12:50 Catterick

Tuesday 19 December 2017

All12:2012:5013:2013:5014:2014:5015:20

Support The Injured Jockeys Fund Juvenile Hurdle

Off time: 12:50 | Winning time: 3m 50.9s

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Selected odds by:

Beach Break³⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: W T Kennedy| T: D McCain Jnr| C

4/1

Flat recruit (Ralph Beckett) who was course maiden winner on the level in June over 1m4f. Made a reasonable start over timber when a 10L runner up to Born Legend at Bangor last month (2m+ juvenile maiden hurdle, soft).

Form: 2

Haulani⁵⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: Danny Cook| T: B Ellison

13/2

Ended his Flat career for Philip Hide with a rating in the mid 70's (a two time winner up to 1m). Sold for 43,000 gns in October, and starts off life over hurdles at a realistic level.

Form:

Indian Vision⁵⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: Finian O'Toole⁽⁵⁾| T: Micky Hammond

14/1

Modest on the Flat, having failed to make the frame in six attempts, but outperformed all market expectations on hurdles debut when 4+L third to Level Of Intensity at Sedgefield in October (2m1f, good to soft). Further improvement required.

Form: 3

Lazarus^t¹⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: Lucy K Barry⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss A Murphy

15/2

Flat maiden after five starts; albeit a runner up to a John Gosden trained winner over an extended 1m3f at Windsor in September. Didn't appear as the keenest sort on hurdles debut at Fakenham recently, but worth trying at a more conventional track.

Form: 4

Muirsheen Durkin¹¹⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: Henry Brooke| T: N Bycroft

4/1

Won twice as a juvenile for Tom Dascombe at Beverley over just shy of 1m, but on the whole has struggled for this stable since costing 33,000 gns in October 2016. 80-rated on the Flat, hurdling debutante.

Form:

Outcrop^h1¹⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: Sean Quinlan| T: J Candlish

20/1

Bought out of a Chepstow seller for 16,000 gns (ex Hughie Morrison). Seemingly didn't get home on his hurdles debut at Uttoxeter in October (2m good to soft), and offered little at Newcastle latest. Hood applied.

Form: 56

Solo Saxophone^t1⁶⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton

3/1

Frankel colt (ex Dermot Weld) who was picked up for €62,000 in October 2017. Ran to a respectable level on the Flat without winning (beaten by Jer's Girl at Roscommon in September; 1m4f), and now goes hurdling for leading connections. Tongue-tied.

Form:

Starshell⁶⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: C O'Farrell| T: F P Murtagh| BF

25/1

Left Sir Mark Prescott a nine race Flat maiden for 7,500 gns in October. Has ultimately proved frustrating, but tackles hurdles for the first time for new connections.

Form:

Wind Turbine³

Age: 3| Weight: 10-12| J: C R King| T: T D Easterby

14/1

Cost €28,000 as a yearling, but has proved very modest on the Flat. Tried 1m4f for the first time on Tapeta at Newcastle on Saturday (didn't stay), so looks extremely vulnerable on hurdles debut.

Form:

England Expects^h⁴¹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-5| J: B S Hughes| T: K R Burke| BF

14/1

Has hit the frame on numerous occasions on the Flat without winning (10 starts), but is essentially fairly modest (60-rated). Heads over hurdles for the first time now with a leading Northern rider booked.

Form:

Forecasts

Solo Saxophone (3/1), Beach Break (4/1), Muirsheen Durkin (4/1), Haulani (13/2), Lazarus (15/2), Indian Vision (14/1), England Expects (14/1), Wind Turbine (14/1), Outcrop (20/1), Starshell (25/1)

A plethora of unknowns, with very little in the way of hurdles form on offer means that this race doesn't exactly qualify as the most enticing betting heat. Mulrsheen Durkin has largely disappointed on the Flat since joining Neville Bycroft, but having cost 33,000 gns (80-rated) is worthy of note on hurdles debut. Beach Break represents an in-form Donald McCain, and he offered something to work upon when a well held runner up at Bangor last month, but the obvious pick would appear to be the Dan Skelton trained SOLO SAXOPHONE. By Frankel, the assumption is that hurdling wasn't the overall master-plan, but he showed a fair level of form on the Flat in Ireland for Dermot Weld without winning, and is a noteworthy hurdles newcomer given his new connections.