Racecards
12:50 Aintree
Betfair.Com Novices' Hurdle (Class C)
- 10 Runners
- Distance: 2m 4f
- Going: Good to Soft, Good in places
- Form 101-
- Age 5
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer J & A O'Neill
- Jockey L Cooper
prominent, pushed along and outpaced 4 out, ridden approaching next, went 2nd after last, no chance with winner
- Age 4
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer J Howard Johnson
- Jockey G Lee
jumped left throughout, held up, headway on bit after 4 out, shaken up to go clear after last, easily
- Form 335-144
- Age 5
- Weight 10-12
led, headed 5 out, ridden approaching 3 out, soon weakened
Le Grand Rocher
531- Form 2-
- Age 6
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer J & A O'Neill
- Jockey D Elsworth
not fluent, always behind, tailed off from 6th
- Age 4
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer Mrs M Reveley
- Jockey P Aspell
tracked leaders, led 5 out, hit and headed 3 out, weakened approaching last
Nagano (FR)
248- Form 3F206-
- Age 5
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer Ian Williams
- Jockey Paul Moloney
held up in rear, headway when not fluent 4 out, ridden approaching next, weakened approaching 2 out
- Form 322/2
- Age 5
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer Mrs H Dalton
- Jockey D N Russell
in touch, not fluent 6th, ridden and weakened approaching 3 out
Thames (IRE)
231- Form 34-
- Age 5
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer N J Henderson
- Jockey M A Fitzgerald
held up in mid-division, hit 5 out, headway next, soon ridden, weakened after last
Vicar's Lad
23- Form 405-2
- Age 7
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer N & W Twiston-Davies
- Jockey C Llewellyn
tracked leader and keen, hit 2nd, ridden approaching 3 out, weakened approaching last
- Form 00-
- Age 5
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer J & A O'Neill
- Jockey A Dobbin
held up, tailed off from 7th
In depth
Verdict
Heather Dalton's Terre de Java lost no caste in defeat behind the capable Mr Ed on his British hurdling debut over course and distance last month and has to be respected but the French-bred gelding faces some decent rivals today and may have to settle for a minor role behind Classic Native, who gets the verdict over Jonjo O'Neill's Le Grand Rocher. The selection showed high-class form in National Hunt flat races last term including when landing the bumper here at the Grand National meeting. The son of Be my Native is sure to have been well schooled and it will be a surprise if he is not good enough to make a winning start to his hurdling career. Stablemate Le Grand Rocher showed signs of ability on his debut in bumper-company when last seen and has to be respected but has a long lay off to overcome. Of more interest could be the hurdling debutante Inglis Drever, a 96-rated staying handicapper on the flat when with Sir Mark Prescott, who has joined the Howard Johnson stable that has made a good start to the current campaign. He rates a bigger threat than either the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Vicar's Lad or Nicky Henderson's Thames, who is strictly held by the selection on running here last April. All in all a decent novices' hurdle but Classic Native gets the vote to win it.