Racecards
12:40 Exeter
Thurlestone Hotel 'national Hunt' Novices' Hurdle (Class 4)
- 17 Runners
- Distance: 2m 3f
- Going: Soft, Good to Soft in places
- Surface: Turf
- £4,500 added
- Form 48-31
- Age 6
- Weight 11-5
- Trainer H D Daly
- Jockey A Thornton
towards rear, ridden and headway approaching 5th, weakened after 6th, pulled up before 3 out
Carruthers
34- Form 21
- Age 5
- Weight 11-5
- Trainer M Bradstock
- Jockey Matthew Batchelor
prominent, led 4th, ridden 2 out, headed soon after last, hampered under pressure close home
- Form 110-1
- Age 7
- Weight 11-5
- Official Rating 105
- Trainer V R A Dartnall
- Jockey Aidan Coleman
in touch, headway and chased leaders 4th, joined leader 3 out, ridden approaching last, led soon after, edged right close home
Crank Hill
31- Form 7/P1-5P
- Age 6
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer R H Buckler
- Jockey Mr J A Ryan
in touch, ridden 6th, soon weakened
- Form 461-2
- Age 6
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey S Thomas
in touch, headway approaching 4th, chased leader after 6th, ridden behind leaders 3 out, weakened and not fluent 2 out
- Form 36-934
- Age 6
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer C L Tizzard
- Jockey J Tizzard
led to 2nd, chased leaders, ridden approaching 3 out, weakened 2 out
- Form P8P-98P
- Age 6
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer Mrs L J Young
- Jockey R Greene
mid-division, weakened 4th, tailed off and pulled up before 6th
- Form 78-6
- Age 6
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer Miss E C Lavelle
- Jockey N D Fehily
always towards rear, shaken up and headway approaching 6th, no impression after
Knapp Bridge Boy
275- Form 006/0-
- Age 8
- Weight 10-12
mid-division, ridden and weakened 4th, pulled up before 3 out
- Form 47-0
- Age 6
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer J W Mullins
- Jockey W P Kavanagh
held up towards rear, ridden and weakened 4th, no impression
- Form 4743-33
- Age 6
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer J D Frost
- Jockey Hadden Frost
mid-division, headway 5th, ridden after 6th
Peel House
28- Age 5
- Weight 10-12
held up in mid-division, ridden and effort after 6th, weakened just approaching 2 out
- Form 9
- Age 5
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer G R I Smyly
- Jockey Mr M Wall
mid-division, ridden 4th, kept on same pace from 3 out
- Form P-20
- Age 6
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer Miss L Blackford
- Jockey T Messenger
in touch, ridden and lost place 5th, behind when pulled up before 2 out
Whitewater Dash
659- Form 60/
- Age 8
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer J A B Old
- Jockey J M Maguire
held up last, headway after 4th, weakened 6th
- Age 7
- Weight 10-5
- Trainer D P Keane
- Jockey N Mulholland
pulled early and chased leaders, ridden approaching 4th, soon weakened
In depth
Verdict
Trip and ground will suit Lodge Lane, who can defy a penalty to take this opener from Forest Pennant, Carruthers and Boomerang. The selection won two heavy ground Uttoxeter bumpers last season before finishing tenth in the champion bumper at the Cheltenham Festival. Stepped up in trip he won more easily than the official margin suggested on his Folkestone reappearance and he looks a smart recruit who can take this prize. Boomerang won a Towcester novices' hurdle last time and is also penalised here. He has yet to prove he handles ground worse than good to soft and does not look as good as the selection on his form thus far. Carruthers won a Chepstow novices' contest on his reappearance and is another yet to prove he handles ground this soft, but he has plenty of scope for improvement and is respected. Paul Nicholls runs Forest Pennant, who won a Kempton bumper but then hung left when second at Chepstow last time. This right handed track might well be against him but he is respected nonetheless. Go Johnny Go comes from a yard in form and who has won this for the past two years, but his bare form does not look good enough and preference is for Lodge Lane.
Formwatch
Boomerang (IRE) 15-2 (10-12) Held up, led 3 out, kept on, won at Towcester 2m 5f nh nov hdl (3) gs in Dec beating Rathcor (10-5) by 5l, 11 ran.
Carruthers 5-1 (10-12) Mid-division, mistake 4th, headway 5th, ridden 3 out, led soon after last, kept on, won at Chepstow 2m 4f nh nov hdl (4) gs in Nov beating What A Friend (10-12) by 1l, 16 ran.
Lodge Lane (IRE) 11-8fav (10-7) In touch, took closer order 5th, led 2 out, hung right and mistake last, idled, driven out, won at Fontwell 2m 4f nov hdl (4) gd in Dec beating Psychomodo (11-5) by 2l, 16 ran.
Crank Hill 50-1 (10-12) Mid-division, headway 6th, ridden 3 out, soon weakened and pulled up 3 out in race won by Boomerang (10-12) at Towcester 2m 5f nh nov hdl (3) gs in Dec, 11 ran.
Forest Pennant (IRE) 11-10fav (10-12) Held up in touch, not fluent 4th, headway 4 out, chased leader approaching 2nd last, kept on well towards finish, 2nd of 14, 1/2l behind Merchent Paddy (10-12) at Chepstow 2m 4f nh nov hdl (4) gs in Nov.
Go Johnny Go (IRE) 16-1 (10-12) Chased leader, slightly hampered 10th, ridden and weakened 3 out, 4th of 6, 21l behind Gone To Lunch (11-5) at Ascot 3m nov hdl (3) gd in Nov.
Hazeam 100-1 (10-12) Mid-division, weakening when mistake 6th, tailed off from next, 12th of 16, well behind Carruthers (10-12) at Chepstow 2m 4f nh nov hdl (4) gs in Nov.
He's My Brother (IRE) 33-1 (10-12) Always towards rear, not fluent 5th and pulled up 4 out in race won by Ardente Sauvage (10-8) at N Abbot 2m 3f mdn hdl (5) sft in Aug, 10 ran.
Jerseyman 14-1 (10-12) Held up, headway 5th, soon ridden, weakened 7th, last of 6, well behind Counting House (10-12) at Exeter 2m 3f nov hdl (3) gf in Nov.
Knapp Bridge Boy 100-1 (10-10) Prominent and keen, went wide and lost place on bend after 4th, soon behind, 10th of 12, well behind Pepporoni Pete (11-6) at N Abbot 2m 1f nov hdl (4) gf in Apr.
Orion Star (IRE) 100-1 (10-12) Always towards rear, 11th of 16, 46l behind Lodge Lane (10-7) at Fontwell 2m 4f nov hdl (4) gd in Dec.
Oscar Bay (IRE) 25-1 (10-12) Chased leader, outpaced approaching 3 out, stayed on again from 2 out, 3rd of 12, 6l behind King Caine (10-9) at Exeter 2m 1f nov hdl (4) sft in Dec.
Peel House 80-1 (10-7) Behind from halfway, 12th of 16, 28l behind Take Me There (11-7) at Hereford 2m 1f nhf (6) gs in Dec.
Plum Pudding (FR) 66-1 (11-2) Mid-division, ridden 6f out, weakened 3f out, 9th of 16, 29l behind Kingston Lane (11-2) at Chepstow 2m nhf (6) gs in Nov.
Rules Apply (IRE) 100-1 (10-12) Prominent until lost place 5th, tailed off, 12th of 14, well behind Mexican Bob (11-8) at Taunton 2m 1f nov hdl (3) gd in Dec.
Whitewater Dash 9-2 (11-8) Mid-division, ridden and weakened over 4f out, 11th of 14, 11l behind Don Castille (11-0) at Stratford 2m mdn nhf (4) gs in Mar '06.
Announcing Alice (IRE) 66-1 (10-5) Led, headed 2nd, stayed prominent until weakened after 7th, 10th of 16, well behind Carruthers (10-12) at Chepstow 2m 4f nh nov hdl (4) gs in Nov.