12:20 Ascot

Saturday 25 November 2017

All12:2012:5513:3014:0514:4015:1515:50

Mitie Events & Leisure Novices' Hurdle

  • 4YO plus  |   Class 2  |   2m 5f 141y  |   Good to Soft (Good in places)  |   9 Runners  |   Turf  |   Weighed In
  • Off time: 12:21  |   Winning time: 5m 16.0s
1st
Horse silk
1
7/2
T: N A Twiston-DaviesJ: M D Grant
Made all, clear from 4 out, hit last, stayed on strongly, unchallenged op 9/2 tchd 5/1
2nd
Horse silk
8
9
10/3j
T: A KingJ: Ian Popham
Held up towards rear, good headway chasing leaders after 4 out, went 3rd before next, 2nd and keeping on same pace when hit 2 out, soon lost 2nd, went 2nd again run-in, just held on for 2nd, no chance with winner op 7/2
3rd
Horse silk
nse
5
11/1
T: W GreatrexJ: G Sheehan
Chased leaders on inside, went 2nd 4 out until hit next, chased leaders, 2nd again 2 out, no impression when hung right and left jumped left and mistake last, hung left and lost 2nd run-in, kept on close home op 14/1
4th
Horse silk
11
3
10/3j
T: J & A O'NeillJ: B J Geraghty
Chased leaders, 2nd 3 out until next, ridden between last 2, weakened before last op 11/4 tchd 9/4
5th
Horse silk
nk
7
33/1
T: N J HendersonJ: S Bowen
Held up and behind, headway on outside approaching 4 out, pushed along and struggling after next, 5th and no chance before 2 out
6th
Horse silk
1 ¾
4
8/1
T: T LaceyJ: Aidan Coleman
Chased leaders, jumped slowly and lost place 6th, weakened next op 13/2
7th
Horse silk
19
2
5/1
T: N J HendersonJ: N de Boinville
Held up and always behind, tailed off op 6/1 tchd 9/2 and tchd 13/2

Also Ran

F
Horse silk
6
50/1
T: B PaulingJ: Thomas Bellamy
Held up in last trio, ridden and struggling when fell 4 out op 40/1
PU
Horse silk
8
33/1
T: K Bailey & M NichollsJ: David Bass
Chased winner until 4 out, chased leaders, weakened after next, tailed off and pulled up before 2 out

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Betting Breakdown

Tote Win:£3.90Pl:£1.40, £1.50, £3.00EX:£16.20Trifecta:£101.80SF:£15.27Swingers:£2.40, £4.90, £5.40

Forecasts

Perfect Harmony (10/3), Palmers Hill (10/3), Count Meribel (7/2), Take To Heart (5/1), Polydora (8/1), Bob Mahler (11/1), Darius Des Bois (33/1), Johnny Ocean (33/1), Coeur Pensif (50/1)

Verdict

A tricky opener to the Ascot card, and a race where a number of the runners are stepping up in grade after making a reasonable early impression over hurdles. Count Meribel arrives seeking the hat-trick on the back of a couple of Carlisle successes, and he is tough, hardy and clearly goes well right-handed, so is much respected despite giving weight away to the majority of his rivals. Palmers Hill is unexposed, and very much the talking horse based upon his eye-watering £310,000 price tag. He will almost certainly have more to offer going forward, but his Uttoxeter maiden success isn't necessarily the strongest form on offer. Therefore, a token selection is the Alan King trained PERFECT HARMONY. He was beaten less than 10L by On The Blind Side on hurdles debut at Aintree last month, and we all know what that rather exciting winner has achieved at Cheltenham since.
  1. Perfect Harmony
  2. Count Meribel
  3. Polydora

Previous Winners

2016
Elegant Escape
Weight: 11-3  |Age: 4
8/1

Prize Money

1st: £12,996.002nd: £3,816.003rd: £1,908.004th: £954.00

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