Happy 80th Birthday June O'Dwyer Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 18:57 | Winning time: 5m 18.7s

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Selected odds by:

Byzantium^h,t²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Jay Tidball⁽⁵⁾| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 111

4/9

Back on the up when winning 9-runner handicap hurdle at Warwick (19f, good) 20 days ago, comfortably. Excellent chance under a penalty back in a novice.

Form: 24PF-61

Beau Gold³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: R P McLernon| T: J & A O'Neill

33/1

Well held in bumper/pair of maiden hurdles.

Form: 89-4

Kentucky Bluegrass^t²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: Lorcan Murtagh| T: N J Hawke| OR: 80

16/1

Fairly useful up to 1¼m on Flat for David O'Meara but proving regressive over hurdles, again making little impression in handicap at this course 27 days ago.

Form: 7867-75

Sure To Be Sure⁸⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: Paul O'Brien| T: Mrs H R J Nelmes

125/1

Well beaten in a trio of bumpers and pulled up on his hurdling debut in 15f Wincanton novice in March. Significantly up in trip.

Form: 035P-

Time To Bite^b⁴¹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-1| J: Bryan Carver| T: C Honour| OR: 85| C

11/2

Fair handicap chaser who made it 3 wins from her last 4 outings in handicap chase at Warwick (20f) in May. Fell heavily 2 out at Newton Abbot on most recent outing and now back over hurdles for the first time since May 2022.

Form: 7115-1F

Kill The Groove^t²²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-8| J: Ben Jones| T: B Pauling

4/1

Showed more than previously when third on final start in bumpers and again showed something when filling same spot on recent hurdling debut at Market Rasen (18.6f), rally after conceding first run. Must enter calculations over this longer trip.

Form: 3/U09-33

Needtoknow^t1⁵⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-8| J: James Best| T: Joe Ponting

80/1

£3,000 5-y-o, Milan mare. Dam (h112) bumper/21f hurdle winner out of hurdle winner around 2m Asigh Pearl. Placed on first of 3 starts in Irish points, pulled up last time (May 5). Wears tongue strap for Rules debut.

Form: 36-P

Non-Runners

Golden Echo⁴⁰

Weight: 10-8| Age: 5

T: A J Honeyball J: Sam Twiston-Davies

Forecasts

Byzantium (4/9), Golden Echo (3/1), Kill The Groove (4/1), Time To Bite (11/2), Kentucky Bluegrass (16/1), Beau Gold (33/1), Needtoknow (80/1), Sure To Be Sure (125/1)

BYZANTIUM got back on the up on just his second start beyond 2m when landing a Warwick handicap in tidy fashion earlier in the month and looks capable of defying a penalty back in a novice with the step up in trip likely to suit. Kill The Groove and Golden Echo rate the principal threats in that order.