15:20 Navan

Sunday 8 November 2020

All12:0012:3013:0013:3514:1014:4515:2015:50

Ladbrokes Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:20 | Winning time: 4m 7.3s

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Selected odds by:

Bective Cave^t⁸

Age: 12| Weight: 11-10| J: Paul Townend| T: M J Smith| OR: 122| D

50/1

Latest win in hurdle at Kilbeggan in July. 66/1, twelfth of 17 in handicap hurdle at Down Royal (16.4f, heavy) 8 days ago. Needs to bounce back.

Form: 2-14560

Midnight Maestro³³³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-9| J: T Joseph Kelly⁽⁷⁾| T: E Bolger| OR: 121| D

80/1

Visored for 1st time, bit below form fourth of 8 in handicap chase at Leicester (20.2f, soft, 9/1). Off 11 months. Switches from chase to hurdles. First run for yard after leaving Alan King.

Form: 5542P4-

Kasakh Noir^h²³¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-8| J: Liam McKenna⁽⁷⁾| T: J J Lambe| OR: 120| D

150/1

66/1 and cheekpieces on for 1st time, eighth of 10 in minor event hurdle at Downpatrick (18.8f, good to soft) in March. Difficult to warm to on return to action despite his sliding mark.

Form: 3/56048-

Call A Cab⁴⁰⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: L P Dempsey| T: P A Fahy| OR: 119| D

25/1

In process of running well when falling in novice chase (8/1) at Roscommon (20.9f, heavy) in September 2019, likely to have finished in the frame. Absent since and market best guide on return.

Form: 36605/F-

Spruced Up²⁵²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: J S McGarvey| T: E P Harty| OR: 119| D

11/1

Winner in hurdle at Fairyhouse in January. 7/2, creditable 12¼ lengths seventh of 13 to Wolfofallstreets in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (16f, heavy). in March. Not ruled out on return.

Form: 5/09147-

Curious Times^t³⁷²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: J J Slevin| T: S R B Crawford| OR: 116

22/1

8/1, eleventh of 14 in handicap hurdle at Down Royal (16.4f, heavy) 12 months ago. Subsequent absence is a worry and the betting may prove a useful guide.

Form: 2681/U0-

Pike County²⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: M P Walsh| T: Mrs D Foster| OR: 116

11/4

Creditable fourth of 17 in maiden (16/1) at the Curragh (12f, heavy) 24 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Open to progress.

Form: 21263/2-

Wolfofallstreets^t³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: J P O'Sullivan⁽⁷⁾| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 114| D

18/1

14/1, ninth of 11 in handicap hurdle at Tipperary (16f, good to soft) 35 days ago, weakening quickly home turn and possibly amiss. Needs to leave that in his wake.

Form: 13114-9

Never Off Duty³⁵¹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-13| J: Phillip Enright| T: R Tyner| OR: 111

40/1

Hurdles winner earlier in career who didn't scale same heights over fences last winter. However, bounce back not ruled out on return back over smaller obstacles.

Form: 31/9806-

Elite Trooper Grey^b²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: K C Sexton| T: G Elliott| OR: 113

11/1

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. Blinkers on for 1st time in this code, career best when winning 9-runner handicap hurdle at Cork (19f, good) 21 days ago. Open to further progress in this sphere.

Form: 85071

Melly And Me¹⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: Sean Flanagan| T: N Meade| OR: 110

7/2

Good second of 10 in handicap hurdle (11/1) at Galway (16f, heavy) 14 days ago. Yard in good form and he's respected with a repeat here.

Form: 42315/2

King's Song^t⁶⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 10-11| J: J R Wildman⁽⁷⁾| T: D Broad| OR: 109

100/1

20/1, eleventh of 12 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (23.4f, soft) 60 days ago. Significantly down in trip. Tongue strap back on.

Form: 1/45-920

So Near So Farhh^p¹¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: D F O'Regan| T: C A McBratney| OR: 108| D

28/1

Latest win in hurdle at Punchestown in September. 22/1, below form seventh of 12 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (20.6f, soft) 11 days ago. Back down in trip.

Form: 5-36157

Bythesametoken^t¹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-9| J: S D Torrens⁽⁵⁾| T: R O'Sullivan| OR: 107| CD

4/1

C&D winner. 1 win from 2 runs this season. Career best when winning 11-runner handicap hurdle at Tipperary (16f, heavy, 7/2) 19 days ago, going clear. 7 lb higher mark looks workable.

Form: 3244-41

Pairc Na Ngael³⁸⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: N P Madden| T: C Byrnes| OR: 105

33/1

Lightly-raced maiden. 14/1, ninth of 10 in handicap hurdle at Cork (19f, soft), not knocked about. Off 12 months. Worth noting if market speaks in his favour on return to action.

Form: 0680/9-

Pottlerath²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-5| J: R J Condon⁽⁷⁾| T: P A Fahy| OR: 103

8/1

7/1, good third of 17 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (16f, soft) 25 days ago, no extra late on. Still, he holds each-way claims on balance.

Form: 353533

Above The City⁴⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-4| J: R P Treacy⁽³⁾| T: D McDonogh| OR: 102

50/1

Bumper winner. Not disgraced when ninth of 18 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (16.6f, good to soft, 50/1) 40 days ago. Needs to build on that effort now.

Form: 0-974P9

Youngnedofthehill^h,t²⁹

Age: 12| Weight: 9-12| J: C P McNamara⁽⁵⁾| T: S Nolan| OR: 95

16/1

Veteran campaigner. Twenty nine runs since last win in 2017. 12/1, respectable 5½ lengths third of 16 to Mig Des Taillons in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft) 29 days ago. Reserve 1.

Form: 222-663

Non-Runners

Mig Des Taillons²⁹

Weight: 11-7| Age: 5

T: Patrick Turley J: Mr D G Lavery

Callthebarman¹¹²

Weight: 11-3| Age: 6

T: M J Smith J: Keith Donoghue

Champagne Paddy²⁷

Weight: 10-8| Age: 7

T: R P Cody J: Donagh Meyler

Crackaway¹⁴

Weight: 9-12| Age: 4

T: G Elliott J: Reserve 2

Forecasts

Pike County (11/4), Melly And Me (7/2), Bythesametoken (4/1), Mig Des Taillons (11/2), Pottlerath (8/1), Elite Trooper Grey (11/1), Spruced Up (11/1), Youngnedofthehill (16/1), Wolfofallstreets (18/1), Curious Times (22/1), Call A Cab (25/1), Callthebarman (25/1), So Near So Farhh (28/1), Pairc Na Ngael (33/1), Champagne Paddy (33/1), Never Off Duty (40/1), Above The City (50/1), Bective Cave (50/1), Midnight Maestro (80/1), King's Song (100/1), Kasakh Noir (150/1)

Typically competitive fare with the vote in favour of handicap debutant PIKE COUNTY. A winner in bumpers, he showed plenty in defeat over hurdles earlier in his career and is the type to do better now handicapping arriving fit from the Flat. Last-time-out winners Elite Trooper Grey and Bythesametoken are feared, along with Call A Cab and Melly And Me.