November 12 / 15.20 Ayr

15.20

Soft

Coral Novices’ Hurdle (Go North Night Nurse Series Qualifier) (GBB Race)

  • Prize money: £4629.1
  • 2m 0f 0y
  • Class 4
  • 14 runners
RTV
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Coral Novices’ Hurdle (Go North Night Nurse Series Qualifier) (GBB Race)

Runners: 14 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Showers

Form: 47-1 D

Last run: 49 days

W: 11st 7lb

5 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Second in an Irish point (debut; soft) last December; showed promise in two bumpers in the spring; made all on hurdles debut at Perth (2m, good to soft) in September, winning comfortably; carries a penalty as a result but he remains shortlist material.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6

23rd Apr 2026

Good To Soft

2m 0f 47y

Class 4

16:10 Perth

The Hatchet

11st 11lb

J: Jack Power

T: Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore

Winner of a C&D novice hurdle in September (good to soft); mainly fair form since, although only third of four at 1-2 in a Newcastle handicap last time (2m1f, good to soft); tongue-tie now tried; each-way chance.

8/1

3rd

5

14th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

2m 0f 190y

Class 3

16:00 Newcastle

The Hatchet

10st 12lb

J: Jack Power

T: Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore

Made all to win novice at Perth (2m, good to soft) in September and resumed his progression when second over C&D (good to soft) three weeks ago; leading claims for yard in a rich vein of form.

9/4

2nd

8

21st Feb 2026

Good To Soft

2m 0f 190y

Class 3

15:20 Newcastle

The Hatchet

11st 7lb

J: Jack Power

T: Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore

In two 2m novices he won at Perth before a rallying third at Ayr; handicap debut was underwhelming but that was over 2m4f and perhaps this is his trip.

13/2

OUR TIP

Form:

Last run:

W: 11st 0lb

4 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Irish point winner (third start; good) in May, then changed hands for £40,000; half-brother to three winners including Francky Du Berlais (useful and prolific 2m-3m hurdle/chase) and Fiction Du Berlais (French 2m1f/2m2f hurdle/chase); dam French 2m1f-2m4f hurdle/chase winner; interesting.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

1

29th Jan 2026

Good To Soft

2m 0f 0y

Class 4

14:43 Ayr

Cavalier du Luy

11st 12lb

J: Bruce Lynn

T: N W Alexander

Point winner (3m, good) who went close on hurdle debut over C&D (soft) in November before going one better at Kelso (2m, good to soft); can give another good account but further improvement is needed if he's to defy a penalty in this better race.

9/1

Form: 64-

Last run: 295 days

W: 11st 0lb

5 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Showed some promise on his second bumper start here (soft) in January; this looks a good starting point over hurdles, so the market needs a check for clues but he'll probably improve over further.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

9th

6

22nd Apr 2026

Soft

2m 7f 207y

Class 5

16:40 Perth

Coylton King

11st 4lb

J: Mr S Connor

T: Ian Duncan

Two best runs have been over 3m at Ayr on last two starts, latest when second of six on soft ground; each-way chance.

11/2

2nd

2

7th Mar 2026

Soft

3m 0f 70y

Class 5

16:30 Ayr

Coylton King

11st 10lb

J: Callum Bewley

T: Ian Duncan

In clear second and pressing the leader when unseating rider just after last flight on handicap debut here (3m, soft) last month; went up 2lb for his troubles but remains unexposed over 3m; respected.

7/2

8

10th Feb 2026

Good To Soft

3m 0f 70y

Class 4

15:35 Ayr

Coylton King

10st 10lb

J: Alan Doyle

T: Ian Duncan

Best run was in a bumper and it's been an underwhelming start over hurdles; hard to be confident ahead of this handicap debut; up in trip.

12/1

Form:

Last run: 18 days

W: 11st 0lb

5 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Didn't show much in points and was last of 14 on rules debut at Kelso last month.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8th

11

27th May 2026

Good

3m 1f 83y

Class 5

19:38 Cartmel

Defying Gravity

10st 2lb

J: William Maggs

T: Andrew Hamilton

Lightly raced 6yo; in this new headgear combination when a late mistake (and some wandering) cost him a 3m chase at Perth and again he showed some quirks when ducking right and unseating at the first fence at Kelso on Sunday; capable of having a say on this return to hurdling but comes with an element of risk.

13/2

5

24th May 2026

Good

2m 7f 96y

Class 5

16:47 Kelso

Defying Gravity

10st 9lb

J: William Maggs

T: Andrew Hamilton

Lightly raced 6yo who advanced his form on his chasing debut (in a first-time hood) when a short-head second of eight in 3m handicap at Perth 11 days ago, looking probable winner until blundered last; up 6lb but merits serious consideration in retained headgear.

9/4

2nd

8

13th May 2026

Good

2m 7f 180y

Class 5

15:43 Perth

Defying Gravity

10st 2lb

J: William Maggs

T: Andrew Hamilton

Didn't offer much on his first three starts for this trainer, but there has been a slight uptick since wind surgery; third, beaten 22l, over hurdles here (2m, good) latest; hood added for rules chasing debut (0-3 points); task is a tough one from 3lb out of the handicap.

16/1

Form: 205-UU

Last run: 11 days

W: 11st 0lb

5 yo Colt

OR:

Form & Verdict
Best effort in three bumpers came here on debut (good) this time last year; has unseated in both starts over hurdles; much better is needed.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4

13th May 2026

2m 4f 35y

Class 5

17:25 Perth

Jack Dempsey

11st 8lb

J: Charlie Maggs

T: Ian Duncan

Seven-race maiden; unseated rider on his first two attempts over hurdles and hasn't set the world alight in novice company on last two starts; it's notable that he steps back up in trip for handicap debut (is a half-brother to 2m4f winner Cave Hill) and that should bring about some improvement.

12/1

5th

3

24th Apr 2026

Good

2m 0f 47y

Class 4

13:30 Perth

Jack Dempsey

11st 0lb

J: Callum Bewley

T: Ian Duncan

Unseated quite early in his first two runs over hurdles but finished a remote ninth at Ayr when 150-1; the only positive is the return to a drier surface, as the ground was good when runner-up on bumper debut.

200/1

Form:

Last run:

W: 11st 0lb

5 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Pulled up in two of his first three pointing starts before winning the last two in that sphere (including on soft); then changed hands for £65,000; half-brother to two French hurdle winners; interesting; didn't run at Carlisle on Tuesday due to soft ground.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

5

17th Apr 2026

Soft

3m 0f 70y

Class 3

16:43 Ayr

Kent De Thaix

11st 12lb

J: Richie McLernon

T: Sam England

Easily won a maiden hurdle at Carlisle (2m3f, soft) in December and he tapped back into that promise to win a handicap at Wetherby (3m, good) three weeks ago on his stable debut; beat just five rivals last time but this 6yo is unexposed over staying trips and could be a contender up 4lb.

10/1

1st

4

27th Mar 2026

Good

3m 0f 26y

Class 3

16:20 Wetherby

Kent De Thaix

10st 12lb

J: Jonathan England

T: Sam England

Successful twice in Irish points and once over hurdles for Rebecca Menzies; ran creditably at Kelso (2m6f) last time on handicap debut; market may offer further guidance in this first start for Sam England.

7/1

5th

2

13th Feb 2026

Soft

2m 6f 151y

Class 4

13:30 Kelso

Kent De Thaix

12st 0lb

J: Rian Corcoran

T: Rebecca Menzies

Two-time 3m point winner who built upon previous rules promise for easy win in maiden hurdle at Carlisle (2m3f, soft) in December; pulled up at 33-1 in Grade 2 at Doncaster (3m, soft) since but today's handicap debut provides a far more realistic opportunity and he's not ruled out.

5/1

Form: 6/53-

Last run: 311 days

W: 11st 0lb

6 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Showed promise in a Perth bumper (soft) and on his hurdles debut at Chepstow (2m, heavy) in January when last seen; open to improvement and it would no surprise if he is in the shake-up.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

15

9th May 2026

Good

1m 7f 144y

Class 1

13:15 Haydock

Magna Victor

10st 4lb

J: Ciaran Gethings

T: Alastair Ralph

Trained in Shropshire but has raced mainly in Scotland; followed two wins at Musselburgh (1m7f, good to soft) over the winter with creditable third of 15 at Ayr (2m, soft) three weeks ago; more needed off unchanged mark.

25/1

3rd

5

17th Apr 2026

Soft

2m 0f 0y

Class 3

13:45 Ayr

Magna Victor

11st 11lb

J: Ciaran Gethings

T: Alastair Ralph

Lightly raced 7yo who is 2-2 since sent into handicaps, both wins over 1m7f on good to soft ground at Musselburgh; an 8lb rise seems harsh enough for last time, for all that he won readily, and this a lot deeper; still respected with him on an upward curve.

9/2

Form: 518-

Last run: 235 days

W: 11st 0lb

5 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Won a Carlisle bumper (2m1f, soft; second start) in February; unable to defy a penalty at Kelso next time; he's a brother to high-class 2m-2m5f hurdle/chase winner Ballyoisin (best hurdles RPR 146; chase 169) and looks worth monitoring in the market on hurdles debut.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

7

18th Apr 2026

Good

3m 0f 30y

Class 5

13:52 Bangor-on-Dee

Peckforton Hills

11st 7lb

J: Toby Wynne

T: Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero

Bumper winner; brings momentum into chase debut after three consecutive placed efforts over hurdles, in this headgear combination in his final two races (2m3f/3m); clearly a contender if taking to fences.

8/1

2nd

6

24th Mar 2026

Good

3m 0f 60y

Class 5

15:30 Southwell

Peckforton Hills

11st 3lb

J: Tristan Durrell

T: Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero

Bumper winner; beaten 5l on handicap debut at Sedgefield (2m4f, good to soft; first-time cheekpieces) but more than double that margin when behind an easy winner at Doncaster (2m3f; tongue-tie added); lightly raced so retains potential and he's up in trip.

2/1

2nd

12

27th Feb 2026

Good To Soft

2m 3f 88y

Class 5

13:50 Doncaster

Peckforton Hills

10st 12lb

J: Ben Smith

T: Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero

Bumper winner who was well backed when third of five to well-treated winner on handicap debut at Sedgefield (2m4f, good to soft) recently; a tongue-tie is added to the cheekpieces adopted last time; open to further improvement and he's one to consider.

11/2

Form: P

Last run: 11 days

W: 11st 0lb

4 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
200-1 on debut over C&D (soft) recently, pulled up a long way from home.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8th

9

22nd Apr 2026

Soft

2m 4f 35y

Class 4

13:40 Perth

Run Baby Run

11st 6lb

J: Derek Fox

T: R Mike Smith

200-1 or bigger for all five runs; pulled up/tailed off each time.

500/1

7th

7

7th Mar 2026

Soft

2m 4f 100y

Class 4

13:32 Ayr

Run Baby Run

11st 0lb

J: William Maggs

T: R Mike Smith

Has dismal claims on form; steps up in trip but easy to looks elsewhere.

100/1

10th

7

15th Feb 2026

Good To Soft

1m 7f 124y

Class 4

13:50 Musselburgh

Run Baby Run

11st 7lb

J: Ben Smith

T: R Mike Smith

Holds dismal claims on his Ayr form (three attempts).

200/1

Form: 4/

Last run: 964 days

W: 11st 0lb

7 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Half-brother to high-class jumper Ballynagour and useful jumper Simply Wings; hung and beaten about 16l when fourth of six on debut in Hereford bumper (good to soft) in March 2023; taken out of a Grade 2 hurdle at Cheltenham last December; tongue tied for belated hurdles debut; needs a market check.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price
No Results Found

Form: 8

Last run: 11 days

W: 11st 0lb

6 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Irish point winner (soft; second start); 100-1 and beaten a distance on recent C&D hurdles debut (soft); much more is needed.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

7

24th Apr 2026

Good

2m 4f 35y

Class 5

16:25 Perth

The Coffey Boy

11st 2lb

J: Callum Bewley

T: Ian Duncan

Low-mileage 7yo who made all and held on narrowly from Velvet Vulcan in conditional jockeys' race at Ayr (2m4f, soft) in February; not in the same form when fifth over 2m back at Ayr since but the return to 2m4f may see him in a better light.

9/1

5th

4

6th Mar 2026

Soft

2m 0f 0y

Class 5

15:50 Ayr

The Coffey Boy

11st 8lb

J: William Maggs

T: Ian Duncan

Low-mileage 7yo who made all and held on narrowly from Velvet Vulcan in conditional jockeys' race at Ayr (2m4f, soft) last time, opening his rules account; raised 4lb but William Maggs, who keeps the ride, can use his 5lb claim this time; open to further progress in any case and looks likely to be as effective back down in distance; respected.

7/2

1st

6

10th Feb 2026

Good To Soft

2m 4f 100y

Class 5

13:35 Ayr

The Coffey Boy

11st 8lb

J: William Maggs

T: Ian Duncan

Irish point winner last February; best run over hurdles when 12l second to a progressive subsequent winner over 2m1f at Sedgefield last time (good to soft); interesting on that run.

13/2

Form: 4-

Last run: 545 days

W: 11st 0lb

6 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Unraced dam is half-sister to 2m4f-3m4f hurdle/chase winner Riverside City; 17-2 and ran green when beaten 21l on debut in a Perth bumper (good to soft; first-time hood) in May 2024; tongue tied for hurdles debut after an 18-month absence; market can guide.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

10

10th Feb 2026

Good To Soft

2m 4f 100y

Class 4

14:35 Ayr

Whathaveyou

11st 9lb

J: Bruce Lynn

T: N W Alexander

Finished 21l fourth in a Perth bumper in May (2m, good to soft) and creditable 9l fifth on second hurdles start over 2m here last month (soft); may improve over 2m4f.

33/1

Form:

Last run:

W: 10st 7lb

6 yo Mare

OR:

Form & Verdict
First foal; dam a modest 3m hurdle winner out of 3m/3m1f chase winner; trainer 3% (1-30) with hurdlers since taking out a licence; probably best watched on debut.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1

13th May 2026

Good

2m 4f 35y

Class 4

14:00 Perth

Bracing Brook

11st 4lb

J: Dominic Hislop

T: Catch Bissett

Dam a 3m hurdle winner but she's been pulled up on both starts so far, last time over C&D.

200/1

3

23rd Apr 2026

Good To Soft

2m 4f 35y

Class 4

13:40 Perth

Bracing Brook

11st 0lb

J: Dominic Hislop

T: Catch Bissett

Dam 3m hurdle winner (RPR 89); 500-1 when pulled up on debut in a novice hurdle at Ayr (2m, soft) last November; hard to fancy.

200/1

Form: 544P5-

Last run: 219 days

W: 10st 7lb

6 yo Filly

OR: 88

Form & Verdict
Posted three similarly promising efforts (placed twice on slow ground) in bumpers but has gone backwards in four unplaced starts over hurdles.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

3

8th Mar 2026

Soft

2m 1f 0y

Class 5

17:00 Carlisle

Holly Bird

11st 11lb

J: Brian Hughes

T: Sandy Thomson

Yard firmly back among the winners of late and she opened her account in some style in 2m4f handicap hurdle at Newcastle 15 days ago; always travelling strongly there so big shout despite the drop back in trip and 6lb weights rise.

2/1

1st

11

21st Feb 2026

Good To Soft

2m 4f 62y

Class 5

13:35 Newcastle

Holly Bird

11st 4lb

J: Brian Hughes

T: Sandy Thomson

Responded well to first-time cheekpieces when second at Catterick (2m3f, good to soft) and didn't appear to stay 3m on heavy ground at Ayr; did run well to a point and Brian Hughes rides again.

12/1

Betting Forcast

5/4 The Hatchet, 6/1 Cavalier du Luy, 12/1 Coylton King, 100/1 Defying Gravity, 100/1 Jack Dempsey, 6/1 Kent De Thaix, 11/2 Magna Victor, 10/1 Peckforton Hills, 50/1 Run Baby Run, 10/1 Stop Loss, 100/1 The Coffey Boy, 14/1 Whathaveyou, 33/1 Bracing Brook, 33/1 Holly Bird

Non-runners

Unjeu Royal

Verdict

This looks interesting and tricky in equal measure. The solid option, despite his penalty, appears to be THE HATCHET. Although chasing will probably be his forte, his Perth win suggested there would be more to come in this sphere first. Several dangers could be lurking, including the interesting rules newcomer Cavalier Du Luy, Magna Victor, Peckforton Hills, Stop Loss and Kent De Thaix in a race for the notebook.[Jonathan Doidge]

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

The Hatchet

D Express:

Magna Victor

RP RATINGS:

The Hatchet

POSTDATA:

The Hatchet

The Times:

The Hatchet

Telegraph:

The Hatchet

The Guardian:

The Hatchet

Daily Mail:

The Hatchet

Daily Mirror:

The Hatchet

The Sun:

The Hatchet

The Star:

The Hatchet

Daily Record:

The Hatchet