15:00 Newton Abbot

Wednesday 31 May 2023

All13:5514:3015:0015:3016:0016:3017:03

William Hill Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 15:01 | Winning time: 5m 17.1s

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Selected odds by:

Bala Brook¹⁵⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Freddie Gingell⁽⁷⁾| T: J Tizzard

6/1

Getaway gelding who showed a bit when around 20 lengths fourth on Exeter bumper debut in December but failed to build on that when down the field at Wincanton on Boxing Day. Switches to hurdles after a 5-month break. Has fewer convictions than the majority of these.

Form: 40-

Basford^p¹²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.| T: J Candlish| OR: 105| BF

1/5

Runner-up on his last 5 starts, the latest in a novice at Aintree 12 days ago. No excuses for him here.

Form: 72222-2

Getaway Tothe Wood⁸³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: James Best| T: Miss Sarah Robinson

100/1

No show in 2 hurdles at the start of the spring.

Form: 0P-

Great Schema¹⁵²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: M G Nolan| T: S Hosie

12/1

Showed just poor form in bumpers for Gordon Elliott. Won 2 British points before Christmas but pulled up on Taunton hurdle debut at the end of December. Off since.

Form: 94411P-

Vendange^p1,t³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: David Noonan| T: J Tickle| OR: 62

150/1

Has shown nothing in 6 starts, pulling up back from 11 months off at Taunton last time. First-time cheekpieces need to transform him.

Form: 09/PPP-

Bella Noche^t1³⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Isabelle Ryder⁽¹⁰⁾| T: G Brown

10/1

Won only 1 of 8 starts in points but does start out over hurdles in a weak race.

Form: 4P21P4-

Etoile Brillante^t¹⁹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Conor Ring⁽³⁾| T: Alexandra DunnWS

100/1

No sign of ability in 3 bumpers. Goes hurdling over a longer trip back from 6 months off/wind op.

Form: 0/60-

Kylenoe Dancer³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: C Gethings| T: P Henderson| OR: 65

40/1

Poor form in bumpers and hasn't even managed that in 5 attempts over hurdles.

Form: 7/7UPP-6

Non-Runners

Russies Dream⁷

Weight: 11-4| Age: 7

T: C J Down J: James Davies

Forecasts

Basford (1/5), Bala Brook (6/1), Bella Noche (10/1), Great Schema (12/1), Kylenoe Dancer (40/1), Russies Dream (50/1), Etoile Brillante (100/1), Getaway Tothe Wood (100/1), Vendange (150/1)

While BASFORD's string of runner-up efforts raise doubts about him being one to be taking very short odds about it's very hard to find an alternative to him in this line-up. If there is one that might shake him up it's probably Joe Tizzard's Bala Brook, who showed a bit of promise on the first of 2 bumper starts at the end of 2022.