Virgin Bet Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 15:08 | Winning time: 6m 22.37s

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Selected odds by:

Barrowdale^h1³⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr

9/4

Runner-up in a bumper/19.5f maiden hurdle at Bangor in recent months. Hooded now stepping up in trip. Surely has more to come and much respected for top trainer/jockey combination.

Form: 1-22

Crossing Lines²⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-6| J: Fergus Gillard⁽³⁾| T: D Pipe

10/1

Made an encouraging, albeit rather belated, hurdling debut when third at Chepstow (19.5f) last month. Went backwards from that when pulled up at Lingfield since. Bounce back needed.

Form: 121/3P

Gold Miner⁴¹¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-6| J: Danny McMenamin| T: B Ellison| OR: 124| BF

6/1

Winning pointer who shaped well when placed in maiden/novice hurdles at Leicester and Catterick towards the end of 2020. Subsequent absence a slight concern but he sets the standard here.

Form: FP41/23-

Phil De Pail⁶⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: Craig Nichol| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero

6/1

Fair bumper performer and similar standard both hurdle runs, finishing second at Newcastle latterly. Should figure but will need a bit more to win.

Form: 364-52

Sunset West⁷⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: Thomas Dowson| T: P A Kirby| OR: 117

11/8

Fairly useful maiden hurdler last term. Matched those exploits when third of 5 in 3m handicap at Ayr on chase debut/return in November. Respected back hurdling after 11 weeks off.

Form: 1/3F23-3

Hedgebird⁴³

Age: 8| Weight: 10-13| J: Lee Edwards| T: J Groucott| OR: 59

300/1

Looks limited and well out of her depth in this company.

Form: 76-P77P

Forecasts

Sunset West (11/8), Barrowdale (9/4), Gold Miner (6/1), Phil De Pail (6/1), Crossing Lines (10/1), Hedgebird (300/1)

Brian Hughes gets the leg up on BARROWDALE for the first time and Donald McCain's charge is narrowly preferred to Gold Miner, who has the best form but hasn't been seen for nearly 14 months. Sunset West looks best of the remainder.