Racecards
15:55 Southwell
Plan Your Betting Strategy At RacingProfits.net 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle (Class 4)
- 5 Runners
- Distance: 2m
- Going: Good, Good to Firm in places
- Surface: Turf
- £3,000 added
- Winner: £2,053
- 2nd: £598
- 3rd: £299
- Form 5-4
- Age 5
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer M Sheppard
- Jockey N D Fehily
chased leaders, under pressure 4 out, soon weakened
- Form 3421P2
- Age 6
- Weight 10-12
- Official Rating 103
- Trainer George Baker
- Jockey T E Whelan
led, not fluent 3rd, 6 lengths clear approaching 5th, hard driven and headed approaching 2 out, rallied last, stayed on well
- Form 0-8
- Age 5
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer M Keighley
- Jockey P J Brennan
held up in touch, mistakes 4th and 5th, effort 3 out, never on terms
- Form 138-6
- Age 4
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer D McCain Jnr
- Jockey Timmy Murphy
tracked leader, outpaced 3 out, stayed on approaching last, no extra flat
- Form 12-
- Age 5
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer N J Henderson
- Jockey A P McCoy
tracked leaders, led before 2 out, hard driven last, ran on well
In depth
Verdict
Nicky Henderson looks to have found a good opportunity for SPEED MASTER to open his account over hurdles at the first time of asking. A bumper winner under McCoy in March this year, he went close to following-up at Hereford after that and gets the vote in this company. Ebanour is another bumper winner making his hurdling bow, though he ran poorly on his return at Carlisle last month, while Belle Du Fontenay is the most experienced hurdler but likely to find today's opposition too good. Achimota and Busby Berkeley are hard to fancy.
Formwatch
Achimota (IRE) 33-1 (11-0) Held up in rear, headway approaching 6th, ridden after next, weakened 3 out, 4th of 13, 40l behind So Fine (11-0) at Worcester 2m 4f mdn hdl (5) gd in Oct.
Belle De Fontenay (FR) 13-2 (10-10) Led, clear before 3rd, driven approaching 2 out, headed flat, no extra clsoe home, 2nd of 15, 2 3/4l behind Combustible Lady (10-10) at Worcester 2m mrs nov hdl (4) gd in Oct.
Busby Berkeley (IRE) 6-1 (11-0) Held up towards rear, pushed along over 6f out, headway over 5f out, weakened 4f out, tailed off, 8th of 11, well behind Johns Spirit (10-13) at Newton Abbot 2m 1f NH flat (6) gs in Aug.
Ebanour (IRE) 9-4 (11-2) Tracked leaders, ridden over 2f out, soon weakened, 6th of 11, 27l behind Cross Of Honour (11-0) at Carlisle 2m 1f NH flat (6) gd in Oct.
Speed Master (IRE) 9-4 (11-11) Tracked leaders, went 2nd over 4f out, ridden to challenge over 1f out, led briefly inside final furlong, no extra towards finish, 2nd of 15, 2 3/4l behind Harry Topper (10-5) at Hereford 2m 1f NH flat (6) gd in Apr.