14:33 Newcastle

Saturday 8 January 2022

All12:1312:4813:2313:5814:3315:0815:43

QuinnBet Free Bet For Second To The Favourite Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 14:34 | Winning time: 5m 14.7s

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Selected odds by:

Crystal Glory³⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: B S Hughes| T: N G Richards| OR: 122| C| D

1/1

2-2 in points and has looked useful when winning both starts in novice hurdles in recent months, latterly over 2¾m here. Fancied to remain unbeaten.

Form: 11-11

Benack¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: J Ewart

18/1

Half-brother to smart hurdler/useful chaser Darver Star. Third in a point but he ran to just a modest level when 19 lengths sixth on his Ayr hurdle debut 18 days ago. Improvement needed.

Form: 3-56

Del La Mar Rocket³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Kielan Woods| T: B Pauling

17/2

Made all in an Exeter bumper a year ago. Needed experience when well-held fourth on his Hexham hurdle debut 31 days ago, jumping sketchily. Likely to improve with that behind him.

Form: 21P-4

Dibble Decker⁵⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Stan Sheppard| T: T Lacey

13/2

Won sole start in Irish points. Shaped reasonably well pitched pitched into a listed bumper on his Cheltenham Rules debut. Should be up to making presence felt in race like this now hurdling.

Form: 16

Grand Du Nord³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Billy Garritty| T: Micky Hammond

7/2

Hexham bumper winner in April. Fair form in 2 hurdles at Wetherby this term. Should figure but will need to pull out a bit more for win purposes.

Form: 401-62

Hold Onto The Line¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Alan Doyle⁽⁷⁾| T: J Ewart

33/1

£30,000 buy after finishing second in Irish point. Found 2½m around Musselburgh a bit sharp for him when a modest third on his hurdle debut and this stiffer track should play more to his strengths.

Form: 0-23

Lead The Pack³¹³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: C O'Farrell| T: Miss P Robson

18/1

Showed ability in 2 bumpers and a maiden hurdle last winter. Possible he could have more to offer for new stable. Worth a precautionary betting check.

Form: 3/547-

Rafferty's Return²⁸⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: Sean Quinlan| T: R Menzies

8/1

Showed ability in bumpers at Wetherby and Carlisle last March. Up in trip for hurdle debut/reappearance.

Form: 54-

Uncle Gez²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Callum Bewley| T: C Grant

200/1

Well held in bumpers/hurdles. Booked for another struggle.

Form: 3067

Forecasts

Crystal Glory (1/1), Grand Du Nord (7/2), Dibble Decker (13/2), Rafferty's Return (8/1), Del La Mar Rocket (17/2), Benack (18/1), Lead The Pack (18/1), Hold Onto The Line (33/1), Uncle Gez (200/1)

CRYSTAL GLORY can make light of a double penalty and remain unbeaten. Dibble Decker didn't run too badly in a listed bumper on his Rules debut and it could be that he provides the chief threat ahead of Ben Pauling's Del La Mar Rocket.