Racecards
13:00 Taunton
Luke Sergeant Christmas 2023 Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 4)
- 14 Runners
- Distance: 2m 3f 1y
- Going: Good to Soft
- Surface: Turf
- £9,099 added
- Winner: £4,955
- 2nd: £2,283
- 3rd: £1,141
- 4th: £571
- Form 6-0P
- Age 4
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer B Pauling
- Jockey Beau Morgan
chased leaders, mistake and lost place 4th, not fluent next, well beaten after 3 out, pulled up after
- Form 1P-4
- Age 5
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey Lorcan Williams
in touch on outside, took keen hold, closed 6th, challenged last, edged right and led flat, ridden out
- Form 31-06
- Age 4
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer A J Honeyball
- Jockey J J Burke
prominent, shaken up and lost place after 3 out, soon behind, pulled up before 2 out
Long Draw (IRE)
279- Form F2-
- Age 4
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer O Murphy
- Jockey Fergus Gregory
held up towards rear on outside, not fluent 4th, headway after 3 out, pushed along before 2 out, stayed on well flat, went 3rd towards finish
- Form 2/34-5U
- Age 5
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer J & A O'Neill
- Jockey James Smith
took keen hold, chased leaders, ridden before 2 out, held last, fading flat
- Form 67
- Age 5
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer V R A Dartnall
- Jockey Alan Johns
towards rear, slow 1st, headway from 3 out, mistake last, stayed on one pace flat
- Form 22-P6
- Age 5
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer M Hunt
- Jockey Sean Houlihan
towards rear, headway from 6th, every chance when not fluent 2 out, held last, one pace
- Form 5-226F
- Age 4
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer J Scott
- Jockey Rex Dingle
mid-division, mistake when struggling 3 out
- Form 6
- Age 4
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer N P Mulholland
- Jockey Brendan Powell
in touch in mid-division, not fluent 3 out, headway before 2 out, 2 lengths 4th when fell last
- Form 32/6
- Age 5
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer Harry Derham
- Jockey Paul O'Brien
led 1st, headed 6th, led before 2 out, headed flat, held towards finish
- Form 7
- Age 5
- Weight 10-7
- Trainer Katy Price
- Jockey Shane Quinlan
took keen hold, led until 1st, prominent, led 6th, headed before 2 out, soon weakened
Nila (IRE)
577- Age 4
- Weight 10-7
- Trainer D Pipe
- Jockey Gearoid Harney
towards rear when fell 1st
Verdict
Paul Nicholls has won this for the past two years and CENTARA can complete the hat-trick. A debut bumper winner on this track, he looked very green when fourth in what looked a better race than this at Newbury and can get off the mark. Thunder N Lightnin ran quite well at Kempton and normal progress can see him in the firing-line while Long Draw finished runner-up to a smart one in a point-to-point at Ballynoe and has joined Olly Murphy. The filly Nila won a 1m6f Saint-Cloud claimer in June last year but hasn't run subsequently.
Formwatch
Bingo Little (IRE) 150-1 (11-4) Prominent, lost place turning home bend, weakened quickly, pulled up 2 out, at Ludlow 2m mdn (4) gs in Nov.
Centara (IRE) 11-4 (11-4) Led, not fluent 4 out, tried to run out next, ridden and headed approaching last, soon weakened, 4th of 8, 6 1/4l behind Jeriko Du Reponet (11-4) at Newbury 2m mdn (3) gs in Dec.
Guivinec (FR) 7-1 (11-0) Tracked leaders, pushed along and weakened after 3 out, 6th of 7, dist behind Lowry's Bar (11-7) at Chepstow 2m (4) sft in Nov.
Long Draw (IRE) 5-2 (11-11) Ld/disp, mostly ld from 2nd, hdd 3out, btn in cl 3rd bef 2out, no ex up aftr 2out, 4l 3rd when left 2nd at last, ko, 2nd of 7, 4l behind The Passing Wife (11-11) at Ballynoe 3m mdn hvy in Mar.
Mersey Street (IRE) 12-1 (11-0) Chased leaders, mistake and unseated rider 4 out, at Hereford 2m 4f (4) gd in Dec.
Native Moon (IRE) 40-1 (11-4) Mid-division, not fluent 1st, outpaced 3 out and soon beaten, 7th of 8, 34 1/4l behind Isaac Des Obeaux (11-4) at Chepstow 2m 3f mdn (4) sft in Nov.
Outside Adesa (IRE) 40-1 (11-4) Led, slow jump and headed 3 out, lost position 2 out, weakened before last, 6th of 11, 24 1/2l behind Canty Bay (11-4) at Taunton 2m 3f mdn (4) gs in Nov.
Owl Of Athens (IRE) Court Cave gelding out of Amber Flame.
Perfect Nelson (IRE) 11-2 (11-0) Led, slow and headed 4th, soon led again, headed 3 out, weakening when fell last, at Kempton 2m (4) gs in Nov.
Super Sabre Sam 25-1 (11-2) In touch in rear, outpaced over 2f out, soon weakened, 6th of 7, 12 1/2l behind Touquet (11-2) at Sandown 2m (4) sft in Nov.
Thunder N Lightnin (IRE) 80-1 (11-0) In touch, pushed along and headway 2 out, kept on towards finish, 6th of 13, 19 1/4l behind East India Express (10-13) at Kempton 2m 5f (4) gd in Nov.
Dora's Addrezz 50-1 (11-0) In rear, lost touch 5f out, tailed off, 7th of 9, dist behind Edmond (10-8) at Newton Abbot 2m 1f (5) gd in May.
Miss Popalong 80-1 (11-0) Midfield, dropped to rear 6f out, soon tailed off, last of 16, dist behind Metkayina (11-0) at Ludlow 2m (5) gs in Nov.
Nila (IRE) (8-11) won at Saint-Cloud 1m 6f stks gs in Jun beating Louna Chope (9-1) by 6 1/2l, 11 ran.