Racecards
17:00 Exeter
Toteexacta 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle (Div 2) (Class 4)
- 11 Runners
- Distance: 2m 3f
- Going: Good to Soft
- Surface: Turf
- Form 28-1
- Age 6
- Weight 11-11
- Official Rating 120
- Trainer P Winkworth
- Jockey P Hide
in touch, ridden and headed approaching 3 out, one pace
- Form 31-115
- Age 6
- Weight 11-11
- Trainer N J Henderson
- Jockey M A Fitzgerald
mid-division, headway approaching 3 out, challenged after 3 out, led 2 out, hard ridden and stayed on gamely flat
- Form 47-
- Age 6
- Weight 11-4
- Trainer K Bishop
- Jockey Aidan Coleman
held up towards rear, weakened quickly and pulled up before 4th
- Form 344
- Age 5
- Weight 11-4
- Trainer C L Tizzard
- Jockey J Tizzard
prominent, ridden after 6th and outpaced, kept on one pace from 2 out
Carew Lad
15- Form 21F6P/3
- Age 10
- Weight 11-4
- Trainer Mrs D A Hamer
- Jockey B Hitchcott
led to 2nd, challenged and led 4th to 6th, weakened 3 out
- Form 25U2
- Age 5
- Weight 11-4
- Trainer Noel T Chance
- Jockey T Doyle
prominent, ridden and led 3 out, headed 2 out, no extra
- Age 5
- Weight 11-4
- Trainer Nick Williams
- Jockey Christian Williams
always behind, ridden after 6th, tailed off and pulled up before 3 out
- Form P/P-
- Age 7
- Weight 11-4
- Trainer P Hobbs & J White
- Jockey R Johnson
led 2nd to 4th, soon weakened, tailed off and pulled up before 3 out
- Form 54-94
- Age 6
- Weight 11-4
- Trainer A King
- Jockey Wayne Hutchinson
mid-division, ridden and headway 3 out, every chance and not fluent last, stayed on well, not reached winner
Irish Totty
336- Form 280-
- Age 7
- Weight 10-11
- Trainer C J Down
- Jockey Jimmy McCarthy
prominent, ridden approaching 3 out, weakened and hit 2 out
So Long
78- Form 2-359
- Age 6
- Weight 10-11
- Trainer C L Popham
- Jockey R Walford
held up mid-division, ridden 3 out, one pace
Verdict
Nicky Henderson looks to hold solid claims of taking the second division of the novices' hurdle as well as the first and is taken to score with Its A Dream, who is preferred to Dunsfold Duke and Commander Kev. The last mentioned showed promise on his bumper debut and again when chasing home Tokala at Fakenham last time but Noel Chance's gelding has disappointed in between those two starts and he may not be one to trust implicitly. Jonjo O'Neill's Pass It On made an encouraging debut here in December and could be of interest, while Bring Me Sunshine lacks any hurdling experience so may be best watched. Point-to-point recruit Officer Cadet and Alan King's Sharajan are others worthy of a mention although a bigger threat is likely to come from Dunsfold Duke. Peter Winkworth's gelding made a winning start to his hurdling career when landing a Plumpton novice event last month and has to be respected on that evidence but Its A Dream has easily the best form on offer and he should be too good for his rivals today.
Formwatch
Dunsfold Duke 8-1 (11-5) Close up, headway to track leader from 3 out, led 2 out, soon clear, won at Plumpton 2m 5f nh nov hdl (3) sft in Jan beating Rare Gold (11-5) by 12l, 13 ran.
Its A Dream (IRE) 7-2 (11-7) Tracked leaders, ridden and weakened 3 out, 5th of 8, 28l behind Denman (11-7) at Cheltenham 2m 4f nov hdl Grd 1 (1) gs in Jan.
Bayford Boy 14-1 (10-12) Mid-division, headway over 6f out, ridden 4f out, soon weakened, 7th of 13, 42l behind Square Mile (11-1) at Worcester 2m nhf (H) gd in Jun '04.
Bring Me Sunshine (IRE) 14-1 (11-4) Prominent, led 6f out, headed over 2f out, soon ridden and weakened, 4th of 11, 6l behind Hot 'n' Holy (11-4) at Chepstow 2m nhf (H) gs in Dec.
Carew Lad 100-1 (11-5) Always prominent, jumped badly left and nearly unseated rider 1st, weakened 2 out, 3rd of 14, 21l behind Dream Alliance (11-5) at Chepstow 2m 4f mdn hdl (4) sft in Jan.
Commander Kev (IRE) 12-1 (11-0) Held up, headway 3 out, led after 2 out, blundered last, headed run-in, 2nd of 6, 3/4l behind Tokala (11-8) at Fakenham 2m 4f nh nov hdl (3) gd in Jan.
Los Suenos (IRE) Supreme Leader gelding, half-brother to bumper winner You'vegotmerocking.
Officer Cadet (IRE) 6-1 (12-0) pulled up in race won by My Little Lady (11-9) at Larkhill 3m ptp gd in Feb '05, 14 ran.
Sharajan (IRE) 13-2 (11-5) Held up, headway approaching 3 out, weakened soon after, 4th of 13, 28l behind Dunsfold Duke (11-5) at Plumpton 2m 5f nh nov hdl (3) sft in Jan.
Irish Totty 28-1 (11-2) Towards rear and keen, headway 6f, weakened over 3f out, 11th of 18, 30l behind Gay Gladys (10-13) at Warwick 2m mrs nhf (H) gs in Mar.
So Long 20-1 (10-4) Mid-division, ridden over 5f out, weakened over 4f out, 9th of 16, 32l behind Heraldry (11-6) at Towcester 2m nhf (H) sft in Nov.
Buddhi (IRE) 20-1 (11-0) Held up mid-division, headway and chased leaders after 3rd, weakened approaching 2 out, 7th of 19, 15l behind Blu Teen (11-0) at Lingfield 2m nov hdl (D) sft in Dec.
Pass It On (IRE) 5-1 (11-0) Held up, headway on outer after 5th, pressed leaders 3 out, soon ridden, kept on same pace, 4th of 12, 3l behind Double Header (11-0) at Exeter 2m 1f nh nov hdl (E) gs in Dec '04.