Racecards
13:50 Sandown Park
bet365 Novices' Championship Final Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)
- 20 Runners
- Distance: 1m 7f 216y
- Going: Good to Soft (Soft in places)
- Surface: Turf
- £100,000 added
- Winner: £61,900
- 2nd: £18,380
- 3rd: £9,190
- 4th: £4,580
- Form 1F1341
- Age 5
- Weight 11-12
- Official Rating 137
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey H Cobden
raced wide, held up, headway 4th, chased leaders before 2 out, every chance last, ridden and no extra towards finish
- Form 122101
- Age 6
- Weight 11-10
- Official Rating 135
- Trainer C Gordon
- Jockey Harry Reed
chased leader, led 3rd, joined last, headed run-in, kept on gamely to hold 2nd
- Form U-4411P
- Age 6
- Weight 11-7
- Official Rating 132
- Trainer M Bradstock
- Jockey Bryony Frost
raced wide, chased leaders, weakened before 2 out
- Form 233112
- Age 7
- Weight 11-7
- Official Rating 132
- Trainer O Sherwood
- Jockey Conor Shoemark
held up and behind, never on terms
- Form 4-33511
- Age 5
- Weight 11-7
- Official Rating 132
- Trainer N & W Twiston-Davies
- Jockey D A Jacob
mid-division on inside, headway approaching 2 out, chased leaders after 2 out, ridden to lead run-in, stayed on well
- Form 1U13
- Age 4
- Weight 11-6
- Official Rating 136
- Trainer K Dalgleish
- Jockey B S Hughes
held up towards rear, never involved
- Form 2-24112
- Age 5
- Weight 11-5
- Official Rating 130
- Trainer N J Henderson
- Jockey James Bowen
held up in rear, pushed along before 3 out, headway on wide outside 2 out, soon ridden, kept on under pressure run-in, went never nearer 6th post
- Form 15291
- Age 4
- Weight 11-3
- Official Rating 133
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey Sam Twiston-Davies
held up towards rear, good headway on wide outside into 2nd 2 out, every chance last, no extra towards finish
- Form 32122P
- Age 5
- Weight 11-3
- Official Rating 128
- Trainer D Pipe
- Jockey David Noonan
mid-division, pushed along after 3 out, weakening when mistake 2 out
- Form 221231
- Age 7
- Weight 11-2
- Official Rating 127
- Trainer P Hobbs & J White
- Jockey R Johnson
last pair, headway on inside approaching 2 out, ridden and no impression between last 2
- Form 412123
- Age 4
- Weight 11-1
- Official Rating 131
- Trainer B Pauling
- Jockey Thomas Bellamy
mid-division, headway chasing leaders before 2 out, ridden and not quicken between last 2, no extra run-in, lost modest 6th post
- Form 1-63411
- Age 5
- Weight 11-0
- Official Rating 125
- Trainer Miss Lucinda V Russell
- Jockey Blair Campbell
led until 3rd, chased leader until ridden before 2 out, weakened between last 2
- Form 244316
- Age 6
- Weight 11-0
- Official Rating 125
chased leaders, ridden and weakened between last 2
- Form 562140
- Age 5
- Weight 10-13
- Official Rating 124
- Trainer J & A O'Neill
- Jockey Aidan Coleman
mid-division, reminders and weakened after 3 out
- Form 3-11P52
- Age 5
- Weight 10-13
- Official Rating 124
held up in mid-division, headway on inside chasing leaders before 2 out, every chance last, stayed on in 3rd run-in
- Form 6221P1
- Age 7
- Weight 10-12
- Official Rating 123
- Trainer N J Gifford
- Jockey Tom Cannon
chased leaders, weakened before 2 out
- Form 53531F
- Age 5
- Weight 10-10
- Official Rating 121
- Trainer G & J Moore
- Jockey J E Moore
chased leaders on inside, weakened before 2 out
- Form 315
- Age 7
- Weight 10-8
- Official Rating 119
- Trainer Laura Morgan
- Jockey Patrick Cowley
chased leaders, pushed along and weakened before 2 out,
- Form 6-20122
- Age 5
- Weight 10-8
- Official Rating 119
- Trainer Miss V Williams
- Jockey Wayne Hutchinson
chased leaders, weakened and behind when mistake 2 out
- Form 5415
- Age 5
- Weight 10-7
- Official Rating 118
- Trainer N J Henderson
- Jockey N de Boinville
held up towards rear, headway before 2 out, weakening when blundered last
In depth
Verdict
A terrific start to what is a fantastic finale to the jumps season. The weights in this opener are head by the smart Mont Des Avaloirs but Sam Twiston-Davies prefers the four-year-old Act Of Valour, who has also been keeping good company. Another juvenile, Taxmeifyoucan, is unexposed and a rare runner here for Keith Dalgleish. Highway One O One has won four times this season but his one failure came over this course and distance last month. Ballymoy looks to be improving at a rate of knots and goes on the short-list but so do a host of others including Burrows Edge, Notre Ami, Kelpies Myth, Equus Amadeus and Ar Mest. SHOW ON THE ROAD trounced Friday Night Light by 13 lengths at Exeter in January and has improved since. Recent rain may have eased the going sufficiently for him to go close in this. The likely fast pace should benefit Oistrakh Le Noir and he may be best of the rest.
Formwatch
Mont Des Avaloirs (FR) 1-6fav (11-6) Made all, quickened off last bend, pressed but still going best when left 4 lengths clear 2 out, easily, won at Market Rasen 2m 1f (4) sft in Apr beating The King Of May (11-6) by 9l, 4 ran.
Highway One O One (IRE) 7-4fav (12-0) Made all, hit 2nd, clear from 2 out where awkward, stayed on strongly, unchallenged, won at Kempton 2m (4) gs in Apr beating Equus Amadeus (11-7) by 5l, 13 ran.
Jaisalmer (IRE) 9-2 (10-10) Mid-division, outpaced after 4 out, well beaten next, pulled up before 2 out, at Plumpton 2m hcp (2) hvy in Apr.
Piton Pete (IRE) Evens (11-13) Raced quite wide, tracked winner, led before 3rd, headed and ridden after 3 out, tired looking jump 2 out, no impression last, 2nd of 3, 18l behind Dr Des (11-13) at Towcester 2m 3f (4) hvy in Mar.
Ballymoy (IRE) 11-8 (11-7) Chased leader until before 4th, challenged 3 out, led next, 5 lengths clear and well in command when left further clear last, easily, won at Bangor 2m 1f (4) sft in Mar beating Ofcourseiwill (11-0) by 21l, 7 ran.
Taxmeifyoucan (IRE) 11-4fav (10-11) Tracked leaders and keen, ridden and every chance last, kept on and lost 2nd place close home, 3rd of 11, 3/4l behind Keyboard Gangster (11-3) at Kelso 2m hcp (2) hvy in Apr.
Burrows Edge (FR) 2-5fav (12-1) Tracked winner, mistake 2nd, every chance 2 out, not fluent last, kept on and always held, 2nd of 5, 8l behind Luckofthedraw (11-3) at Ffos Las 2m (4) hvy in Apr.
Act Of Valour 2-1 (10-13) Tracked leading pair, went 2nd after 4th, led approaching and not fluent last, kept on run-in, won at Fakenham 2m (4) gs in Apr beating Pacific De Baune (11-11) by 1 3/4l, 6 ran.
Friday Night Light (FR) 8-1 (10-2) Held up towards rear, not fluent 1st, some headway after 3 out, ridden and weakened before mistake 2 out, pulled up before last, at Sandown 2m hcp (1) sft in Mar.
Show On The Road 11-4jfav (11-9) Held up, headway chasing leaders after 3 out (normal 4 out), 2nd going well before 2 out, led last, kept on well run-in, won at Exeter 2m 1f hcp (3) hvy in Apr beating Trans Express (11-6) by 11l, 9 ran.
Oistrakh Le Noir (FR) 3-1 (11-5) Tracked leading trio, went 3rd before 3 out, ridden and outpaced between last 2, hit last, no chance with 1st 2, 3rd of 6, 6 3/4l behind Act Of Valour (10-13) at Fakenham 2m (4) gs in Apr.
Kelpies Myth 4-1 (11-6) Led, pushed along and pressed 2 out, held on well towards finish, won at Carlisle 2m 1f (4) sft in Apr beating Cornerstone Lad (11-6) by 1 3/4l, 10 ran.
Going Gold (IRE) 9-1 (11-0) Prominent, ridden after 2 out, stayed on same pace last, 6th of 15, 9 3/4l behind Magic Dancer (10-11) at Cheltenham 2m 1f hcp (3) gd in Apr.
Django Django (FR) 7-1 (11-2) Chased leaders, not fluent 6th, weakened after 3 out, 10th of 11, 15 1/4l behind Kildisart (11-12) at Kempton 2m 5f hcp (2) sft in Mar.
Equus Amadeus (IRE) 5-1 (11-7) Took keen hold in mid-division, headway chasing leaders 4th, went 2nd 2 out, stayed on same pace run-in, no chance with winner, 2nd of 13, 5l behind Highway One O One (12-0) at Kempton 2m (4) gs in Apr.
Notre Ami (IRE) 9-4 (11-7) Led until hit 4th and headed, chased leader, led again after 3 out, 2 lengths ahead last, stayed on strongly, won at Kempton 2m (4) sft in Apr beating Destrier (12-0) by 2 1/2l, 11 ran.
Ar Mest (FR) 3-1 (11-7) Tracked clear winner, closer at 3rd, just over 1 length down and going ok when fell 3 out, at Sandown 2m (4) sft in Mar.
The New Pharaoh (IRE) 5-1 (12-2) Always towards rear, tailed off from 3 out, 5th of 8, 7 1/4l behind Black Art (11-9) at Sedgefield 2m 1f hcp (4) sft in Jan.
Enola Gay (FR) 9-2 (10-8) Close up, not much room 1st, mistake 7th, challenged before 9th, not fluent 13th, pushed along after next, no extra 4 out, hit last, went 2nd flat, 2nd of 3, 21l behind Some Are Lucky (11-6) at Leicester 2m 7f hcp (3) sft in Jan.
Grapevine (IRE) 7-4fav (11-0) Chased leader until 3 out, hung right and weakened before next, 5th of 8, 15 1/4l behind Distingo (11-6) at Kempton 2m (4) gs in Mar.