Soft

12:40 gg.com Conditional Jockeys' Novices' Handicap Hurdle (Class F) (3yo+,0-95)

[off 12:40] £3,090.25, £900.65, £450.55 9 hdles 1 omitted 2m3f

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Caesarean Hunter (USA) R T Phillips 6 10-10 S W Quinlan(8) 8/1 80 62 —

2 13 Bally Bolshoi (IRE) Mrs S D Williams 5 11-0 L Heard(5) 7/2F 81 49 —

3 12 Lets Get Busy (IRE) J W Mullins 5 10-13 W P Kavanagh(8) 8/1 83 37 —

4 1½ Denarius Secundus N R Mitchell 8 11-0 O Nelmes 15/2 76 29 —

5 ½ Stakeholder (IRE) Mrs H E Rees 7 10-1 D Jacob(3) 33/1 66 18 —

6 10 Oasis Blue (IRE) M C Pipe 4 10-7 T J Malone(3) 4/1 72 13 —

7 10 Peggy´s Prince J D Frost 7 10-12 b1 T Messenger(5) 14/1 79 8 —

8 2½ Amanpuri (GER) Mrs A M Thorpe 7 11-12 D Laverty 13/2 88 14 —

9 1½ Le Forezien (FR) C J Gray 6 11-8 R Lucey-Butler(3) 16/1 87 11 —

PU Rutland (IRE) C J Drewe 6 11-4 J Kington(5) 40/1 85 — —

PU Sunset King (USA) R J Hodges 5 10-10 James White(6) 14/1 78 — —

11 ran TIME 5m 2.10s (slow by 42.10s) TOTAL SP 114%

1st OWNER: A A Wickham BRED: Lee R Oakford TRAINER: R T Phillips

2nd OWNER: Mrs Rowena Cotton

3rd OWNER: Mrs M M Rayner

TOTE WIN £10.90 PL £2.60, £1.90, £1.80; Ex £50.30; CSF £35.75; TRICAST £232.74

The hurdle past the stands was omitted.

ANALYSIS: What with the combination of 18mm of rain and the blustery conditions, runners finished out on their feet in this opening 2m3f hurdle, on a day where stamina was at a premium. Jockeys described the ground to be riding pretty much as described, but with it riding very heavy in some places.

As a result it is worth treating the all the results throughout the afternoon with a certain amount of caution. Despite his trainer's fears over how well he would handle the ground, CAESAREAN HUNTER's superior staying power won him the day and, having been held up in the rear early, he closed in on Bally Bolshoi approaching the third-last and quickly put the result beyond doubt.

Unplaced in all seven previous outings, his stable is beginning to pick up the pace now and this ground may well have been the making of him. Winning here off a mark of 80, he will be of obvious interest next time.

Bally Bolshoi had shaped pleasingly when fourth in a novice hurdle on her return at Towcester and she looked to hold obvious claims on this handicap debut, with the step back up in trip expected to suit. She travelled strongly throughout on the outside of runners and went to the front taking four out, but the winner had reeled her in by the time they reached the third last and she ultimately finished very tired. The way she travelled suggested she will be effective at shorter and there are races in her off this sort of mark.

Lets Get Busy ran a strange race, staying on late through beaten rivals having been well in rear and driven along some way from the finish. She had recently been tried over virtually three miles at Lingfield and a return to that sort of distance is likely to help.

Denarius Secundus ran well here under similar conditions back in May and stepped up on his reappearance effort at Chepstow. He is not up to much, but there may be a race in him at selling level.