12:00 Kelso

Sunday 9 December 2018

All12:0012:3013:0513:3514:1014:4015:15

New Jumps Season On Racing UK 'National Hunt' Auction Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 12:00 | Winning time: 3m 55.9s

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Selected odds by:

Alone No More⁵⁸²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: William Shanahan⁽⁷⁾| T: R Dobbin

33/1

1-10 in Irish PTP's and joined this yard from Colin Bowe for £21,000 in May 2017; off since; stable also represented by Ardglass Star.

Form: 32224/1-

Ardglass Star²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Craig Nichol| T: R Dobbin

40/1

£10,000 3yo; fairly low-key in a couple of recent runs in bumpers but starts off his hurdling career at a realistic level (dam was an unraced half-sister to 2m4f winner Cuteasafox); stable also represented by Alone No More.

Form: 38

Armattiekan¹⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr

14/1

£15,000 pick out of the Irish PTP scene; started 80/1 on hurdles debut at Market Rasen (2m2f+) 17-days ago and certainly didn't figure anything like a future winner; more time required.

Form: 486

Big Bad Dream²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Callum Whillans⁽³⁾| T: D W Whillans

14/1

Placed in three of his four starts in bumpers, with his best run arguably coming at Carlisle in March (2m1f) when beaten just 2½L by Dr Sanderson; trip and ground conceivably did him no favours on his recent hurdles debut.

Form: 35/23-7

Express Des Mottes¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: Mrs A C Hamilton

80/1

Bought for £30,000 in May after finishing 14L third to Lock's Corner in a 3m Dawstown maiden; well-beaten last of five on bumper/stable debut at Musselburgh just under a fortnight ago; quickly sent hurdling.

Form: 35

Leostar²¹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Henry Brooke| T: A C Whillans

6/1

Solid enough in bumpers, including when beaten a short-head by Sporting Press at Musselburgh in March (2m, good to soft) and made a pleasing start to his hurdles career in a similar modest 2m maiden at Ayr in May; holds every chance.

Form: 5320-2

Mint Gold⁴⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Thomas Willmott⁽⁷⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell

14/1

€30,000 3yo; has run to a similar level of form (under different riding tactics) in a couple of spins in bumpers, without appearing to be anything out of the ordinary; possible pace angle on hurdles debut; stablemate of Pinspot.

Form: 36

Pinspot^t¹⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Blair Campbell⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell

40/1

Yet to demonstrate much in the way of ability in bumpers or over hurdles despite the fact his dam was a winner in both disciplines; heavy ground a possible excuse at Ayr latest; trainer also saddles the less exposed Mint Gold.

Form: 4567

Romeo Brown²⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Chester Williams⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs J Williams| BF

1/1

Always held by the 5L winner Southfield Stone in a Taunton bumper last month, but this 4yo has travelled north from Devon for his hurdling debut (in a modest contest), so must enter the reckoning.

Form: 3-82

West Coast Lass^h¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: S Mulqueen⁽³⁾| T: R M Smith| OR: 107

7/2

Has plenty of hurdling experience, twice finishing runner-up including on her latest outing in a mares' novices' at Musselburgh (beaten a neck); rated 107 and entirely possible that a run to that sort of figure will prove good enough.

Form: 06-6242

Non-Runners

Bridane High²⁵

Weight: 11-0| Age: 5

T: Mrs J Stephen J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Romeo Brown (1/1), West Coast Lass (7/2), Leostar (6/1), Big Bad Dream (14/1), Armattiekan (14/1), Mint Gold (14/1), Bridane High (16/1), Alone No More (33/1), Pinspot (40/1), Ardglass Star (40/1), Express Des Mottes (80/1)

A very winnable maiden hurdle in which there's no obvious standout contender. However, the trio to concentrate upon are probably the mare West Coast Lass, the long-distance traveller Romeo Brown and the Alistair Whillans-trained LEOSTAR. The selection has proved himself to be a reliable performer in bumpers, and ran well when caught close home by a stablemate of West Coast Lass (Shankill Castle) on hurdles debut at an additional Ayr fixture in May. With the ground expected to be riding little or no worse than good to soft, now is probably the ideal time for breaking the maiden tag before much softer ground conditions materialise.