Raceday Ready Juvenile Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 14:18 | Winning time: 4m 3.98s

Settings

Selected odds by:

Golden Maverick¹²⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: G Sheehan| T: Jamie Snowden

4/5

Fairly useful 5-time winner on the Flat (stays 14.5f) for Ian Williams. New connections acquired him for 100,000 gns in the autumn. Interesting hurdle newcomer.

Form:

Maasai Mara²⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Nick Scholfield| T: J G M O'Shea

9/4

Fairly useful on Flat (stays 1½m) for the Gosdens. Encouraging start to his hurdle career when second of 6 in juvenile at Hereford (2m, soft) 29 days ago. Leading claims with improvement on the cards.

Form: 2

Mandega⁴⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Emma Smith-Chaston⁽³⁾| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 102

10/1

Fair Flat winner. Best effort over hurdles when 15 lengths second over C&D just before Christmas but plenty more will be needed if he's to go one better now.

Form: 442

Mr Le Philosophe^t1¹¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Nathan Moscrop| T: R Menzies

12/1

Fairly useful on Flat in France (stays 1½m), winning 2 handicaps in 2023. Sold from Mikel Delzangles for €70,000 (privately) in November. Another hurdle newcomer in this line-up to monitor in the betting.

Form:

Breadalbane Lass⁴¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-5| J: Callum Bewley| T: R M Smith

200/1

Telescope filly who showed ability when sixth in a Newcastle bumper in December but not enough to suggest she's likely to make a successful start to her hurdle career here.

Form: 6

Expert Lady²²

Age: 4| Weight: 10-5| J: Craig Nichol| T: Micky Hammond

66/1

Down the field in varied events on Flat and poor form in a pair of C&D juveniles in recent weeks (remote third first occasion).

Form: 36

Love True³⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-5| J: Henry Brooke| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero

14/1

Fairly useful Flat winner at up to 13f in France. Shaped promisingly when third of 10 on her Doncaster hurdle debut just after Christmas. Can be expected to improve.

Form: 3

Forecasts

Golden Maverick (4/5), Maasai Mara (9/4), Mandega (10/1), Mr Le Philosophe (12/1), Love True (14/1), Expert Lady (66/1), Breadalbane Lass (200/1)

An interesting juvenile, with a few of these well above average on the Flat. Of those MAASAI MARA and Love True have hurdle experience and might be the pair to focus on, with the former preferred on the back of his Hereford second. Golden Maverick and Mr Le Philosophe would rate dangers if the betting suggests they are fancied.