2:30 toteplacepot Novices' Hurdle (Class 3) (4yo+) 11 hdles 1 omitted (2m6f110y) 2m6½f

[off 2:30] £6,263.00, £1,850.00, £925.00, £463.00, £231.00, £116.00

1 Quarterback (IRE) C P Morlock 6 11-0 tp J A McCarthy 13/2 55 —

2 2 Pukka Tique R Hollinshead 4 10-13 David Dennis 11/1 105 52 —

3 15 Proud To Present (IRE) B G Powell 6 10-9 Mr A J Berry(5) 22/1 40 —

4 5 Malakiya (IRE) Jonjo O´Neill 4 11-5 A P McCoy 4/11F 126 41 —

5 4 Flirty Jill P E Cowley 6 10-7 t Tom Doyle 14/1 94 26 —

6 7 Haxton Ms J S Doyle 7 11-0 Mattie Batchelor 100/1 27 —

7 32 Revelino (IRE) Mrs N S Evans 8 11-0 Jodie Mogford 66/1 — —

F Abit Irish (NZ) J L Spearing 6 11-0 Tom Siddall 16/1 92 — —

PU Papswoodmoss Mrs A L M King 5 10-2 Adrian Scholes(5) 200/1 — —

PU Kinallen A J Whiting 7 10-11 Richard Young(3) 50/1 — —

PU Political Dissent A M Hales 5 10-4 P C O´Neill(3) 100/1 — —

PU Now Lyn D Burchell 5 11-0 Tony Evans 100/1 — —

PU Shetangoswell (IRE) Miss M E Rowland 5 10-4 Tom Greenway(3) 200/1 — —

F Day One R J Price 6 11-0 Wayne Hutchinson 100/1 — —

PU Smiling Applause Mrs Barbara Waring 8 11-0 Henry Oliver 33/1 — —

PU Muraqeb Mrs Barbara Waring 7 10-7 p John Pritchard(7) 80/1 73 — —

16 ran TIME 5m 23.30s (slow by 11.30s) TOTAL SP 124%

1st OWNER: The Ten Bob Partnership BRED: John McLoughlin TRAINER: C P Morlock

2nd OWNER: John L Marriott

3rd OWNER: John P McManus

TOTE WIN £7.30 PL £2.30, £4.40, £5.50; Ex £72.80; CSF £73.30

Fourth-last hurdle omitted - damaged.

Watering had ensured the two courses were not good to firm all round. The hurdles track was faster according to the GoingStick, with a measurement of 9.3 compared to 8.8.

Not the most thrilling start to the card, with a distinctly modest bunch of novice hurdlers on display. They missed out the fourth-last as that hurdle had been damaged on the first circuit.

QUARTERBACK had posted a staying-on fifth of 17 at Wincanton last month over this trip and with the odds-on favourite failing to run anysort of race, it was no surprise to see Quarterback emerge as the winner.

This wasn't a good race, and the winner didn't jump that well late on when tiredness kicked in, but at least he kept going.

Pukka Tique had not fared anywhere near as well at Hereford last month, having won on similarly fast ground there in November. He was upped markedly in trip and he certainly saw it out well enough on only his third start.

Proud To Present, winner of an Irish point-to-point this time last year, stuck on gamely after being overhauled.

The trip and top weight did not look to be major negatives for Malakiya, but the ground certainly threatened to be against him, as his two wins in February had come with plenty of cut. He was always ill at ease on this surface, but noticeably hadn't looked too keen to join the others for a look at a hurdle before the off - any punter who'd noticed that and backed accordingly deserves any reward they got.