NEWBURY (14 Dec 2005)

Good To Soft

3:00 European Breeders Fund "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle (Qualifier) (Class D) (4-6yo)

[off 3:04] £5,692.74, £1,671.25, £835.63, £417.38 11 hdles 2m3f

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Wee Robbie N J Gifford 5 11-0 L Aspell 12/1 — —

2 3½ Oscar Park (IRE) C Tinkler 6 11-10 T Doyle 11/8F — —

3 shd Dream Alliance P J Hobbs 4 11-0 R Johnson 14/1 — —

4 11 Mr Pointment (IRE) C R Egerton 6 11-6 A Tinkler 15/8 — —

5 3 Sunley Shines B G Powell 5 10-2 J F Levins(5) 100/1 — —

6 ¾ Pirate Flagship (FR) P F Nicholls 6 11-6 Christian Williams 11/2 — —

7 5 Keswick (IRE) N J Henderson 5 11-0 M A Fitzgerald 40/1 — —

8 hd Letsplay (IRE) K J Burke 5 10-7 Mr R Cummings(7) 100/1 — —

9 21 Saddlers Cloth (IRE) J A Geake 5 10-7 B Hitchcott 100/1 — —

10 3½ Finsbury Fred (IRE) N A Twiston-Davies 4 11-0 Antony Evans 100/1 — —

11 17 Nice Horse (FR) M C Pipe 4 10-4 A Glassonbury(10) 33/1 — —

12 2 Secured (IRE) Ian Williams 5 11-0 J A McCarthy 100/1 — —

13 2 Lordington Lad B G Powell 5 11-0 T J Murphy 66/1 — —

14 8 Little Saltee (IRE) J A B Old 5 11-0 J M Maguire 40/1 — —

15 9 Icomb (IRE) Mrs Susan Nock 5 11-0 R Walford 100/1 — —

16 10 King Louis (FR) R Rowe 4 11-0 B J Crowley 100/1 — —

PU Stoney Drove (FR) Miss H C Knight 5 11-0 S Thomas 100/1 — —

PU Sativa Bay J W Mullins 6 11-0 A Thornton 66/1 — —

18 ran TIME 4m 39.50s (slow by 10.50s) TOTAL SP 125%

1st OWNER: P H Betts (holdings) Ltd BRED: R Aston TRAINER: N J Gifford

2nd OWNER: George Ward

3rd OWNER: The Alliance Partnership

TOTE WIN £14.00 PL £2.60, £1.50, £2.90; Ex £40.60; CSF £29.83

ANALYSIS: Another event where they finished almost at intervals for this maiden hurdle which looked all about quantity rather than any real quality. WEE ROBBIE had been runner-up the past twice against odd-on shots, but found this much more to his liking as hestayed on nicely. He is a nice prospect for the future over further and, in the long term, will make a decent novice chaser but in the meantime he can pay his way over hurdles.

Oscar Park had it to do with his two penalties but ran well in the circumstances and he is another who will get further.

Dream Alliance finished with some purpose and he should have no problems being found a winning opportunity in a similar sort of affair.

Mr Pointment seemed to be coming to the end of his tether when missing out the penultimate flight and this was somewhat disappointing conssidering he had looked a fair prospect when scoring on his hurdles debut.