May 25 / 17.18 Fontwell

17.18

Good

Smith & Western Mares’ Open Maiden National Hunt Flat Race (Category 3 Elimination) (GBB Race)

  • Prize money: £2450.7
  • 2m 1f 162y
  • Class 5
  • 9 runners
SKY
View Course
Smith & Western Mares’ Open Maiden National Hunt Flat Race (Category 3 Elimination) (GBB Race)

Runners: 9 runners

Type: NH Flat

Surface: Turf

Weather: Mostly cloudy

Form: 3-

Last run: 34 days

W: 11st 2lb

5 yo Mare

OR:

Form & Verdict
Irish point winner who kept on for third on last month's rules debut at Fakenham (good); that form isn't anything to get excited about but she's open to improvement here; likely contender.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

4

19th May 2026

Good To Firm

1m 7f 171y

Class 5

19:00 Huntingdon

Eastern Shores

11st 11lb

J: Jack Hogan

T: Fergal O’Brien

Kept on from the rear for second over C&D (soft) on handicap debut in February but was no threat to the easy winner and two lesser efforts have followed; not written off just yet but needs to learn to settle better.

12/1

6th

6

21st Apr 2026

Soft

1m 7f 182y

Class 4

18:12 Ffos Las

Eastern Shores

11st 4lb

J: Jonathan Burke

T: Fergal O’Brien

No match for winner when second on handicap debut at Huntingdon (2m, soft) in February and disappointed when upped to 2m3f at Bangor last month; not yet fully exposed but needs to find something extra here.

10/1

5th

3

31st Mar 2026

Good

2m 3f 123y

Class 5

16:50 Bangor-on-Dee

Eastern Shores

11st 10lb

J: Jonathan Burke

T: Fergal O’Brien

Lightly raced and has improved for the fitting of this headgear in her last three races, the latest her handicap debut (beaten 5.5l); could have more to offer over this longer trip.

4/1

OUR TIP

Form:

Last run:

W: 11st 2lb

5 yo Mare

OR:

Form & Verdict
First foal; dam bumper winner, sister to fair hurdler Touchy Feely, closely related to stable's useful bumper/jumps winner Sure Touch; trainer does well in bumpers (20% strike-rate); appealing on paper.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2

22nd Oct 2025

Good

2m 0f 0y

Class 4

15:10 Worcester

Hyperbole

11st 0lb

J: Sean Bowen

T: Olly Murphy

Beaten about 11l in a good-ground bumper at Fontwell and was never closer than that; open to improvement over hurdles.

11/2

2

25th May 2025

Good

2m 1f 162y

Class 5

17:18 Fontwell

Hyperbole

11st 2lb

J: Kevin Brogan

T: Olly Murphy

First foal; dam bumper winner, sister to fair hurdler Touchy Feely, closely related to stable's useful bumper/jumps winner Sure Touch; trainer does well in bumpers (20% strike-rate); appealing on paper.

9/4

Form:

Last run:

W: 11st 2lb

5 yo Mare

OR:

Form & Verdict
Seventh foal; half-sister to connections' fairly useful hurdler/chaser Shiroccan Roll and two other winning hurdlers for the yard; dam 2m hurdle winner, half-sister to a bumper winner; stable has very respectable bumper strike-rate (12%); no surprise if she features.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2

7th Sep 2025

Good

2m 1f 162y

Class 5

16:42 Fontwell

Opening Dance

11st 2lb

J: Ben Jones

T: Emma Lavelle

Well beaten here on debut in May but her staying-on fourth at Worcester (good; tongue tied) in July was much more encouraging and she has each-way claims at least today.

4/1

4th

5

2nd Jul 2025

Good

2m 0f 0y

Class 5

15:15 Worcester

Opening Dance

11st 2lb

J: Gavin Sheehan

T: Emma Lavelle

Half-sister to connections' fairly useful hurdler/chaser Shiroccan Roll and two other winning hurdlers for the yard; soundly beaten at Fontwell (good) in May but the new tongie-tie may enable improvement here.

25/1

3

25th May 2025

Good

2m 1f 162y

Class 5

17:18 Fontwell

Opening Dance

11st 2lb

J: Gavin Sheehan

T: Emma Lavelle

Seventh foal; half-sister to connections' fairly useful hurdler/chaser Shiroccan Roll and two other winning hurdlers for the yard; dam 2m hurdle winner, half-sister to a bumper winner; stable has very respectable bumper strike-rate (12%); no surprise if she features.

8/1

Form: 7-

Last run: 59 days

W: 11st 2lb

5 yo Mare

OR:

Form & Verdict
Out of a bumper winner but was unable to land a significant blow when seventh of 11 on debut at Warwick (good) in March and needs that outing to have brought her on.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4

25th May 2025

Good

2m 1f 162y

Class 5

17:18 Fontwell

Queens Ginger

11st 2lb

J: Rex Dingle

T: Ben Clarke

Out of a bumper winner but was unable to land a significant blow when seventh of 11 on debut at Warwick (good) in March and needs that outing to have brought her on.

20/1

4

25th May 2025

Good

2m 1f 162y

Class 5

17:18 Fontwell

Queens Ginger

11st 2lb

J: Rex Dingle

T: Ben Clarke

Out of a bumper winner but was unable to land a significant blow when seventh of 11 on debut at Warwick (good) in March and needs that outing to have brought her on.

20/1

7

27th Mar 2025

Good

2m 0f 0y

Class 5

17:05 Warwick

Queens Ginger

10st 12lb

J: Rex Dingle

T: Ben Clarke

First foal out of a bumper and 2m/2m4f hurdle winner, and half-sister to winners Taradrewe (bumper and 2m3f-3m1f hurdle) and Horace Hazel (bumper and 2m7f-3m2f hurdle/chase); trainer 1-25 in bumpers the last five seasons.

14/1

Form:

Last run:

W: 11st 2lb

5 yo Mare

OR:

Form & Verdict
34,000euros 3yo; sixth foal; sister to useful bumper/jumps winners Sevarano and Fire Flyer; dam placed in bumpers, half-sister to useful jumper Champagne Mystery; newcomer with an interesting pedigree.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

3

5th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

1m 7f 50y

Class 4

14:07 Wincanton

Sevarana

11st 7lb

J: Harry Bannister

T: Richard J Bandey

Bravely overcame late carriage off a true line to oblige at Carlisle latest (2m3f, good to soft); thought one for longer trips with the EBF Final a named target, and racing sufficiently forward here to compensate for the drop to 2m may put her on a collision course with such as Our Peggy.

7/2

1st

7

3rd Feb 2026

Good To Soft

2m 3f 61y

Class 4

14:35 Carlisle

Sevarana

11st 2lb

J: Harry Bannister

T: Richard J Bandey

Good-ground bumper winner who was beaten just over 3l by Oh Clare (now penalised) when runner-up on hurdle debut at Lingfield (2m3f, good to soft) in December, following a break; open to improvement and she's one to consider.

3/1

Form:

Last run:

W: 10st 10lb

4 yo Filly

OR:

Form & Verdict
Fifth foal; half-sister to useful Irish hurdler Aldo The Apache and another hurdle winner; dam placed 2m4f hurdle, half-sister to high-class jumper Fundamentalist; worth a glance in the betting but stable has only occasional bumper winners.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

4

24th Apr 2026

Good To Soft

3m 1f 166y

Class 5

18:50 Fontwell

Approaching Storm

10st 2lb

J: Tabitha Worsley

T: Nick Gifford

Not too much encouragement in three maiden hurdles at up to 2m4f but there was a whiff of something on penultimate start and this new trip might help on her handicap debut.

10/1

5th

1

5th Apr 2026

Good

2m 4f 116y

Class 4

13:45 Plumpton

Approaching Storm

11st 4lb

J: Tabitha Worsley

T: Nick Gifford

Has no form claims and was 500-1 when tailed off in a C&D maiden last time.

100/1

4th

6

16th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

2m 4f 116y

Class 4

14:15 Plumpton

Approaching Storm

11st 0lb

J: Tabitha Worsley

T: Nick Gifford

Well held in both bumpers and fared no better when tailed off on last month's switch hurdle debut; goes up in trip but big improvement needed.

150/1

Form: 9-

Last run: 71 days

W: 10st 10lb

4 yo Filly

OR:

Form & Verdict
First foal of a bumper and 2m-2m6f hurdle winner; 100-1 for junior bumper at Kempton (good) in March, where she was prominent for a long way but weakened from 2f out; others have more obvious claims here.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

5

30th May 2026

Good To Firm

2m 2f 148y

Class 4

17:50 Stratford

At Sunrise

10st 7lb

J: James Davies

T: David Weston

Has shown just modest form in a couple of bumpers and two hurdle starts; easy to dismiss.

66/1

4th

6

17th May 2026

Good To Firm

2m 6f 7y

Class 4

14:35 Stratford

At Sunrise

10st 10lb

J: James Davies

T: David Weston

Safely held in two bumpers last spring and pulled up when 300-1 for hurdling debut at Hereford (2m3f, good to soft) in December.

100/1

Form:

Last run:

W: 10st 10lb

4 yo Filly

OR:

Form & Verdict
First foal; unraced dam closely related to bumper and useful jumps winner Little Miss Poet; has much less interesting pedigree than stable's other newcomer Shutfrontdoor.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

9th

3

14th Feb 2026

Soft

1m 7f 157y

Class 2

16:45 Ascot

Grizzled Squirrel

11st 2lb

J: Caoilin Quinn

T: Gary & Josh Moore

Some promise in two good-ground bumpers last summer, finishing third at Uttoxeter latterly; will need to step up on that form to seriously trouble One Dimensional, though.

10/1

7

25th Jul 2025

Good

1m 7f 168y

Class 4

17:35 Uttoxeter

Grizzled Squirrel

10st 12lb

J: Caoilin Quinn

T: Gary & Josh Moore

First foal from close relative of useful jumper Little Miss Poet; made fairly encouraging debut at Fontwell (good) in May, keeping on for fifth in race won by a stablemate, and is open to improvement here.

7/1

Form:

Last run:

W: 10st 10lb

4 yo Filly

OR:

Form & Verdict
Fifth foal; half-sister to stable's useful jumpers Robin's Dream and Jerrash and fair hurdler Lumi Plugin; dam placed bumpers/3m1f hurdle, sister to Cheltenham Gold Cup third Turpin Green; one to consider.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5

24th May 2026

Good To Soft

2m 5f 164y

Class 4

15:45 Fontwell

Shutfrontdoor

11st 2lb

J: Freddie Mitchell

T: Gary & Josh Moore

Course bumper winner who was placed on last three of her four hurdling starts, most recently when third here (2m1f, good) ten days ago; moves up in trip today and should have improvement to come in handicaps.

2/1

3rd

8

14th May 2026

Good

2m 1f 162y

Class 4

17:34 Fontwell

Shutfrontdoor

11st 4lb

J: Freddie Mitchell

T: Gary & Josh Moore

Bumper winner; well held when falling heavily on hurdle debut in December but returned from break with two pretty good seconds towards end of last season (both 2m, good); probably won't be far away.

7/2

2nd

7

19th Apr 2026

Good

1m 7f 195y

Class 4

14:52 Plumpton

Shutfrontdoor

10st 11lb

J: Freddie Mitchell

T: Gary & Josh Moore

Raced only four times and has produced form figures of 122 in good-ground attempts, the success in bumper; faller on hurdles debut, then earned her latest silver medal at Kempton (2m) where she was no match for the winner but ran respectably; one of the main players.

11/2

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £32.40
Straight Forecast £35.45
Trifecta £329.20

Selections

RP RATINGS:

Eastern Shores

SPOTLIGHT:

Hyperbole

The Times:

Hyperbole

D Express:

Hyperbole

The Sun:

Hyperbole

POSTDATA:

Eastern Shores

WEST COUNTRY:

Eastern Shores

Telegraph:

Eastern Shores

Daily Mirror:

Eastern Shores

The Star:

Eastern Shores

Daily Record:

Eastern Shores