Soft

2:00 totescoop6 Leamington Novices' Hurdle Grade 2 (class 1) (4yo+)

[off 2:03] £22,808.00, £8,556.00, £4,284.00, £2,136.00, £1,072.00, £536.00 11 hdles 2m5f

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Be Be King (IRE) P F Nicholls 7 11-10 R Walsh 2/1F 122 — —

2 3½ Oscar Park (IRE) C Tinkler 7 11-10 T Doyle 9/4 126 — —

3 13 Miko De Beauchene (FR) R H Alner 6 11-12 A Thornton 25/1 117 — —

4 8 Heltornic (IRE) M Scudamore 6 11-3 T Scudamore 11/1 — —

5 4 Circassian (IRE) J Howard Johnson 5 11-10 R Johnson 7/2 125 — —

6 20 Wins Now T Doumen 5 11-6 A P McCoy 16/1 — —

PU Pedros Brief (IRE) R T Phillips 8 11-10 R Thornton 16/1 — —

PU Stag Party (FR) F Doumen 5 11-6 A Duchene 33/1 — —

PU How Is The Lord (IRE) C J Down 10 11-6 P Hide 150/1 — —

9 ran TIME 5m 19.00s (slow by 30.00s) TOTAL SP 113%

NON RUNNER: Here We Go (IRE)

1st OWNER: C G Roach BRED: P E Atkinson TRAINER: P F Nicholls

2nd OWNER: George Ward

3rd OWNER: Andrew Wiles

TOTE TRIFECTA Pool £655.70, 6.10 w/u WIN £3.00 PL £1.20, £1.10, £6.20; Ex £8.10; CSF £6.73Pool £655.70, 6.10 w/u

ANALYSIS: A decent renewal of this race, but there was nothing on show to match the quality of recent winners, Inglis Drever and No Refuge, and Paul Nicholls, trainer of the successful BE BE KING, indicated immediately afterwards that he is not likely to aim his horse at the Royal & SunAlliance Hurdle at Cheltenham, preferring the prospects of Denman for that race.

However this was still a solid performance from Be Be King, regarded by connections as a top class chasing prospect. Always close to the steady pace, he took command from the home turn and, despite going sharply left at the last two flights, he was always holding the one-paced challenge of Oscar Park in the straight.

Oscar Park, found out by a double penalty when beaten by Wee Robbie at Newbury last time, did nothing wrong in second but just found one too good in the progressive winner. He will win more races, but this defeat confirmed that he is a bit below the best of the season's novices.

Miko de Beauchene, put firmly in his place by Be Be King at Chepstow last time, again found the Nicholls horse far too good but was not disgraced at the weights, while Heltornic, who had a bit to find on official figures, was left behind when things hotted up from three out.