June 16 / 14.05 Stratford

14.05

Good

Racing To School Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race)

  • Prize money: £5446
  • 2m 2f 148y
  • Class 4
  • 10 runners
RTV
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Racing To School Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race)

Runners: 10 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Partly cloudy

8/11 (Won)

  • Win: £1.45
  • Place: £1.02

Form: 2-21

Last run: 13 days

W: 11st 10lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 116

Form & Verdict
Runner-up on first two hurdling starts and did not need to improve to win easily at Warwick (2m, good) a fortnight ago; bred to be suited by today's longer trip and has obvious claims.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

4

18th Jul 2026

Good

2m 0f 125y

Class 2

14:10 Market Rasen

Louis Veron

11st 5lb

J: Harry Skelton

T: Dan Skelton

Unexposed 5yo who makes his handicap debut after easy odds-on wins on good ground at Warwick and Stratford, posting an eye-catching RPR last time when barely put through the gears; could easily be on a lenient mark.

15/8

1st

1

16th Jun 2026

Good

2m 2f 148y

Class 4

14:05 Stratford

Louis Veron

11st 10lb

J: Harry Skelton

T: Dan Skelton

Runner-up on first two hurdling starts and did not need to improve to win easily at Warwick (2m, good) a fortnight ago; bred to be suited by today's longer trip and has obvious claims.

8/11

1st

4

3rd Jun 2026

Good To Firm

2m 0f 0y

Class 4

18:20 Warwick

Louis Veron

11st 4lb

J: Harry Skelton

T: Dan Skelton

Close second in 15-runner Chepstow novice (2m, good to soft) on debut in October; absent until turned over at skinny odds at Southwell (2m, good) last month but the winner was a useful Flat performer who has since followed up; ought to go one better here.

1/3

4/1

  • Place: £1.10

Form: 252-23 BF

Last run: 17 days

W: 11st 3lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 110

Form & Verdict
Had to settle for third (just behind Take The Boat) when odds-on over C&D (good to firm) 17 days ago, but showed fair form when runner-up at at Huntingdon (2m, good to soft) and Aintree (2m1f, good) this spring and has another big role to play.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

4

16th Jun 2026

Good

2m 2f 148y

Class 4

14:05 Stratford

Maskarvel

11st 3lb

J: Jonathan Burke

T: Alastair Ralph

Had to settle for third (just behind Take The Boat) when odds-on over C&D (good to firm) 17 days ago, but showed fair form when runner-up at at Huntingdon (2m, good to soft) and Aintree (2m1f, good) this spring and has another big role to play.

4/1

3rd

3

30th May 2026

Good To Firm

2m 2f 148y

Class 4

17:50 Stratford

Maskarvel

11st 0lb

J: Jonathan Burke

T: Alastair Ralph

Made the frame in all three Irish bumpers last year and launched hurdling career with three very encouraging runs for new stable, most recently when clear second at Aintree (2m1f, good) 15 days ago; looks sure to run well.

5/4

11/2

  • Place: £1.70

Form: 2

Last run: 17 days

W: 10st 4lb

4 yo Filly

OR:

Form & Verdict
Fair Flat racer at up to 1m6f with 4-22 strike-rate; took pretty well to hurdling and belied 20-1 odds when second (just ahead of Maskarvel) over C&D (good to firm) last month and has each-way claims at least.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

8

19th Jul 2026

Good

2m 0f 167y

Class 4

15:05 Newton Abbot

Take The Boat

11st 4lb

J: Harry Bannister

T: Georgina Nicholls

Fair Flat racer at up to 1m6f with 4-22 strike-rate; close second on hurdle debut at Stratford (good to firm) before finishing a well-held third behind a classy sort back there a month ago; can go well.

4/1

3rd

10

16th Jun 2026

Good

2m 2f 148y

Class 4

14:05 Stratford

Take The Boat

10st 4lb

J: Harry Bannister

T: Georgina Nicholls

Fair Flat racer at up to 1m6f with 4-22 strike-rate; took pretty well to hurdling and belied 20-1 odds when second (just ahead of Maskarvel) over C&D (good to firm) last month and has each-way claims at least.

11/2

2nd

7

30th May 2026

Good To Firm

2m 2f 148y

Class 4

17:50 Stratford

Take The Boat

10st 2lb

J: Harry Bannister

T: Georgina Nicholls

Four wins on AW Flat over 7f-1m4f at a modest level; interesting how she takes to this new discipline; may be one to fight out minor honours.

10/1

Form: 3-

Last run: 289 days

W: 11st 3lb

6 yo Colt

OR:

Form & Verdict
Useful Flat racer, albeit on the downgrade now; back with John Hanlon after three-run spell with Mark Loughnane that included a second on Polytrack (1m4f; RPR 88) last month; made underwhelming hurdle debut when well-held third at Worcester (2m, good) last summer but still enters calculations.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

3

22nd Jul 2026

Good

2m 0f 0y

Class 4

15:30 Worcester

Penzance

11st 4lb

J: Paddy Hanlon

T: John Joseph Hanlon

Not the force of old (one-time useful Flat handicapper) but has shown consistent hurdles form at Stratford this summer, close second to odds-on shot over 2m last time; solid claims.

6/5

2nd

3

12th Jul 2026

Good To Firm

2m 0f 70y

Class 4

15:35 Stratford

Penzance

11st 4lb

J: Paddy Hanlon

T: John Joseph Hanlon

Not the force of old (one-time useful Flat handicapper) but has made the frame in two Stratford events since rejoining Shark Hanlon, albeit proved no match for a Skelton-trained 11-10 favourite last time; likely to be a similar story today.

13/2

2nd

5

30th Jun 2026

Good To Firm

2m 2f 148y

Class 4

18:48 Stratford

Penzance

11st 4lb

J: Paddy Hanlon

T: John Joseph Hanlon

Has reached the frame in both hurdles starts but beaten 34l and 23l in the process; could be one for handicaps in due course but, in a race lacking depth, he may be capable of hitting the frame again.

7/1

Form: 426-4

Last run: 17 days

W: 11st 3lb

5 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Showed some ability in run-of-the-mill bumpers around this time last year but lacked fluency and finished over 20l behind Take The Boat and Maskarvel over C&D (good to firm) on recent hurdling debut.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

4

12th Jul 2026

Good To Firm

2m 0f 70y

Class 4

15:35 Stratford

Usyk

11st 4lb

J: Miss Amber Jackson-Fennell

T: Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies

Has failed to transfer the pick of his bumper form to hurdles and ran out, possibly not entirely due to a slipped saddle, at Stratford most recently.

25/1

6

30th Jun 2026

Good To Firm

2m 2f 148y

Class 4

18:48 Stratford

Usyk

11st 4lb

J: Miss Amber Jackson-Fennell

T: Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies

Showed ability in early bumpers but form has gone the wrong way, including on both starts over hurdles this summer; best watched for now.

18/1

5th

7

16th Jun 2026

Good

2m 2f 148y

Class 4

14:05 Stratford

Usyk

11st 3lb

J: Miss Amber Jackson-Fennell

T: Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies

Showed some ability in run-of-the-mill bumpers around this time last year but lacked fluency and finished over 20l behind Take The Boat and Maskarvel over C&D (good to firm) on recent hurdling debut.

20/1

Form: 54

Last run: 17 days

W: 11st 3lb

7 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price
No Results Found
OUR TIP

Form: 3

Last run: 13 days

W: 11st 3lb

5 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price
No Results Found

Form: 2U2P-0 D

Last run: 36 days

W: 11st 3lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 82

Form & Verdict
Dual chase winner, latterly off lowly handicap mark in the autumn, but well beaten on both starts this spring (hurdle/chase) and faces tough task on these terms; hood removed from headgear collection.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5

16th Jun 2026

Good

2m 2f 148y

Class 4

14:05 Stratford

McGrath From Clune

11st 3lb

J: Conor O’Farrell

T: Tom Gretton

Dual chase winner, latterly off lowly handicap mark in the autumn, but well beaten on both starts this spring (hurdle/chase) and faces tough task on these terms; hood removed from headgear collection.

50/1

10th

7

11th May 2026

Good

1m 7f 182y

Class 5

16:42 Southwell

McGrath From Clune

11st 0lb

J: Aidan Weaver

T: Tom Gretton

Ended last year in good form over fences but was pulled after a break at Hereford in March and it's over a year since he last ran over hurdles (0-12 in this discipline).

16/1

4

25th Mar 2026

Good

2m 0f 8y

Class 5

15:00 Hereford

McGrath From Clune

10st 12lb

J: Sean Bowen

T: Tom Gretton

C&D winner in November and ran well when second at Newcastle (2m, good to soft) 11 days later; looked the likeliest winner before unseating late at Taunton in December and now needs to bounce back from a disappointing run at Fontwell on Boxing Day (jumped right); tough mark but remains of interest with Sean Bowen booked.

9/2

Form:

Last run:

W: 10st 11lb

4 yo Colt

OR:

Form & Verdict
0-10 on the Flat and absent since running poorly in low-grade AW handicap in December; makes very limited appeal on hurdles debut.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8

16th Jun 2026

Good

2m 2f 148y

Class 4

14:05 Stratford

Tequila Star

10st 11lb

J: James Davies

T: Dominic Ffrench Davis

0-10 on the Flat and absent since running poorly in low-grade AW handicap in December; makes very limited appeal on hurdles debut.

100/1

8th

2

(4)

25th Oct 2025

Standard

1m 1f 104y

Class 6

20:00 Wolverhampton (AW)

Tequila Star

9st 9lb

J: Ben Ffrench Davis

T: Dominic Ffrench Davis

Down in the weights and down in grade but yet to win and needs to raise game if he's to win on second AW start.

20/1

9th

15

(8)

20th Sep 2025

Good To Soft

1m 0f 0y

Class 4

17:00 Newbury

Tequila Star

8st 4lb

J: Sean D Bowen

T: Dominic Ffrench Davis

Finished nearly 10l behind Stem when second of six in the novice on this card (7f, heavy) last year and hasn't fared any better in the meantime; opposed.

50/1

Form: 08-2

Last run: 30 days

W: 10st 10lb

5 yo Filly

OR:

Form & Verdict
Easily won a point bumper in March 2025 (good to soft) but did not show much in three rules bumpers (remote when second here last month); significant improvement required on hurdles debut; tongue-tie removed.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

5

19th Jul 2026

Good To Firm

2m 0f 70y

Class 3

13:45 Stratford

Angel Of My Dreams

10st 7lb

J: Nick Slatter

T: David Killahena & Graeme McPherson

Well beaten here on both recent hurdling starts (2m2f/2m), the latter after a wind op; can't be recommended.

66/1

4th

7

12th Jul 2026

Good To Firm

2m 0f 70y

Class 4

15:35 Stratford

Angel Of My Dreams

10st 11lb

J: Nick Slatter

T: David Killahena & Graeme McPherson

Point bumper whose rules form, which includes a thoroughly remote second at Stratford, is far from convincing; had wind surgery since last run, which was her hurdles debut.

100/1

9

16th Jun 2026

Good

2m 2f 148y

Class 4

14:05 Stratford

Angel Of My Dreams

10st 10lb

J: Nick Slatter

T: David Killahena & Graeme McPherson

Easily won a point bumper in March 2025 (good to soft) but did not show much in three rules bumpers (remote when second here last month); significant improvement required on hurdles debut; tongue-tie removed.

50/1

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £2.10
Straight Forecast £2.23
Trifecta £4.90

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Louis Veron

RP RATINGS:

Maskarvel

WEST COUNTRY:

Usyk

TOPSPEED:

Maskarvel

The Sun:

Maskarvel

POSTDATA:

Louis Veron

The Times:

Louis Veron

Telegraph:

Louis Veron

The Guardian:

Louis Veron

Daily Mail:

Louis Veron

D Express:

Louis Veron

Daily Mirror:

Louis Veron

The Star:

Louis Veron

Daily Record:

Louis Veron