11:52 Wetherby

Saturday 5 December 2020

All11:5212:2713:0213:3714:1214:4715:22

racingtv.com Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 11:53 | Winning time: 5m 49.11s

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Selected odds by:

Fern Hill²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: J M Quinlan| T: B I Case| OR: 120| C

13/8

Showed a bit on his only outing in bumpers and built plenty on his hurdling debut promise up in trip when forging clear late here (19.7f, soft) 3 weeks ago. Type to go on improving up in trip.

Form: 7-31

Witness Protection²⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Sean Quinlan| T: M Keighley| OR: 129

1/1

Promise in bumpers and improved plenty from hurdling debut 13 months on when off the mark in style at Stratford (18.7f) 27 days ago. Leading claims under a penalty.

Form: P1/342-1

Ask The Question¹¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Colm McCormack⁽³⁾| T: T D Easterby

125/1

Clear-cut winner of sole completed start between the flags in March, but that was a 3-runner affair and he didn't achieve a great deal on his recent Sedgefield hurdle debut.

Form: P1-5

Ballintogher Boy²⁷³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Ross Chapman| T: C Grant

125/1

€38,000 3-y-o, Flemensfirth gelding. Dam unraced half-sister to bumper winner/useful hurdler (2½m winner) Arrive Sir Clive. Pulled up sole start in Irish points (Mar 7).

Form: P-

Contrebasse¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: T D Easterby

66/1

Fair performer on Flat but below his best this year and didn't offer much tried hurdling at Catterick 15 days ago.

Form: 9

First Illusion³⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Thomas Dowson| T: P A Kirby

12/1

€33,000 3-y-o, Westerner gelding. Dam unraced. Second when fell 2 out in point (November 1). Market for clues.

Form: F

Henry Gondoff⁴⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: W T Kennedy| T: J & A O'Neill

25/1

Failed to complete sole start in Irish points and shaped as if needing the run when well held on Lingfield hurdling debut 44 days ago.

Form: U-0

Let Me Be¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Craig Nichol| T: K Dalgleish

13/2

Dual junior bumper winner who offered something to work on sent hurdling when fifth of 13 in a Catterick novice (19.3f) 15 days ago. Should do better.

Form: 11-5

Skipness¹¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Nathan Moscrop⁽³⁾| T: T D Easterby

125/1

Showed only greenness in a Sedgefield bumper on debut 11 days ago. Makes hurdles debut up in trip.

Form: 6

Tunder Strike¹⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 10-12| J: C J Todd⁽⁵⁾| T: N Kent

200/1

Point winner but was a tailed-off last of 5 on Market Rasen hurdle debut 16 days ago.

Form: 633/5F-5

Western Starlet^t²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Alain Cawley| T: W Greatrex

66/1

Runner-up in an Ayr bumper on debut in January but tame effort at Warwick 2 months later and offered little in a first-time tongue strap on Ffos Las hurdling debut 27 days ago.

Form: 20-9

Non-Runners

Conceal³⁰

Weight: 10-12| Age: 5

T: B Pauling J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Witness Protection (1/1), Fern Hill (13/8), Conceal (5/1), Let Me Be (13/2), First Illusion (12/1), Henry Gondoff (25/1), Contrebasse (66/1), Western Starlet (66/1), Ballintogher Boy (125/1), Skipness (125/1), Ask The Question (125/1), Tunder Strike (200/1)

FERN HILL forged clear to score quite readily here 3 weeks ago and looks sure to be suited by this longer trip on that evidence, so he's a confident selection to follow up. Witness Protection impressed at Stratford after 13 months off and is the clear danger if backing up that effort.