14:15 Plumpton

Monday 23 October 2023

All14:1514:4515:1515:4516:1516:4517:15

Trottenden Sussex Cattle Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 14:16 | Winning time: 3m 52.21s

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Selected odds by:

Crookbarrow^p1¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: James Best| T: Cynthia Woods

250/1

Well held sole start in bumpers and subsequently pulled up at big prices in maiden/novice hurdles at Fontwell. Now tried in cheekpieces.

Form: 29-PP

Western Soldier^h¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: J J Burke| T: M F Harris| BF

4/5

Useful on the Flat in Germany, winning 5 on the bounce towards the end of last year. Failed to transfer that level of form to hurdles at the first attempt at Sedgefield (16.8f, good to soft) recently, but still went close and ought to improve.

Form: 3

Berlais Du George²⁴⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: M G Nolan| T: J W Mullins

16/1

Safely held starting out in a Kempton bumper in February and similar scenario anticipated now switched to hurdles.

Form: 8-

Good Lord²⁹⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: James Bowen| T: Billy Aprahamian

25/1

Fair winner over 11f from 3 starts on Flat in Germany. Subsequently sold out of Marcel Weiss yard for €19,000 and failed to beat a rival on hurdles debut at Ludlow in January.

Form: 8-

Sangiovese¹⁰⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: J E Moore| T: G & J Moore

9/2

Half-brother to Abingworth, a fair hurdler for these connections, and finished a clear second to an odds-on shot in a Newton Abbot (16.8f, good) bumper on debut in July. Should make his presence felt if handling conditions now switched to hurdles.

Form: 2

Eliza Dolittle¹⁹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: James Davies| T: N J Gifford

66/1

Bred to be better at longer trips over jumps and hasn't shown much in 4 starts so far, most recently well held on first completed start over hurdles in a C&D maiden 6 months ago.

Form: 66F6-

Flidais⁴⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: D E Mullins| T: J P Ryan| OR: 103

3/1

Landed a Kilbeggan maiden hurdle (18.3f, good to soft) in June. Has failed to build on that since, but this Irish raider is respected nonetheless.

Form: 144766

Tooting

Age: 4| Weight: 10-6| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: N P Mulholland

14/1

Shantaram filly out of a 2¾m hurdle winner, herself a half-sister to fairly useful hurdler/useful chaser (19f-3m winner) Mill Quest. Watch the betting for clues.

Form:

Non-Runners

Onewayortother³⁴²

Weight: 11-0| Age: 5

T: T Lawes J: Tom Cannon

Time Theft⁵⁶¹

Weight: 11-0| Age: 6

T: N P Mulholland J: R P McLernon

Forecasts

Western Soldier (4/5), Flidais (3/1), Sangiovese (9/2), Onewayortother (7/1), Time Theft (10/1), Tooting (14/1), Berlais Du George (16/1), Good Lord (25/1), Eliza Dolittle (66/1), Crookbarrow (250/1)

WESTERN SOLDIER, a useful performer on the Flat in Germany, was a close third on his recent hurdles debut at Sedgefield and, with the promise of better to come, he is taken to strike. If Sangiovese takes to hurdles at the first attempt and handles the likely testing conditions, he could be the one to emerge as the main danger. Irish challenger Flidais also enters calculations, while Onewayortother remains of interest but there's a suspicion that he'll need better ground.