13:30 Hereford

Wednesday 4 January 2023

All13:0013:3014:0014:3015:0015:3016:00

Go Racing With Vickers.Bet Juvenile Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 13:30 | Winning time: 4m 15.9s

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Selected odds by:

Apologise^t1³⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Fergus Gregory| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero| BF

16/1

Fair Flat winner for Andrew Slattery in Ireland. 7/4, bit disappointing when distant third on his Market Rasen hurdle debut last month but it's obviously still early days. Has a tongue tie added this time.

Form: 3

Archer^t1¹⁴²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Mitchell Bastyan| T: M F Harris

13/2

Only modest form when placed 3 times from 6 starts on Flat (stays 9f) in Germany for Christian von der Recke but he's joined a stable which does well with juvenile hurdlers so he needs a betting check. Tongue tied.

Form:

Elmaftun³⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Tom Buckley⁽³⁾| T: N J Hawke

150/1

Well held on Flat (trained by Kevin Prendergast in Ireland initially) and no show in 2 hurdles for current yard, tailed off when falling 2 out latterly. Just Another One is very much the yard first string.

Form: 7F

Just Another One⁵³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: David Noonan| T: N J Hawke

5/2

Ran to fairly useful level on second Flat outing and shaped well when runner-up on Market Rasen hurdle debut in September. Not up to a Cheltenham Grade 2 in November but retains potential back in calmer waters

Form: 27

Tessy Lad³⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Brendan Powell| T: R Hughes| BF

11/5

Fairly useful handicapper on Flat (stays 1½m), winning 3 times between July and October. Sound start to his hurdle career when 4 lengths third of 6 at Newcastle (2m, good) in November. Likely to improve and play a prominent role here.

Form: 3

Tropical Talent²⁶³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: R P McLernon| T: S Kirk

28/1

Fair maiden on the Flat but not seen since running poorly at Nottingham in April. Likely best watched now hurdling.

Form:

Twm Sion⁴⁴⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Conor Ring⁽³⁾| T: B J Llewellyn

150/1

Last in a pair of outings on the Flat at Bath in autumn 2021. Would be a shock winner now hurdling after an absence.

Form:

Tying The Knot³³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Tom Cannon| T: A King

12/1

Fair maiden on the Flat but has achieved only modest form in juvenile hurdles at Southwell and Sandown in recent months. Improvement will be needed.

Form: 35

Highland Lass⁵⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Benjamin Poste| T: R J Price

200/1

Little sign of ability in varied events on Flat before pulled up in C&D juvenile on hurdle debut 8 weeks ago. Easily passed over.

Form: P

Jikala²²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Charlie Deutsch| T: Miss V Williams

11/4

Fair form when fourth in 2 juvenile hurdles in France last spring. New connections acquired her for €22,000 in July. Interesting runner, particularly if the betting vibes are strong.

Form: 44

Forecasts

Tessy Lad (11/5), Just Another One (5/2), Jikala (11/4), Archer (13/2), Tying The Knot (12/1), Apologise (16/1), Tropical Talent (28/1), Elmaftun (150/1), Twm Sion (150/1), Highland Lass (200/1)

TESSY LAD gets the nod to build on a promising opening hurdle run at Newcastle. Venetia Williams French recruit Jikala is a possible big threat, particularly if the market vibes are strong, while Just Another One should find this a lot easier than the Cheltenham Grade 2 he contested last time.