January 18 / 15.15 Taunton

15.15

Good To Soft

Somerset County Gazette Seniors’ Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race)

  • Prize money: £11882.25
  • 2m 3f 1y
  • Class 2
  • 7 runners
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Somerset County Gazette Seniors’ Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race)

Runners: 7 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Mostly cloudy

OUR TIP

6/1 (Won)

  • Win: £2.63
  • Place: £1.50

Form: 04-P16 C

Last run: 57 days

W: 11st 8lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 135

Form & Verdict
Benefited from very well-judged Joe Anderson ride when coming from off the pace to win by 10l on stable debut at Newbury (2m, good) in November and had excuse when below that form later that month (badly hampered by faller in early stages); needs to prove he can cope with a mark this high, though.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

2

21st Mar 2026

Good To Soft

2m 3f 123y

Class 2

15:20 Bangor-on-Dee

Aurigny Mill

12st 0lb

J: Harry Kimber

T: Robert Walford

Goes well at Taunton where he won comfortably a month ago (2m, heavy; second run in cheekpieces), and has shown he can deal with this 3lb higher mark and this sort of ground; has won going left-handed and, with a strike-rate of 6-18 over hurdles, this 9yo is likable.

9/2

1st

2

12th Feb 2026

Heavy

2m 0f 104y

Class 3

15:25 Taunton

Aurigny Mill

11st 11lb

J: Harry Kimber

T: Robert Walford

Decent course record, including second in this last year off 4lb higher; showed himself none the worse for his chase debut fall at Kempton in November when third to Celtic Art over 2m3f here in first-time cheekpieces (retained) last month; claims if he can build on that; has won on heavy.

9/1

9/1

  • Place: £2.00

Form: 1621/7 C

Last run: 37 days

W: 10st 5lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 118

Form & Verdict
2-5 as a novice hurdler in 2021 (course winner) and, following a very long absence, was not beaten far in tactical C&D handicap last month; remains a tricky horse to weigh up but has been given a chance by the handicapper.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

3

17th Apr 2026

Soft

2m 4f 100y

Class 4

17:15 Ayr

Paso Doble

11st 12lb

J: Mr Lucas Murphy

T: Paul Nicholls

His early-season form (2m3f-2m7f) offers encouragement off this mark; last two runs well below his best, though heavy ground was a feasible excuse the last time when a tongue-tie joined his regular cheekpieces; hard to rule out.

14/1

3rd

1

22nd Feb 2026

Soft

2m 5f 164y

Class 4

15:20 Fontwell

Paso Doble

11st 13lb

J: Jay Tidball

T: Paul Nicholls

Won here (extended 2m3f, good to soft) off just 2lb lower on his October reappearance; creditable placings when claimer ridden in six-runner races on his next two starts but was tailed off in a better race than this at Kempton last time; drops back down in grade with a tongue-tie joining his usual cheekpieces and he can't be ruled out.

5/1

4

23rd Oct 2025

Good To Soft

2m 3f 29y

Class 3

15:45 Fontwell

Paso Doble

11st 4lb

J: Freddie Gingell

T: Paul Nicholls

Good second off today's mark on latest hurdling start at Taunton (2m3f, good to soft) in January and is a contender if judged on that evidence but his chasing debut in April was disappointing and Harry Cobden has taken an outside ride in this race.

6/1

Form: 4/1165 D

Last run: 42 days

W: 10st 13lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 126

Form & Verdict
Returned from long absence with two emphatic wins at Fontwell (2m3f/2m1f) in the autumn and was not disgraced in competitive races on his next two outings; back in calmer waters here and could still be well handicapped; might be the answer.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

1

4th Jun 2025

Good

2m 0f 167y

Class 3

16:05 Newton Abbot

Stream Of Stars

12st 0lb

J: Sam Twiston-Davies

T: Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies

Returned from long absence with two Fontwell wins (2m3f/2m1f) last autumn and started this season in good style when making all at Bangor (2m, good) in May, providing Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies with their first winner together; bound to give it another good go.

5/2

3rd

1

4th Jun 2025

Good

2m 0f 167y

Class 3

16:05 Newton Abbot

Stream Of Stars

12st 0lb

J: Sam Twiston-Davies

T: Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies

Returned from long absence with two Fontwell wins (2m3f/2m1f) last autumn and started this season in good style when making all at Bangor (2m, good) in May, providing Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies with their first winner together; bound to give it another good go.

5/2

1

17th May 2025

Good

2m 0f 145y

Class 4

13:45 Bangor-on-Dee

Stream Of Stars

12st 2lb

J: Sam Twiston-Davies

T: Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies

Returned from long absence with two Fontwell wins (2m3f/2m1f) last autumn and ended last season with very respectable second at Ffos Las (2m, good to soft) last month; still on a good mark and will be suited by the quicker ground here; likely contender.

11/4

Form: 06-616 D

Last run: 36 days

W: 11st 12lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 139

Form & Verdict
Seemingly on the downgrade now and was probably a shade fortunate when winning off reduced mark at Bangor (2m3f, good to soft) in November but put in pretty good front-running shift over 3m at Cheltenham last month and today's drop back in trip looks the right move.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

1

7th Feb 2026

Soft

3m 0f 57y

Class 3

13:35 Newbury

Might I

12st 0lb

J: Isabelle Ryder

T: Faye Bramley

Acts on heavy; useful for Harry Fry but became inconsistent and has never won a handicap; bought for £35,000 last May and had a remote finish at Worcester in July on his only start since; has career-low mark but plenty to prove, including stamina on this fourth attempt at about 3m.

25/1

1

7th Jul 2025

Good

2m 4f 0y

Class 2

15:45 Worcester

Might I

12st 0lb

J: Richie McLernon

T: Faye Bramley

Smart for Harry Fry but became inconsistent; wasn't disgraced in Coral Cup at Cheltenham Festival (2m5f, good to soft) on latest outing in March and sights are lowered on stable debut having changed hands for £35,000.

8/1

Form: 01-542 D

Last run: 36 days

W: 12st 0lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 141

Form & Verdict
Bounced back from a disappointing run and looked as good as ever when close second at Doncaster (2m3f, good to soft) last month; may not have much margin for error off today's 2lb higher mark but can still make his presence felt.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8th

2

25th Apr 2026

Good

2m 3f 178y

Class 2

17:15 Sandown

Dargiannini

11st 9lb

J: Paul O’Brien

T: Harry Derham

Returned from a break with narrow win at Uttoxter (2m4f, good) in October but pulled up on both starts since, latterly at last month's Cheltenham Festival; younger rivals have much more persuasive profiles.

50/1

18

11th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

2m 5f 0y

Class 1

14:40 Cheltenham

Dargiannini

10st 13lb

J: Paul O’Brien

T: Harry Derham

A 9yo won it in 2019 but it's stretching the imagination to see this 11yo prevail, even though he did so at Uttoxeter (2m4f, good) in October and soft ground was a valid excuse at Newbury (2m4f) in November; off since.

50/1

Form: 1-6434

Last run: 22 days

W: 10st 8lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 121

Form & Verdict
Returned from break with three respectable hurdle runs in the autumn autumn and is now back on his last winning mark but was below form over fences at favourite track Chepstow three weeks ago and has a point to prove after that performance.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

2

3rd Jun 2026

Good

2m 0f 167y

Class 5

17:00 Newton Abbot

Zambezi Fix

12st 0lb

J: Ellis Collier

T: Bernard Llewellyn

Has been struggling for form since reappearing in October and offered little encouragement on April's return from just over two months off; has come a long way down in the weights and drops into a Class 5, but that's for good reason and he needs to turn things around.

12/1

6th

9

11th Apr 2026

Good To Soft

2m 0f 16y

Class 3

14:15 Chepstow

Zambezi Fix

10st 7lb

J: Harry Atkins

T: Bernard Llewellyn

All three hurdle wins have come over C&D but he failed to beat a rival here in December and was tailed off again at Ffos Las in January; overall record is now 4-48 and others are preferred.

16/1

6th

4

30th Jan 2026

Heavy

1m 7f 182y

Class 4

16:00 Ffos Las

Zambezi Fix

11st 11lb

J: Sean Houlihan

T: Bernard Llewellyn

Veteran who is normally suited by Chepstow but failed to beat a rival back there last time; not particularly solid on his form this season.

20/1

Form: 23U-28

Last run: 69 days

W: 11st 1lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 128

Form & Verdict
Placed three times over 2m4f off this sort of mark when cheekpieces were added last spring and had excuse when well beaten on reappearance outing in November (bled from the nose) but needs to prove his wellbeing here and the cheekpieces are missing today.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

6

3rd May 2025

Good

2m 3f 207y

Class 3

18:30 Uttoxeter

Monviel

10st 10lb

J: Paul O’Brien

T: Harry Derham

prominent, pressed leaders briefly 3 out, kept on from 2 out

5/2

3rd

6

3rd May 2025

Good

2m 3f 207y

Class 3

18:30 Uttoxeter

Monviel

10st 10lb

J: Paul O’Brien

T: Harry Derham

Finally exploited his much reduced mark when coming clear at Ffos Las a month ago (2m4f, good to soft), where he reportedly appreciated the drying ground; a 5lb rise might not prevent him from following up.

5/2

1st

3

6th Apr 2025

Good To Soft

2m 4f 0y

Class 4

16:40 Ffos Las

Monviel

11st 10lb

J: Paul O’Brien

T: Harry Derham

All three wins in 2022; twice second in the mud at Uttoxeter (2m4f) last spring but well beaten all five starts from November onwards, even when the cheekpieces returned back at Uttoxeter on latest; another career-low mark.

7/1

Non-runners

Dominics Fault, Le Ligerien

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £9.10
Straight Forecast £8.23
Tricast £35.84
Trifecta £42.60

Selections

POSTDATA:

Dominic's Fault

The Guardian:

Aurigny Mill

WEST COUNTRY:

Might I

RP RATINGS:

Paso Doble

SPOTLIGHT:

Stream Of Stars

Telegraph:

Dominic's Fault

Daily Mail:

Dominic's Fault

D Express:

Dominic's Fault

The Sun:

Dominic's Fault

The Star:

Dominic's Fault

Daily Record:

Dominic's Fault

Daily Mirror:

Aurigny Mill

The Times:

Might I

TOPSPEED:

Paso Doble