15:30 Cheltenham

Friday 17 November 2023

All13:1013:4514:2014:5515:3016:05

TrustATrader Novices' Hurdle (Grade 2) (Registered As The Hyde Novices' Hurdle) (GBB Race)

Off time: 15:31 | Winning time: 5m 19.81s

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Selected odds by:

Captain Teague³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: H Cobden| T: P F Nicholls

4/6

€70,000 point winner from good family who looked a good prospect when landing the odds in Plumpton bumper in December. Beaten only 2½ lengths when third in Champion Bumper at Cheltenham and made perfect start to his hurdling career when winning Persian War at Chepstow on return. Exciting prospect.

Form: 1/13-1

The Big Doyen²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: K M Donoghue| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 133| D

4/1

Useful hurdler who completed a simple task when making all in a Tipperary maiden (20f) in July. Made the most of his experience to follow up at Galway before proving no match for a progressive rival in a listed event at Limerick 27 days ago.

Form: 259-112

Kinbara^t1¹¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: S Bowen| T: J C McConnell

11/2

Fairly useful bumper winner who overcame a couple of cautious leaps to make a successful debut over hurdles in 14-runner maiden at Wexford (3m) in July. Easily followed up in a thin race at Cartmel a fortnight later and remains capable of better. Tongue strap on for 1st time.

Form: 110-211

Minella Missile¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Adam Wedge| T: Evan Williams

22/1

Successful in April on the second of 2 starts in Irish points and belied poor vibes in the betting to make a winning debut under Rules in tidy fashion at Chepstow (19.4f, soft) 17 days ago. However, the time was nothing to write home about and requires a lot more upped appreciably in class.

Form: P-111

Moonovercloon²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: James Smith| T: M J Smith| OR: 131| D

22/1

Resumed his progress when running out a convincing winner of a Sligo handicap in August and would have gone very close but for an uncharacteristic jumping lapse at Listowel next time. Seemed to find his stamina stretched over 3m here last month, so a return to shorter looks a good move.

Form: 341F45

Sequestered¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: J G Gilligan| T: P J Gilligan| D

12/1

No great shakes in bumpers but different proposition over hurdles, improving further to resume winning ways in 8-runner novice at Galway (20.7f) 19 days ago. That form has been franked by the runner-up, so he's not taken lightly upped in grade.

Form: 554121

Supreme Commander⁶⁰⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: James Best| T: S Hosie

150/1

Bought for plenty of money after finishing second in an Irish point but made an unpromising start to his Rules career when pulled up in a hunter chase at Exeter in March 2022 and not seen since.

Form: 2P/

Wild Side Of Life¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Harry Reed| T: L Morgan

50/1

Easily opened his account in Irish points at third attempt in April and made a promising start to his Rules career when beaten only by one who seems destined for better things at Wetherby (19.7f, soft) 13 days ago. This is obviously much tougher but he's open to improvement nonetheless.

Form: 331-2

Forecasts

Captain Teague (4/6), The Big Doyen (4/1), Kinbara (11/2), Sequestered (12/1), Minella Missile (22/1), Moonovercloon (22/1), Wild Side Of Life (50/1), Supreme Commander (150/1)

CAPTAIN TEAGUE made a highly promising start to his hurdling career with victory in the Grade 2 Persian War at Chepstow on his return last month and, with significant improvement on the cards, he ought to prove hard to beat having already run to a useful level. Kinbara represents a stable that does well with its runners at this track and has impressed in winning both his starts in this sphere, so warrants plenty of respect, as does Sequestered, whose Galway win is backed up by the timefigure.