Lucky Laura Mares' Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 15:46 | Winning time: 4m 39.2s

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Selected odds by:

Dame du Soir²³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: T Scudamore| T: D G Bridgwater| OR: 122

7/2

Dual bumper winner in France who justified stable confidence to open her acount over hurdles at Leicester. Relishes soft ground and capable of defying a penalty against a similar calibre of opponent.

Form: 1315-21

Millarville³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Aidan Coleman| T: O Sherwood| CD

5/1

Fetched €52,000 after landing a Point-to-point in Ireland a year ago. Flopped on stable debut but underwent wind surgery and ran out an easy winner over C&D under today's rider. Meets better horses here, but remains hard to rule out.

Form: 1-81

Bullfrog¹²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Joshua Moore| T: G & J Moore

11/4

Highly tried on hurdling debut when conditions were testing. As a result she produced a highly commendable effort to finish third given the amount of time she had been absent. Sure to improve for the run and the one to beat given her allowance.

Form: 1-3

Deja Vue³²³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: R Johnson| T: A J Honeyball

4/1

Lovely pedigree being a Fame And Glory half-sister to Jetstream Jack. Recorded a modest time when outclassing her rivals to land an Inch point-to-point. Bought for £82,000 but likely to want a stiffer test than this.

Form: 1-

My Lady Grey²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: H Cobden| T: C L Tizzard

33/1

Showed some ability in bumpers but has failed to deliver in two outings over hurdles. This looks a better than average race for it's type around here and she needs to raise her game considerably.

Form: 643-48P

Pomme De Nuit⁵⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Paul O'Brien⁽³⁾| T: C E Longsdon

66/1

Well beaten in both bumpers and has fared no better in two runs over hurdles. Has no aparent chance in the toughest challenge she has faced.

Form: 8-0P4P

Regarding Ruth⁴⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Maxime Tissier⁽⁵⁾| T: L Wadham

7/1

Placed in a bumper on debut and ran her best race since when finishing 3L third in a Fakenham maiden hurdle. Hurdles debut that day and improvement likely over this longer trip on softer ground.

Form: 39-483

The Cull Bank⁶⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Wayne Hutchinson| T: A King

6/1

Showed improved form to land a Tattersalls Farm mares maiden point-to-point in December in a reasonable time. Changed hands for£50,000 and has joined a top yard with a 33% strike rate with their hurdlers here.

Form: P3P-1

Forecasts

Bullfrog (11/4), Dame du Soir (7/2), Deja Vue (4/1), Millarville (5/1), The Cull Bank (6/1), Regarding Ruth (7/1), My Lady Grey (33/1), Pomme De Nuit (66/1)

This is an above-average race for the type around here having atrracted Deja Vue and The Cull Bank who are interesting recruits from the point-to-point circuit in Ireland. Dame Du Soir and Millarville both showed a turn of foot to quicken clear when scoring last time, but preference is for bumper winner BULLFROG. The mare landed an AW bumper and had been absent more than a year when taking on fitter rivals on her hurdling debut. She finished third to a winner who looks a good yardstick so she should be hard to beat against her own sex in receipt of a 7lb allowance.