EXETER (07 Mar 2006)

Heavy

3:20 John Smith's/E.B.F. Mares' Only "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle (Qualifier) (class 4) (4yo+)

[off 3:26] £4,554.20, £1,337.00, £668.50, £333.90 7 hdles 3 omitted 2m3f

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Miss Doublet J W Mullins 5 10-11 R Young(3) 16/1 82 — —

2 1¼ Bally Bolshoi (IRE) Mrs S D Williams 6 11-12 R Johnson 4/6F 107 — —

3 ½ Young Siouxsie N A Twiston-Davies 6 10-9 S Crawford(5) 33/1 — —

4 2½ Emma´s Dream P F Nicholls 7 11-0 Christian Williams 16/1 — —

5 2½ Madam Fleet (IRE) M J Coombe 7 10-7 Mrs M Roberts(7) 100/1 — —

6 nk Bonchester Bridge N J Henderson 5 11-0 M A Fitzgerald 7/2 — —

7 17 Miss Flossy (IRE) Mrs S D Williams 5 11-0 W Hutchinson 25/1 — —

8 1 She´s Our Daisy (IRE) R H Buckler 6 11-0 R Greene 16/1 70 — —

9 dist She´s No Muppet N R Mitchell 6 11-0 S Curran 100/1 67 — —

10 4 Pyleigh Lady S C Burrough 5 10-11 T J Malone(3) 66/1 — —

PU Irish Totty C J Down 7 11-0 J A McCarthy 66/1 — —

11 ran TIME 5m 18.70s (slow by 58.70s) TOTAL SP 111%

NON RUNNERS: Lady Maranzi ,Lagan Legend

1st OWNER: Sir Nicholas Bowden BRED: N R Bowden TRAINER: J W Mullins

2nd OWNER: Mrs Rowena Cotton

3rd OWNER: Gavin Macechern

TOTE WIN £26.80 PL £4.00, £1.10, £5.10; Ex £46.10; CSF £26.64

Flight past the stands omitted and middle flight in home straight omitted on each circuit.

ANALYSIS: The developing trend of horses racing prominently being successful continued with MISS DOUBLET, who was up there from an early stage and stayed on too strongly under pressure for the penalised favourite Bally Bolshoi.

Well beaten in all previous tries over hurdles, the winner was never jumping when tried in a novice handicap chase at Plumpton in October, but she had been given a break since and has clearly improved.

Being a product of high-class Flat stayer Double Trigger, stamina was never going to be a problem for her and it was more a case of whether or not she would be able to handle the ground, which she did admirably. Last year's winner, Penneyrose Bay, went on to collect the Listed final of this series at Newbury, and there could be worse long-shots if she takes her chance there.

The gallant Bally Bolshoi was bidding to provide Richard Johnson with the first three winners on the card, but her double penalty proved too much in the end and she was unable to get on top of the winner, keeping on at just the one pace in second. She, too, deserves her chance in the series final at Newbury.

Young Siouxsie left her previous efforts behind faced with a proper test at this distance, staying on dourly down the straight under a strong ride. This was only her third start and it is safe to assume there is more to come.

These were hardly the circumstances in which to be returning from a lengthy break, but Emma's Dream did remarkably well considering, and it is hoped she can go on from this.

Madam Fleet ran way above expectations on this hurdles debut, but is probably not up to winning until competing at a lowly level in handicaps.

All of Bonchester Bridge's best form had come on a sounder surface and she was unable to handle the testing conditions, floundering once asked for maximum effort. This is two poor efforts in a row now, but she may be able to leave this form behind back on faster ground.