Racecards
13:00 Sandown Park
Ladbrokes Freephone 0808 1000 421 Juvenile Novices' Hurdle (Class C )
- 13 Runners
- Distance: 2m 110y
- Going: Good to Soft, Good in places
- Form 651314
- Age 4
- Weight 11-8
- Official Rating 110
- Trainer Mrs Lucinda Featherstone
- Jockey R Johnson
mid-division, ridden 3 out, soon weakened
- Form 12
- Age 4
- Weight 11-8
- Trainer G & J Moore
- Jockey A P McCoy
held up in touch, headway after 3 out, ridden to chase leader 2 out, disputed lead last, led flat, all out
- Form 60212
- Age 4
- Weight 11-4
- Trainer J Howard Johnson
- Jockey Timmy Murphy
led and set good pace, driven when mistake and headed 2 out, not recover
Nadover (FR)
68- Form 21253
- Age 4
- Weight 11-4
- Trainer C J Mann
- Jockey N D Fehily
held up tracking leaders, chased leaders 3 out, weakened 2 out
Nation State
26- Form 1
- Age 4
- Weight 11-4
- Trainer G & J Moore
- Jockey J E Moore
held up in rear, steady headway when hit 3 out, ridden approaching 2 out, disputed lead last, all out when headed flat
- Age 4
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer G G Margarson
- Jockey P Hide
in touch until ridden and lost place 6th
L'oudon (FR)
63- Form 2
- Age 4
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey Ruby Walsh
keen in rear, mistake 1st, some progress when mistake 3 out, weakened soon after
Quarrymount
31- Form 3
- Age 4
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer J A B Old
- Jockey Wayne Hutchinson
held up towards rear, ridden and staying on from 3 out, weakening when mistake last
- Age 4
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer C Smith
- Jockey L P Aspell
held up rear, brief effort after 3 out, no further impression
- Form 36
- Age 4
- Weight 10-5
- Trainer M J Gingell
- Jockey S Curran
tracked leaders and keen, ridden and weakened after 3 out
- Form U
- Age 4
- Weight 10-5
- Trainer A W Carroll
- Jockey C Llewellyn
towards rear, driven along and weakening when fell 5th
In depth
Verdict
A good start to a quality card in which Nation State gets the nod from a shortlist that also contains Courant d'Air and L'Oudon. Courant d'Air sets the benchmark for the form here following his 13-length fourth to the smart Cerium at Cheltenham in November. Diego Cao's second to Woody Valentine last time is also solid form although the winner let the form down a little last time, admittedly on soft going in a Grade 1 affair, at Chepstow. Iron Man is another who can give us a handle on the value of the form, although his penalty could make life difficult for him today. Nation State also carries a penalty for his Plumpton win but he looked impressive there and could be decent at this game. The likes of the French imports Nadover, trained by Charlie Mann, and the Paul Nicholls-trained L'Oudon, have also to be afforded respect, while the formerly-useful Flat runner Quarrymount showed plenty of promise on his Newbury debut. As we say, though, in a good start to the day, we will side with Nation State.