STRATFORD (27 Oct 2005)

Good To Soft

5:00 European Breeders Fund "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle Race (Qualifier) (Class D) (4-6yo)

[off 5:00] £5,040.20, £1,911.80, £955.90, £434.50, £217.25, £130.35 9 hdles (2m110y) 2m½f

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 College Ace (IRE) P J Hobbs 4 10-12 R Johnson 7/1 81 114+

2 ½ Fier Normand (FR) Jonjo O´Neill 6 10-12 A P McCoy 9/4 81 113+

3 13 Fourty Acers (IRE) M C Pipe 5 10-12 R Greene 6/4F 65 105+

4 2 Delightful Cliche Mrs P Sly 4 10-12 W Marston 33/1 63 98

5 5 High Altitude (IRE) A King 4 10-12 R Thornton 3/1 56 93

6 17 Granite Man (IRE) Jonjo O´Neill 5 10-12 T Siddall 100/1 35 76

7 4 Kokopelli Mana (IRE) J M Jefferson 5 10-5 G Lee 100/1 23 65

8 ½ Talikos (FR) Miss H C Knight 4 10-12 S Thomas 100/1 29 72

8 ran TIME 4m 8.90s (slow by 20.90s) TOTAL SP 114%

1st OWNER: Mrs Peter Prowting BRED: Ailish Cunningham TRAINER: P J Hobbs

2nd OWNER: John P McManus

3rd OWNER: Ms Y Spencer-Thompson

TOTE WIN £8.10 PL £1.90, £1.50, £1.10; Ex £26.00; CSF £23.61Place 6 £22.26, Place 5 £17.17

PLACEPOT £11.80 to a £1 stake. Pool: £48,272.65. 2,965.55 winning tickets.

QUADPOT £11.50 to a £1 stake. Pool: £3,246.40. 207.70 winning tickets.

ANALYSIS: This looked a nice little novice event on paper and the way the first two pulled clear of impressive bumper winner Fourty Acers suggests it that could be the case.

COLLEGE ACE, a nice big type with plenty of scope, had to cut out most of the running and, turning for home, looked a sitting duck for Fier Normand. But he battled on really gamely to hold off that rival in the closing stages.

Fier Normand is related to several hurdlers and travelled like the winner. Although he was outbattled inthe finish, it may turn out to be a decent effort as the first two pulled 13 lengths clear of the remainder, so the form could be useful.