14:30 Cheltenham

Saturday 15 December 2018

All12:1012:4513:2013:5514:3015:0515:40

Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Registered As Bristol Novices' Hurdle) (Grade 2)

Off time: 14:30 | Winning time: 6m 12.1s

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Selected odds by:

Doux Pretender²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: N D Fehily| T: N J Henderson| OR: 134

11/4

Promising novice who took another step forward when scoring over 2m5f at Ascot last month. Extra distance of this contest promises to suit, but he has to concede weight all round.

Form: 14/62-11

Aye Aye Charlie^p³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: P J Brennan| T: F O'Brien| OR: 134

15/8

Plenty of very useful form over hurdles, but he had to wait until his eighth outing at Kelso last month to get off the mark. Long odds-on in a four-runner contest that day and much more needed.

Form: 4374-21

Lisnagar Oscar²²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: J McGrath| T: Miss R Curtis| D

8/1

Winner of his only point-to-point and finished a fair second on his hurdling bow at Ffos Las. Promising, but this may be a step too far, too soon.

Form: 1-32

Lough Derg Diamond¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: R M Power| T: C L Tizzard

50/1

Unplaced in two starts over hurdles, but not disgraced on the latest of them at Newcastle. Takes a big rise in trip and it needs to eke out plenty of improvement.

Form: 3-354

Rocco²²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 129| D

12/1

Chepstow winner in October, but has been well held in two subsequent outings. Bit to prove tried at a longer distance.

Form: 629-145

Rockpoint¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: T Scudamore| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 125

11/2

Stepped up to this trip when good second of 12 in a Newbury handicap last month. Still a maiden over hurdles after nine attempts, though, so has a bit to prove.

Form: 327-202

Supremely Lucky²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 132| D

6/1

Behind Rocco at Chepstow, but showed the benefit of that debut run over hurdles when scoring decisively at Southwell last month. More needed, but he is going the right way.

Form: P/21-41

Three Bullet Gate¹¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: C Poste| T: R Dickin

66/1

Runner-up, albeit beaten 10L, at Fakenham on the second of his two starts over hurdles. Hard to fancy in this much stronger contest.

Form: 362

Non-Runners

Danny Whizzbang¹⁷

Weight: 10-12| Age: 5

T: P F Nicholls J: S Bowen

Forecasts

Aye Aye Charlie (15/8), Doux Pretender (11/4), Rockpoint (11/2), Supremely Lucky (6/1), Danny Whizzbang (7/1), Lisnagar Oscar (8/1), Rocco (12/1), Lough Derg Diamond (50/1), Three Bullet Gate (66/1)

Aye Aye Charlie has experience on his side and boasts some very decent form, but he is exposed and may be vulnerable to DOUX PRETENDER who stayed on well for pressure at Ascot last time and should relish this step up in distance. Danny Whizzbang takes a sharp rise in class, but is respected for his top stable, while Rocco is not out of it if returning to the form of his Chepstow success. Supremely Lucky is improving and could figure, while Rockpoint and Lough Derg Diamond do battle for last year's winning stable.