March 30 / 15.50 Taunton

15.50

Soft

Invest Southwest Handicap Hurdle

  • Prize money: £7287.78
  • 2m 7f 198y
  • Class 3
  • 5 runners
RTV
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Invest Southwest Handicap Hurdle

Runners: 5 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Showers

9/4 (Won)

  • Win: £2.50

Form: 1-2252 C

Last run: 20 days

W: 10st 12lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 108

Form & Verdict
Solid record in handicaps at 2m3f-2m5f, including two wins at this venue last term; kept on for second (behind subsequent scorer) at Exeter on latest outing; didn't convince with stamina over C&D in December (race won by Apple Rock) but has given the impression he should stay this far; big player if seeing out the 3m trip on this second attempt.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

8

10th Nov 2024

Good To Soft

2m 7f 191y

Class 4

14:25 Ffos Las

Iberio

11st 3lb

J: Brendan Powell

T: Joe Tizzard

All three wins over hurdles were at Taunton, latest over 3m on heavy in March 2023; chasing last term and ended his time with the Hobbs/White stable on some low notes; pulled up after an early error over fences (0-6 in that sphere) 12 days ago on stable/seasonal debut; well treated on best efforts.

14/1

6th

8

10th Nov 2024

Good To Soft

2m 7f 191y

Class 4

14:25 Ffos Las

Iberio

11st 3lb

J: Brendan Powell

T: Joe Tizzard

pressed leader early, raced in second 2nd, prominent from 6th, not fluent 3 out, soon weakened

14/1

15

29th Oct 2024

Good To Soft

3m 2f 54y

Class 4

14:35 Chepstow

Iberio

11st 2lb

J: Brendan Powell

T: Joe Tizzard

Three-time hurdle winner; yet build upon last autumn's promising chase debut for the Hobbs/White stable and has been absent since March but is on a good mark for today's stable debut; cheekpieces removed.

12/1

Form: 1U4036

Last run: 22 days

W: 11st 8lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 118

Form & Verdict
Below par at Fontwell three weeks ago on debut for new stable; now 1lb below last winning mark but has stamina to prove on this first attempt beyond 2m5f; his wins came at 2m2f/2m3f.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

7

4th Apr 2026

Good To Soft

3m 1f 0y

Class 4

13:48 Carlisle

Guernesey

10st 4lb

J: Joshua Thompson

T: Jackie Stephen

Has won just two of his 41 races over hurdles but nearly made it three when beaten a neck by Adveram (2lb worse off) at Hexham in December (2m7f, heavy); hasn't done as well since and was a long way behind Ballin Bay last time.

20/1

5th

6

19th Feb 2026

3m 3f 9y

Class 4

14:33 Sedgefield

Guernesey

10st 11lb

J: Joshua Thompson

T: Jackie Stephen

Consistent sort; hasn't won since October 2022, but has run creditably on last three starts and has an each-way chance.

9/1

OUR TIP

Form: 4461-1

Last run: 318 days

W: 12st 0lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 124

Form & Verdict
Showed improvement last spring, winning well at Exeter (2m5f, good) and Ffos Las (2m4f, good to soft); major player provided he returns from 318-day absence in same form and stays this longer trip.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

10

22nd Oct 2024

Good To Soft

2m 7f 25y

Class 3

15:53 Exeter

Mr Tambourine Man

11st 4lb

J: David Noonan

T: David Pipe

Won twice over today's trip in the spring (good/good to soft) but looked unenthusiastic on last two appearances (Flat/hurdle) and needs today's headgear switch to give him a significant boost.

25/1

7

16th Sep 2024

Good

2m 7f 0y

Class 4

17:00 Worcester

Mr Tambourine Man

11st 9lb

J: Jack Tudor

T: David Pipe

Won over C&D (good) and at Uttoxeter (2m7f, good to soft) in spring, but needs to prove he can still cope with a hurdle mark this high and looked very unenthusiastic (albeit on heavy ground) on the Flat recently.

20/1

7th

1

(6)

29th Aug 2024

Soft

2m 0f 0y

Class 6

17:00 Ffos Las

Mr Tambourine Man

10st 0lb

J: Georgia Dobie

T: David Pipe

Five-time hurdle winner, the last twice this spring; not seen on the Flat since very underwhelming handicap debut in spring 2022 but copes well with ground slower than good and could turn out to be on a good mark; had another wind op (his fourth) last month.

5/1

Form: 561-4F CD

Last run: 8 days

W: 10st 10lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 106

Form & Verdict
Successful in a couple of Class 5 handicaps last term, including over C&D; has a question mark over current form, based on his two runs this season, and has something to prove in this grade.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

4

19th Mar 2024

Soft

2m 7f 25y

Class 4

14:00 Exeter

My Last Oscar

11st 7lb

J: James Bowen

T: Nicky Martin

Ploughed through the heavy ground when winning at Hexham in December (3m; from an 8lb lower mark); arguably that wasn't the strongest of races though, and he was never travelling when pulled up at Taunton subsequently; some work to do in these newly applied cheekpieces.

8/1

3

29th Feb 2024

Soft

2m 7f 198y

Class 4

16:25 Taunton

My Last Oscar

11st 12lb

J: James Bowen

T: Nicky Martin

C&D winner who is prone to the odd lesser effort but he has a healthy strike-rate in handicaps at 2m7f+ and made light of heavy ground at Hexham in December (2m7f); up 8lb but still respected.

8/1

1st

1

13th Dec 2023

Heavy

2m 7f 63y

Class 5

15:20 Hexham

My Last Oscar

12st 0lb

J: James Bowen

T: Nicky Martin

Taunton winner in March 2022 (3m, soft); has not run as well since, although fair effort after a break when 20l third at Warwick last time (3m2f, soft); a possible.

7/2

Form: 3-1116 CD

Last run: 40 days

W: 11st 13lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 123

Form & Verdict
Just out of the money at Ascot last month when bidding for a four-timer but ran respectably on bare figures and likely remains in form; C&D winner the time before and enters calculations back here.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

0

8

5th Nov 2023

Soft

3m 2f 34y

Class 3

15:40 Carlisle

Apple Rock

11st 3lb

J: Kielan Woods

T: Ben Pauling

Posted a handicap hurdle hat-trick late last year (2m4f/3m, soft/good to soft); this 9yo is making a belated chase debut but he showed promise in points in 2018 (including runner-up to Shishkin) and he has a good reappearance record (including a win here); not ruled out.

16/1

6th

8

8th Apr 2023

Good To Soft

3m 0f 58y

Class 2

15:15 Haydock

Apple Rock

11st 4lb

J: Beau Morgan

T: Ben Pauling

Finished a well-held sixth (behind Itso Fury) at Ascot when bidding for a four-timer but ran respectably and Beau Morgan now takes off 7lb with his claim; enters calculations.

20/1

2

30th Mar 2023

Soft

2m 7f 198y

Class 3

15:50 Taunton

Apple Rock

11st 13lb

J: Luca Morgan

T: Ben Pauling

Just out of the money at Ascot last month when bidding for a four-timer but ran respectably on bare figures and likely remains in form; C&D winner the time before and enters calculations back here.

5/2

Non-runners

Apple Rock

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £6.10
Straight Forecast £6.67
Trifecta £15.90

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Iberio

The Times:

Apple Rock

The Guardian:

Guernesey

The Star:

My Last Oscar

RP Ratings:

Iberio

TOPSPEED:

Iberio

POSTDATA:

Iberio

WEST COUNTRY:

Iberio

D Express:

Iberio

The Sun:

Iberio

Daily Record:

Iberio

Telegraph:

Apple Rock

Daily Mail:

Apple Rock

Daily Mirror:

Apple Rock