Racecards
13:10 Wincanton
Christmas Party Day Juvenile Novices' Hurdle (Class E)
- 13 Runners
- Distance: 2m
- Going: Good
- Form 41
- Age 3
- Weight 11-5
- Trainer A King
- Jockey R Thornton
pulled hard early and chased leader, ridden and outpaced 3 out, headway to lead on bit approaching 2 out, pushed clear approaching last, easy
- Age 3
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer P Hobbs & J White
- Jockey R Johnson
pulled hard early, led after 2nd, jinked left and jumped very slowly 3rd, mistake 4th, ridden 3 out, headway approaching 2 out, stayed on under pressure to go 2nd after last
- Form 00
- Age 3
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer Nick Williams
- Jockey P J Brennan
held up in mid-division, ridden 3 out, soon weakened
Jim Lad
33- Form 4
- Age 3
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer Dr J Naylor
- Jockey P Hide
prominent, ridden after 5th, weakened approaching 2 out
- Age 3
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer M Madgwick
- Jockey J Goldstein
keen hold and led before 3rd, mistake 3 out and headed, ridden and weakened after
Whist Drive
17- Form 6
- Age 3
- Weight 10-12
- Trainer Mrs N Smith
- Jockey M Foley
held up in mid-division, good headway after 3 out, ridden and went 2nd approaching 2 out, mistake last, not quickened after
- Age 3
- Weight 10-12
pulled hard and held up last, tailed off 3 out
- Form 3
- Age 3
- Weight 10-7
prominent, led 3 out, ridden and headed approaching 2 out, one pace from last
- Form 2
- Age 3
- Weight 10-7
- Trainer Miss S Wilton
- Jockey A Thornton
held up in mid-division, ridden after 3 out, soon weakened, behind and pulled up before 2 out
- Age 3
- Weight 10-7
- Trainer Miss Victoria Roberts
- Jockey C Rafter
in touch, ridden after 3 out, weakened 2 out
In depth
Verdict
Trouble At Bay put a disappointing debut effort over hurdles behind him when winning at Hereford last month and is fancied to follow up here at the main expense of Croix De Guerre and the Martin Pipe-trained pair of Yourman and Bella Bambina. The selection, a useful middle distance handicapper on the flat, failed to run to expectation son his first start over hurdles at Kempton but put that behind him with an accomplished display against, admittedly, poor opposition at Hereford. Croix De Guerre was not as good as the selection on the level but has gone to Philip Hobbs and has to be respected but a bigger threat may come from one of the Pipe runners. Yourman, a son of Shernazar, makes his racecourse debut for owner David Johnson, while Bella Bambina showed plenty of promise on her hurdling debut at Ludlow and should have learned from that. Sue Wilton's Crimson Dancer was a long way behind Trouble At Bay at Hereford and, along with the rest of these, is likely to be so again.