1), Leskinfere (25/1), Happy Ring House (33/1), Asking Questions (66/1), Dauphiness (66/1), Mega Mind (66/1)

Interesting stuff here and El Presente ought to be able to give another good account, while potential improvers include The Dellercheckout, Luckime and Atomic Rumble. Debutantes most likely to figure are Uppertown Prince and Quasi, though the suggestion is MARTEN, who looks capable of defying a penalty for a wide margin Southwell success before going on to better things.