14:20 Aintree

Thursday 12 April 2018

All13:4514:2014:5015:2516:0516:4017:15

Doom Bar Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1)

Off time: 14:23 | Winning time: 4m 15.4s

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Selected odds by:

Beau Gosse^t⁴⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: J Reveley| T: G Macaire| D

20/1

Won a Listed juvenile hurdle (2m2f) in France in September. Sent off at 4-1 for the Grade 2 Adonis at Kempton last time but never really got involved and finished 17L third. Acts on very soft ground and could again have each-way claims.

Form: 211F83

Et Moi Alors⁵⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Joshua Moore| T: G & J Moore| BF

28/1

Looked the winner when falling at the last at Ascot on debut (soft) in January. Not as good as that when beaten odds-on favourite at Sandown (heavy) last time, but no doubting that he has promise and he is another with an each-way squeak.

Form: F2

Gumball²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: R Johnson| T: P Hobbs & J White| OR: 136

20/1

Easily won his first two hurdles for this trainer before being put in his place by Apple's Shakira at Cheltenham (17L second, soft). Decent effort at Huntingdon next time, but pulled up before last in Triumph Hurdle last time. Improvement needed.

Form: 3-1122P

Les Arceaux⁵⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Sean Flanagan| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 127

50/1

Won three Flat races on testing ground in Ireland and went close in his first two hurdles starts (both soft/heavy) before disappointing last time. Needs to get back on track and this is a tough race in which to try to break your maiden over hurdles.

Form: 224

Nube Negra²⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 139| BF| D

10/1

Won both a Market Rasen juvenile hurdle and a Doncaster novices' contest easily but well held by Apple's Shakira (beaten 3½L) in-between. Another good effort when third in Grade 3 Fred Winter at Cheltenham last time. Competitive.

Form: 1213

Padleyourowncanoe²⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: T Scudamore| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 133| D

25/1

Improving hurdler who won handicaps at both Exeter (2m1f, soft) and Taunton (2m3f, soft) earlier in the season and was 2¾L behind Nube Negra in receipt of 3lb in the Fred Winter last time. Going the right way and could go well at a likely big price.

Form: 341124

We Have A Dream⁶⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: D A Jacob| T: N J Henderson| OR: 145| D

2/1

Unbeaten since joining this stable and has already won in Grade 1 company in that spell. Bypassed Cheltenham after a minor problem and that could benefit him here. Not ground dependent and likely to be a leading player again.

Form: 441111

Apple's Shakira^h1²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: B J Geraghty| T: N J Henderson| OR: 143| BF| D

13/8

Looked a worthy favourite for the Triumph Hurdle after winning three on the spin at Cheltenham (all on soft), two of them easily in Grade 2 company. Failed to settle at the Festival when 6¾L fourth but has to be taken very seriously again.

Form: 11114

Cristal Icon²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: D J Mullins| T: T Mullins

50/1

Is making progress over hurdles and broke her duck at the third time of asking in a Cork maiden hurdle (2m, soft/heavy) last month, doing so easily. Even so, she needs to make plenty of progress in one fell swoop if she is to figure in this line-up.

Form: 351

Malaya¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 141| D

8/1

Won Wetherby's Listed Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle in November (2m, good to soft) and ran well to be second in the Grade 2 Adonis at Kempton (10L ahead of Beau Gosse). Scored again at Ascot last time and enters calculations.

Form: 121221

Forecasts

Apple's Shakira (13/8), We Have A Dream (2/1), Malaya (8/1), Nube Negra (10/1), Gumball (20/1), Beau Gosse (20/1), Padleyourowncanoe (25/1), Et Moi Alors (28/1), Cristal Icon (50/1), Les Arceaux (50/1)

A cracking race in prospect and one that probably revolves around whether APPLE'S SHAKIRA can settle better in a hood than she did when pulling away her chance as hot favourite for the Triumph Hurdle last month. She had looked the best of this lot going into that race and is given another chance to add a Grade 1 to her CV. Stable companion We Have A Dream looks the chief danger on paper and if the filly fails to fire then he can benefit. Malaya is afforded plenty of respect along with Nube Negra, while at longer prices Padleyourowncanoe and the unexposed Et Moi Alors look interesting.