14:40 Wincanton

Saturday 7 January 2023

All12:2012:5513:3014:0514:4015:1515:50

Virgin Bet Fives Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:41 | Winning time: 3m 49.99s

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Selected odds by:

Hermes Le Gris^t1³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: James Bowen| T: W Greatrex| OR: 102WS

14/1

Placed on 2 of his 3 starts in bumpers and encouraging start over hurdles when finding just one too strong in a 7-runner Warwick maiden (2m, good) in May. Disappointing twice since but a wind op, tongue tie and switch to handicaps may help him get back on track.

Form: 293-255

Flamenco De Kerser³⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-13| J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.| T: Mrs R Ford| OR: 101

20/1

Pulled up in 2 chases in the autumn but he is potentially well treated on the best of last season's form if a return to hurdles sparks a revival.

Form: 434F-PP

Afta Party^h,t¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Gearoid Harney⁽⁷⁾| T: S Hosie| OR: 100

7/1

Fairly useful Flat winner for Alice Haynes. Changed hands for 15,000 gns and fair star when hitting the frame both starts over hurdles. Now makes a quick switch to handicaps back in distance.

Form: 44

Gold Souk^t¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-11| J: Daniel Sansom⁽³⁾| T: D Steele| OR: 99

25/1

Back-to-back winner over timber during the spring but largely below par on the Flat since and has fared little better back hurdling the last twice.

Form: 3511-7P

Pak Army^p⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-7| J: Jack Martin⁽⁷⁾| T: B Barr| OR: 95

50/1

Modest maiden hurdler in Ireland, leaving Eoin Doyle after finishing well held on the AW in November. Big price and fell early on last week's stable debut. Cheekpieces on.

Form: 764-09F

The Rain King^t³⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: Philip Armson⁽³⁾| T: Alexandra Dunn| OR: 94

16/1

Fairly useful on Flat (stays 8.5f), successful at Windsor in May. Much more like it third hurdles start when third at Taunton a month ago but opening mark hit as a result.

Form: 0/83

Isayalittleprayer⁶²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: David Noonan| T: G & J Moore| OR: 91

33/1

Fair maiden on the Flat but showed nothing back from 22 months off at Sandown in November. Lot to prove after that switched to a handicap.

Form: 3P2/P

Seymour Promise^p1,t⁴⁵⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: Freddie Gingell⁽⁷⁾| T: J Tizzard| OR: 91

14/1

Seemingly gone wrong way from his encouraging hurdling bow, a tongue tie failing to help him finish off his race when last seen in October 2021. Cheekpieces added on return to action.

Form: 305/9P0-

Universal Secret³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: Paul O'Brien| T: Mrs H R J Nelmes| OR: 91

16/1

Proved that his Exeter third in January was no fluke when runner-up in a C&D novice the following month. However, in nothing like the same form since.

Form: 325-P58

Ez Tiger⁵⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Thomas Bellamy| T: A M Hales| OR: 90

11/1

Shaped as if needing the run after 8 months off when seventh of 11 in handicap hurdle at Uttoxeter in November. Eased 3 lb and he's expected to step up on that.

Form: 9F45F-7

La Breille⁷³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: J M Quinlan| T: R Bandey| OR: 103

13/2

Fair form over hurdles in France, fitted with cheekpieces when second of 7 to Jonque Bleue in claimer at Auteuil last time (claimed from Patrice Quinton €18,555). Didn't need to improve to get off the mark at Fakenham last time and looks interesting from this mark.

Form: 2F1

Force De Frap^p,t³⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-1| J: Harrison Beswick⁽³⁾| T: Mrs E Bishop| OR: 89

13/2

Fair form over hurdles and fences in France and cashed in on a reduced mark in 14-runner hurdle at Taunton a month ago. 5 lb rise perfectly fair if he can back that performance up.

Form: P/P80-61

Gambie Tiep⁷²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: James Best| T: S-J Davies| OR: 88

18/1

French bumper winner who cast aside a trio of lesser efforts (including over fences) when third of 11 at Worcester in October. Off since.

Form: 346583

Argus^t³⁰

Age: 11| Weight: 10-9| J: Conor Ring⁽³⁾| T: Alexandra Dunn| OR: 83

80/1

Flat winner but very lightly raced over hurdles in recent times and he doesn't seem to retain much ability.

Form: 910PP/0

Megalodon¹⁷

Age: 10| Weight: 10-6| J: T J O'Brien| T: P Henderson| OR: 80

25/1

Modest 2m winner over hurdles who returns to smaller obstacles after his jumping went to pieces at Taunton last month.

Form: 324/63P

Gorcombe Moonshine³²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-4| J: Brendan Powell| T: R Walford| OR: 78

10/3

Modest maiden but fitted with cheekpieces, he found only one too good from out of the weights at Fontwell last month. Effectively 1 lb lower so claims if backing that up.

Form: 70P-652

Agent Empire³⁸⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-2| J: Ben Jones| T: O Signy| OR: 75

9/1

Fairly useful on Flat in Germany for H. Grewe but no short-term promise over hurdles for new yard to end 2021. Handicaps more suitable on return, though.

Form: 9P8-

Non-Runners

Ballygoe⁶⁶

Weight: 11-1| Age: 7

T: C J Down J: James Davies

Conna Sue²²⁷

Weight: 10-10| Age: 7

T: Mrs N S Evans J: Shane Quinlan

Presgrave⁴⁴

Weight: 10-2| Age: 6

T: J D Frost J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Gorcombe Moonshine (10/3), Force De Frap (13/2), La Breille (13/2), Afta Party (7/1), Agent Empire (9/1), Ez Tiger (11/1), Presgrave (12/1), Seymour Promise (14/1), Hermes Le Gris (14/1), Universal Secret (16/1), The Rain King (16/1), Ballygoe (16/1), Gambie Tiep (18/1), Flamenco De Kerser (20/1), Gold Souk (25/1), Megalodon (25/1), Isayalittleprayer (33/1), Conna Sue (33/1), Pak Army (50/1), Argus (80/1)

LA BREILLE didn't need to improve to get off the mark at Fakenham in October but she's been given time to get over that hard race, and in receipt of a handy 4-y-o allowance, is an interesting contender now handicapping. Hermes Le Gris represents an in-form yard and he could be capable of better on the back of a wind op, with Gorcombe Moonshine another to consider.