Racecards
16:30 Hereford
HP Bulmer Memorial 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle (Class 4)
- 5 Runners
- Distance: 2m 1f
- Going: Good to Firm
- Surface: Turf
- £4,000 added
- Winner: £2,599
- 2nd: £763
- 3rd: £382
- 4th: £191
- Form 1-52841
- Age 6
- Weight 11-12
- Official Rating 116
- Trainer D McCain Jnr
- Jockey Callum Whillans
led, reluctant approaching 4th, ridden after next, headed before last, gradually weakened
- Form 005-126
- Age 6
- Weight 11-5
- Official Rating 113
- Trainer P J Gilligan
- Jockey A P McCoy
took keen hold tracking leaders, smooth progress 2 out, led approaching when hit last, headed flat, no extra closing stages
- Form 5-213
- Age 4
- Weight 11-4
- Official Rating 119
- Trainer Evan Williams
- Jockey Paul Moloney
chased leaders, keen early, driven to challenge 2 out, soon outpaced, stayed on to go 3rd towards finish
- Form 620-233
- Age 5
- Weight 10-12
- Official Rating 114
- Trainer B G Powell
- Jockey Andrew Tinkler
tracked leader, every chance 2 out, soon led, headed approaching last, rallied to lead again flat, stayed on gamely
- Form 4S-32
- Age 4
- Weight 10-11
- Trainer Mrs S Gardner
- Jockey S Thomas
pulled hard in touch, not fluent 3rd, struggling 4 out, soon beaten, tailed off from next
Verdict
Bumper-placed Breakoutthebooze makes his hurdling debut here but the other four appear closely matched. McCoy teams up with Churchfield Champ, a winner at Sligo in May for Athenry handler Paul Gilligan and he should go well but Callum Whillans' claim wipes out AN CAPALL MOR's penalty for winning at Bangor and the improving six-year-old can follow up here. Thegaygardener is dropped back in distance and can't be ignored, however, and Violets Boy has shown enough to suggest he'll be winning soon.
Formwatch
An Capall Mor (IRE) 2-1fav (11-5) Made all, ridden after 3 out, hard pressed last, stayed on gamely, won at Bangor 2m 1f nh nov hdl (4) gd beating Prompter (10-12) by 3/4l, 8 ran.
Churchfield Champ (IRE) 10-1 (11-0) Soon well off pace in mid-division, closed from before 3 out, 3rd approaching straight, soon challenged, no extra after 2 out, kept on same pace, 6th of 12, 9l behind Clarach (10-13) at Limerick 2m hdl in Jul.
Thegaygardener 12-1 (11-2) Mid-division, took keen hold, not fluent 5th, headway on inside approaching 3 out, outpaced by leaders before next, 3rd of 12, 12l behind Trop Fort (11-4) at Newton Abbot 2m 3f nh nov hdl (3) gd.
Violets Boy (IRE) 11-2 (10-12) Tracked leaders on inside, challenged 3rd, soon led, not fluent and headed next, ridden approaching 2 out, stayed on same pace flat, 3rd of 14, 5l behind Ivan Vasilevich (10-12) at Fontwell 2m 2f nh nov hdl (4) gd.
Breakoutthebooze (IRE) 6-1 (10-7) Held up, took keen hold, headway 4f out, went 2nd 3f out, led over 2f out, headed close home, 2nd of 8, 1/2l behind Rattlin (10-7) at Uttoxeter 2m NH flat (6) hvy in Jul.