March 20 / 13.40 Taunton

13.40 Taunton

Good To Soft

Melanie And Philip Gibbs RNLI “Hands And Heels” Handicap Hurdle (Cond/Am) (Excellence Initiative)

  • Prize money: £5016.95
  • 2m 3f 1y
  • Class 4
  • 8 runners
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Melanie And Philip Gibbs RNLI “Hands And Heels” Handicap Hurdle (Cond/Am) (Excellence Initiative)

Runners: 8 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Light rain

8/1 (Won)

  • Win: £8.10
  • Place: £1.90

Form: -33264

Last run: 126 days

W: 11st 7lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 108

Form & Verdict
Made the frame in three good-ground maiden/novice hurdles last spring/summer (2m-2m4f) but his first two handicap runs were no better than respectable and he needs to find something extra on first start for four months.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

5

20th Mar 2023

Good To Soft

2m 3f 1y

Class 4

13:40 Taunton

Ike Sport

11st 7lb

J: Thomasina Eyston

T: Neil Mulholland

Made the frame in three good-ground maiden/novice hurdles last spring/summer (2m-2m4f) but his first two handicap runs were no better than respectable and he needs to find something extra on first start for four months.

8/1

4th

3

14th Nov 2022

Good To Soft

2m 4f 114y

Class 4

14:40 Plumpton

Ike Sport

11st 12lb

J: Sam Twiston-Davies

T: Neil Mulholland

Ran nice races behind respected opposition in his qualifying runs and it was a competitive Class 2 in which he made no impression on his handicap debut at Worcester (2m4, good); bit mean to drop him just 1lb for that 18l defeat.

7/1

6th

12

23rd Sep 2022

Good

2m 4f 0y

Class 2

15:40 Worcester

Ike Sport

10st 5lb

J: Harry Reed

T: Neil Mulholland

prominent, ridden after 3 out, well held when mistake 2 out

11/1

OUR TIP

8/11

  • Place: £1.10

Form: 121 D

Last run: 23 days

W: 12st 2lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 117

Form & Verdict
Unexposed 5yo who made all to win Chepstow maiden (2m3f, good to soft) fairly comfortably by 10l last month, his second hurdle start; should have more improvement to come in handicaps and commands respect.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

2

20th Mar 2023

Good To Soft

2m 3f 1y

Class 4

13:40 Taunton

Ioupy Collonges

12st 2lb

J: Mr Charlie Sprake

T: Paul Nicholls

Unexposed 5yo who made all to win Chepstow maiden (2m3f, good to soft) fairly comfortably by 10l last month, his second hurdle start; should have more improvement to come in handicaps and commands respect.

8/11

1st

7

25th Feb 2023

Good To Soft

2m 3f 100y

Class 4

13:22 Chepstow

Ioupy Collonges

11st 9lb

J: Ben Bromley

T: Paul Nicholls

made all, not fluent 3 out, clear when nudged along approaching last, pushed out run-in, comfortably

11/10

2nd

5

10th Jan 2023

Heavy

2m 0f 161y

Class 4

14:40 Exeter

Ioupy Collonges

11st 8lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Paul Nicholls

pressed leader, pushed along when mistake 3 out, ridden 2 out, kept on but no match for winner

4/6

9/2

  • Place: £1.60

Form: 595F17 D BF

Last run: 32 days

W: 11st 8lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 109

Form & Verdict
Led close home to open account under Jack Martin at Exeter (2m3f, good to soft) last month, his fifth start over hurdles; disappointed when dropped back to 2m at Sandown a fortnight ago but his winning form has worked out pretty well and he's not yet fully exposed.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

4

20th Mar 2023

Good To Soft

2m 3f 1y

Class 4

13:40 Taunton

Gingerbred

11st 8lb

J: Jack Martin

T: Philip Hobbs & Johnson White

Led close home to open account under Jack Martin at Exeter (2m3f, good to soft) last month, his fifth start over hurdles; disappointed when dropped back to 2m at Sandown a fortnight ago but his winning form has worked out pretty well and he's not yet fully exposed.

9/2

7th

6

16th Feb 2023

Good To Soft

1m 7f 216y

Class 4

13:15 Sandown

Gingerbred

11st 3lb

J: Jack Martin

T: Philip Hobbs

Jack Martin claimed 10lb when he got up late in the day in just his second handicap (2m2f, good to soft) at Exeter, for which he has gone up only 3lb; more to come no doubt and, although back in trip, this is a stiff track.

9/2

1st

7

1st Feb 2023

Good To Soft

2m 2f 111y

Class 4

13:00 Exeter

Gingerbred

11st 5lb

J: Jack Martin

T: Philip Hobbs

Unexposed 5yo who was travelling quite well and looked very much in contention before falling at third-last flight here (2m, heavy) on last month's handicap debut; can't be ruled off off same mark today.

12/1

Form: 5/4-3P

Last run: 69 days

W: 10st 3lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 90

Form & Verdict
Pulled up on heavy ground at Exeter in January and now 0-11 over hurdles but the forecast better ground here ought to be much more suitable and he is too well handicapped to rule out; hood refitted.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

7

20th Mar 2023

Good To Soft

2m 3f 1y

Class 4

13:40 Taunton

If Karl’s Berg Did

10st 3lb

J: Jamie Brace

T: Milton Harris

Pulled up on heavy ground at Exeter in January and now 0-11 over hurdles but the forecast better ground here ought to be much more suitable and he is too well handicapped to rule out; hood refitted.

12/1

6

10th Jan 2023

Heavy

2m 5f 137y

Class 5

14:10 Exeter

If Karl’s Berg Did

11st 8lb

J: Mitchell Bastyan

T: Milton Harris

held up in rear

12/1

3rd

3

27th Nov 2022

Good To Soft

1m 7f 113y

Class 5

13:10 Leicester

If Karl’s Berg Did

11st 10lb

J: Harry Reed

T: Milton Harris

Absent since finishing lame in June 2021; still a maiden but is well treated on peak handicap effort, namely second off 11lb higher at Ludlow; heed the market signals on return to action.

13/2

Form: 81-250

Last run: 32 days

W: 12st 2lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 117

Form & Verdict
Won over hurdles in France (2m1f, soft) a year ago but was well beaten on last month's British debut at Sandown (2m, good to soft) and needs to have taken significant benefit from that outing.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

1

20th Mar 2023

Good To Soft

2m 3f 1y

Class 4

13:40 Taunton

Flamelco

12st 2lb

J: Rob Hargreaves

T: Gary Moore

Won over hurdles in France (2m1f, soft) a year ago but was well beaten on last month's British debut at Sandown (2m, good to soft) and needs to have taken significant benefit from that outing.

14/1

11th

1

16th Feb 2023

Good To Soft

1m 7f 216y

Class 4

13:15 Sandown

Flamelco

12st 1lb

J: Caoilin Quinn

T: Gary Moore

Successful in one of his six runs over hurdles in France and was bought for 67,000euros; probably open to further improvement and would be interesting if strong in the market; his win was in a hood and tongue-tie combined.

8/1

Form: /P085P

Last run: 11 days

W: 10st 2lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 87

Form & Verdict
Very respectable fifth over C&D (good) on last month's handicap debut (last-flight error extended margin of defeat) and still has low mileage but needs to bounce back quickly from a poor performance 11 days ago and is 2lb out of the weights.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

8

20th Mar 2023

Good To Soft

2m 3f 1y

Class 4

13:40 Taunton

Prince Nino

10st 2lb

J: Mr Rupert Wilks

T: Harry Derham

Very respectable fifth over C&D (good) on last month's handicap debut (last-flight error extended margin of defeat) and still has low mileage but needs to bounce back quickly from a poor performance 11 days ago and is 2lb out of the weights.

9/1

9

9th Mar 2023

Good

2m 3f 179y

Class 5

16:25 Wincanton

Prince Nino

11st 4lb

J: Paul O’Brien

T: Harry Derham

held up in rear, niggled along briefly after 2nd, reminder after 4th, pushed along when not fluent 3 out, weakened and pulled up before 2 out

6/1

5th

6

7th Feb 2023

Good To Soft

2m 3f 1y

Class 5

16:30 Taunton

Prince Nino

11st 1lb

J: Paul O’Brien

T: Harry Derham

Improvement needed on handicap debut but he's very lightly raced and his performance at Wetherby 12 days ago wasn't without promise; represents up-and-coming yard and he's one to keep an eye on in the betting.

10/1

Form: /2U3-P

Last run: 23 days

W: 11st 11lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 112

Form & Verdict
Ran big race over fences at Cheltenham (3m1f, good) in November 2021 but seen only twice again since, more recently when pulled up over hurdles on last month's seasonal debut; might have needed that run and drops in grade here but others have less to prove; sports first-time cheekpieces.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

3

20th Mar 2023

Good To Soft

2m 3f 1y

Class 4

13:40 Taunton

Pontresina

11st 11lb

J: Ellis Collier

T: Ben Lund

Ran big race over fences at Cheltenham (3m1f, good) in November 2021 but seen only twice again since, more recently when pulled up over hurdles on last month's seasonal debut; might have needed that run and drops in grade here but others have less to prove; sports first-time cheekpieces.

25/1

3

9th Mar 2023

Good

3m 0f 150y

Class 4

14:40 Wincanton

Pontresina

11st 11lb

J: Thomasina Eyston

T: Ben Lund

Ran big race over fences at Cheltenham (3m1f, good) in November 2011 but seen only twice again since, more recently when pulled up over hurdles on recent seasonal debut; entitled to have benefited from that outing and drops in grade but others have less to prove; sports first-time cheekpieces.

20/1

11

25th Feb 2023

Good

2m 5f 0y

Class 3

16:10 Kempton

Pontresina

10st 13lb

J: Jonathan Burke

T: Ben Lund

Lightly raced 10yo whose only win under rules came on good ground here in October 2020 in a 3m chase for Oliver Sherwood; with new trainer last term after a year off and he shaped as if all his ability remained over fences on last two starts; those were preceded by a lesser run over hurdles, so whether he's primed for this is a concern; well handicapped if he is.

20/1

Form: -35P5P

Last run: 24 days

W: 10st 7lb

6 yo Mare

OR: 94

Form & Verdict
Close third on hurdle debut for Gordon Elliott at Perth (2m4f, good) last summer but this year's form for Seamus Mullins has been very underwhelming; drops back in trip after racing too freely in two handicaps last month (3m1f/3m2f); needs to turn a corner.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6

20th Mar 2023

Good To Soft

2m 3f 1y

Class 4

13:40 Taunton

Dame Prestige

10st 7lb

J: Mr William Gough

T: Seamus Mullins

Close third on hurdle debut for Gordon Elliott at Perth (2m4f, good) last summer but this year's form for Seamus Mullins has been very underwhelming; drops back in trip after racing too freely in two handicaps last month (3m1f/3m2f); needs to turn a corner.

33/1

3

24th Feb 2023

Good

3m 2f 0y

Class 5

14:00 Warwick

Dame Prestige

11st 9lb

J: Mr William Gough

T: Seamus Mullins

took keen hold, held up in rear

25/1

5th

3

13th Feb 2023

Good

3m 0f 217y

Class 4

13:30 Plumpton

Dame Prestige

11st 4lb

J: Daniel Sansom

T: Seamus Mullins

Close third at Perth (2m4f, good) on hurdle debut for Gordon Elliott last July but left that stable after lesser effort a few weeks later and was pulled up when reappearing for new stable here (2m, soft) six weeks ago; has better chance at the weights on today's handicap debut, though, and the hike up in trip is an interesting move.

7/1

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £16.40
Straight Forecast £14.22
Tricast £24.74
Trifecta £49.90

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Ioupy Collonges

The Guardian:

Ike Sport

TOPSPEED:

Gingerbred

RP Ratings:

Ioupy Collonges

POSTDATA:

Ioupy Collonges

WEST COUNTRY:

Ioupy Collonges

The Times:

Ioupy Collonges

Telegraph:

Ioupy Collonges

Daily Mail:

Ioupy Collonges

D Express:

Ioupy Collonges

Daily Mirror:

Ioupy Collonges

The Sun:

Ioupy Collonges

The Star:

Ioupy Collonges

Daily Record:

Ioupy Collonges