13:15 Fontwell

Thursday 26 December 2019

All12:1512:4513:1513:5014:2515:0015:35

NJS Group Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 13:16 | Winning time: 5m 1.07s

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Selected odds by:

Neff²⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-5| J: Joshua Moore| T: G & J Moore| OR: 130| C

1/3

Hurdling debut winner over 2m3f on good ground here in October and placed second on both subsequent starts most recently when beaten a neck at Plumpton (soft) at the start of this month. Strong claims despite carrying a penalty.

Form: 122

Argent Bleu⁴⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Matthew Batchelor| T: R Ingram

66/1

Nine race maiden on the Flat and finished well held off a mark of 46 at Chelmsford last month when last in action. Others make more appeal on hurdling debut.

Form:

Benevolentdictator²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Tom Cheesman⁽⁵⁾| T: G & J Moore

10/1

Fair 17L ninth in a bumper over an extended 1m7f at Ascot (good-to-soft) on debut early last month. Struggled on hurdles debut subsequently however and looks the stable second string in this event.

Form: 99

Cogital^h²⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Ben Jones⁽⁵⁾| T: Mrs A J Perrett

7/2

Flat winner on the AW in August and showed ability when 25L fourth in a 2m novice hurdle at Plumpton (soft) on jumping debut at the start of this month. Work to do if he's to reverse form with Neff on that running however.

Form: 4

Downe Milking Lane³⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: M Goldstein| T: Mrs D Grissell

66/1

Well beaten fourth in a good ground bumper over an extended 2m1f at Plumpton in May and unseated rider three out on hurdling debut at the same venue last month. Others make more appeal.

Form: 09-4U

Letsbe Avenue²⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Harry Kimber⁽⁷⁾| T: W G M Turner

20/1

Three-time Flat winner at up to 1m but struggled when 12L 11th of 14 over 6f at Southwell on stable debut a month ago. Probably best watched on first start over hurdles.

Form:

Poniel²²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: Shane Quinlan⁽⁵⁾| T: D L Williams

66/1

Seven race maiden for this stable on the Flat but placed in a couple of point-to-point maiden races over 3m in the spring. Others hold stronger claims on hurdling debut.

Form: P562-2

Soldier To Follow⁴³³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Sean Houlihan⁽³⁾| T: T Lawes| BFWS

7/2

Soft ground winner over 1m4f at Hamilton in September last year. Absent since finishing fourth at Redcar (1m6f, soft) the following month and makes his stable and hurdling debut having been gelded and had wind surgery in the interim.

Form:

Sambella⁶⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-5| J: P K Donovan⁽⁷⁾| T: N P Mulholland

33/1

Well beaten 30L eighth in a mares' bumper over an extended 2m5f on soft ground here when making her debut in October. More needed if she's to take this on hurdles debut.

Form: 8

Forecasts

Neff (1/3), Cogital (7/2), Soldier To Follow (7/2), Benevolentdictator (10/1), Letsbe Avenue (20/1), Sambella (33/1), Downe Milking Lane (66/1), Poniel (66/1), Argent Bleu (66/1)

NEFF looks capable of defying a penalty to register his second hurdles victory in this nine runner novices' contest. The selection was a winner here on debut in October and he is taken to get the better of Cogital who finished behind the selection when the pair met at Plumpton earlier this month. Soldier To Follow, absent for over a year can finish third on his debut over jumps.