Racecards
13:40 Taunton
Hanson Aggregates Novices' Hurdle (Class E)
- 12 Runners
- Distance: 2m 1f
- Going: Soft, Heavy in places
- Form 9-13204
- Age 5
- Weight 11-8
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey Ruby Walsh
prominent, ridden headway 3 out, challenged 2 out, weakened after last
- Form 080/84
- Age 9
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer John R Upson
- Jockey B Fenton
held up in mid-division, ridden 6th, soon weakened
- Form 78P
- Age 5
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer Jane Southcombe
- Jockey N Kavanagh
towards rear, lost place before 5th, pulled up before 6th
- Form 375
- Age 5
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer J & A O'Neill
- Jockey L Cooper
held up last, some headway 5th, ridden and weakened before 3 out
Goldbrook
31- Form 233
- Age 5
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer R Hodges
- Jockey L Tibbatts
chased leader, ridden after 3 out, one paced
Saby (FR)
31- Form 24722-3
- Age 5
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer P Hobbs & J White
- Jockey P Flynn
held up in touch, ridden 6th, weakened before 3 out
- Age 5
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer Miss V Williams
- Jockey B J Crowley
mid-division, mistake 5th, headway 6th, ridden 3 out, challenged 2 out, switched right after last, ran on, not reach winner
- Form 0-
- Age 6
- Weight 11-2
- Trainer B J Llewellyn
- Jockey Timmy Murphy
held up towards rear, ridden 6th, soon weakened
- Form F6P
- Age 9
- Weight 10-11
- Trainer G Charles-Jones
- Jockey Gary Richards
mid-division, soon behind, tailed off
- Form 2
- Age 4
- Weight 10-5
made all, soon clear, blundered 3 out, ridden approaching 2 out, stayed on from last, gamely
In depth
Verdict
A decent contest to get the day underway. A 74 rated handicapper on the level, Thesis is an interesting recruit to timber, although he could have picked an easier race to make his debut. Desert Air was similar in ability to Thesis on the flat, but he already looks like being a better hurdler as he showed when just touched off at Huntingdon by Hasty Prince. The latter, a 90 rated handicapper on the flat, only just held on that day and Desert Air, with that experience behind him, will be hard to beat here, in receipt of weight off the other runners. Sud Bleu is a decent yardstick and will appreciate the return to novice company having faced some stiff tasks of late. He will be tough to beat, but the concession of 17lbs to the selection looks beyond him. Orangerie looks to have too much on in this, but should run well without being quite good enough to win, while stablemate Saby may do better when he goes handicapping. Gala Performance can be expected to leave his effort at Haydock behind in due course, but he may be more at home around a galloping track, rather than this sharp circuit.