Racecards
17:05 Cheltenham
Cheltenham Business Club Maiden Hurdle (Class D)
- 11 Runners
- Distance: 2m 110y
- Going: Good, Good to Soft in places
- Surface: Turf
Black Shan (IRE)
206- Form 9-
- Age 5
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer A Ennis
- Jockey P J Brennan
led to 1st, tracked leader, led 5th, to approaching 2 out, weakened before last
- Age 6
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer G & J Moore
- Jockey J E Moore
held up, ridden 5th, effort next, not fluent and weakened 2 out
- Form 2
- Age 5
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey Christian Williams
held up, headway 3 out, chased leader next, challenging, hung left and blundered last, recovered to lead flat, headed and unable to quicken final 100 yards
- Form 17
- Age 4
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer M C Pipe
- Jockey Timmy Murphy
raced wide, mistake 1st, held up in mid-division, behind from 5th
Grand Bay (USA)
142- Age 4
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer J & A O'Neill
- Jockey A P McCoy
took keen hold, held up in rear, mistake 4 out, steady headway approaching next, weakened before 2 out
- Form 3/2PP-75
- Age 6
- Weight 11-2
- Official Rating 79
- Trainer S T Lewis
- Jockey P Stringer
in touch, weakened 5th, well behind when blundered 2 out
Lanos (POL)
278- Form 280PP0-
- Age 7
- Weight 11-2
- Official Rating 83
- Trainer W Davies
- Jockey Wayne Hutchinson
pulled hard, led 1st to 5th, weakened quickly
Lord Oscar (IRE)
207- Form 308-
- Age 6
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer M C Pipe
- Jockey T J Malone
behind, ridden and no impression from 5th
- Form 3
- Age 4
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer P Hobbs & J White
- Jockey R Johnson
held up, steady headway from 3 out, chased leading pair before last, driven ahead final 100 yards
- Form P
- Age 5
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer P & M Bowen
- Jockey C Llewellyn
chased leaders, until ridden and weakened before 3 out
- Form 232224
- Age 4
- Weight 10-9
- Official Rating 94
- Trainer P D Evans
- Jockey Antony Evans
held up, headway from 5th, led approaching 2 out, joined last, headed flat, no extra final 100 yards
In depth
Verdict
Desert Quest lost no caste in defeat behind Rimsky, a winner again on Saturday, at Chepstow on his hurdling debut and is taken to go one better at the main expense of Motorway and Flying Spur. The last mentioned won a bumper on his racecourse debut and has to be respected representing the yard of Martin Pipe but he is likely to find at least one too quick for him and lacks any hurdling experience. Jonjo O'Neill's French import Grand Bay could be of interest but may need the run on his first start for new connections, while Don And Gerry has been beaten off a mark of 90 in handicaps in his last two starts and does not look good enough. Chocolate Boy was not as good as the selection on the flat, while Tashkandi was pulled up on his hurdling debut at Perth and is probably best watched now. The Philip Hobbs-trained Motorway is lightly raced and open to improvement but Desert Quest could be a decent recruit to the novice hurdling ranks and gets the vote.
Formwatch
Chocolate Boy (IRE) 20-1 (9-8) Chased leaders, ridden and one pace final 3f, 6th of 14, 8l behind Monte Cristo (9-4) at Lingfield 2m hcp 0-65 (6) pol (Flat).
Desert Quest (IRE) 2-1fav (10-12) Mid-division, headway 5th, ridden when mistake 2 out, narrow leader approaching last, hung left and headed flat, one pace, 2nd of 16, 1l behind Rimsky (10-12) at Chepstow 2m nov hdl (E) gs.
Flying Spur (IRE) 6-1 (11-11) Prominent, every chance over 3f out, weakened over 1f out, 7th of 15, 13l behind Briscoe Place (11-4) at Worcester 2m nhf (H) gf in Sept.
Grand Bay (USA) (8-5) 3rd of 18, 1l behind Ma Bonne Etoile (8-4) at Saint-Cloud 1m 2f hcp hvy in Apr (Flat).
Lord Oscar (IRE) 14-1 (10-11) Led and soon clear, ridden approaching 4 out, headed and weakened 2 out, 8th of 16, 19l behind River Phantom (11-2) at Newbury 2m 5f mdn hdl (D) gs in Apr.
Motorway (IRE) 7-2 (10-12) Held up in mid-division, headway approaching 3 out, ridden approaching next, kept on from last, 3rd of 13, 5l behind Constable Burton (11-1) at Perth 2m nov hdl (E) gs in Sept.
Tashkandi (IRE) 11-4fav (10-12) Mid-division, weakened 3 out, tailed off when pulled up 2 out in race won by Constable Burton (11-1) at Perth 2m nov hdl (E) gs in Sept, 13 ran.
Don And Gerry (IRE) 11-2 (10-11) Held up, headway approaching 2 out, soon ridden, beaten when rider dropped whip last, 4th of 16, 9l behind Sunnyland (10-11) at Worcester 2m nov hcp hdl 0-105 (E) gf in Sept.