March 02 / 14.15 Huntingdon

14.15

Good To Soft

Vic Sweeney 80th Birthday Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race)

  • Prize money: £3812.2
  • 2m 4f 145y
  • Class 4
  • 6 runners
RTV
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Vic Sweeney 80th Birthday Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race)

Runners: 6 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Partly cloudy

8/11 (Won)

  • Win: £1.37
  • Place: £1.10

Form: 2

Last run: 74 days

W: 11st 7lb

7 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Bought for £260,000 soon after winning an Irish point nearly two years ago; promoted from third to second in a 2m4f soft-ground novice at Newbury and was clear of the fourth who has ability; that gives him strong form claims in this company and a tongue-tie is added; entered in the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6

31st Mar 2026

Good

2m 4f 72y

Class 4

15:50 Bangor-on-Dee

Nativehill

11st 8lb

J: Jonathan Burke

T: Fergal O’Brien

Fetched £260,000 after winning his Irish point but left Nicky Henderson for £45,000 last May after pulling up in the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival; showed plenty of promise before then and he's still lightly raced; market could be informative ahead of this chase/handicap debut.

7/1

14

14th Mar 2025

Good To Soft

2m 7f 213y

Class 1

15:20 Cheltenham

Nativehill

11st 7lb

J: Nico de Boinville

T: Nicky Henderson

Fetched £260,000 after winning his Irish point; returning from a long absence when promoted to second in a Newbury novice and, in a new tongue-tie (retained), he was left clear at the final flight to win a Huntingdon maiden (2m4f, good to soft) by daylight; already looks as though he needs this sort of trip but wouldn't be the obvious answer on what he's shown to date.

40/1

1st

5

2nd Mar 2025

Good To Soft

2m 4f 145y

Class 4

14:15 Huntingdon

Nativehill

11st 7lb

J: Nico de Boinville

T: Nicky Henderson

didn't always jump with fluency, pressed leader, pushed along 3 out, outpaced and 3 lengths down 2 out, rallied and challenging when left clear last

8/11

OUR TIP

14/1

  • Place: £2.30

Form: 295

Last run: 34 days

W: 11st 7lb

5 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
British point winner who was then bought for £48,000; finished close up in a Carlisle bumper but down the field since, latterly over Plumpton's extended 2m4f on his hurdling debut; today's conditions will be the driest he's encountered but he looks vulnerable.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2

24th Mar 2026

Good

3m 0f 60y

Class 5

15:30 Southwell

Big Bert

11st 13lb

J: Alex Chadwick

T: James Owen

Hasn't really progressed as expected from his competitive bumper runs and pulled up in his latest maiden after hanging left handed around Hereford; this track may be more to his liking and this is his first handicap in a new tongue-tie.

6/1

3

7th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

2m 3f 147y

Class 4

14:12 Hereford

Big Bert

11st 7lb

J: James Bowen

T: James Owen

Fair form shown in bumpers and when a good second in 2m4f Huntingdon maiden hurdle last March; brought down at the first on his return in 2m3f Fontwell maiden in October and not ruled out back after another break.

9/2

Form: /P/2-3

Last run: 36 days

W: 11st 7lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 105

Form & Verdict
Bumper form (won twice) bodes well and so too his second in a Worcester maiden in May 2023; not seen again until finishing a weary third at Uttoxeter a month ago (2m, good to soft) and highly questionable as to what he achieved there; sent up in trip but wouldn't be a certain stayer.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7

3rd Jun 2025

Good

2m 4f 88y

Class 4

16:30 Southwell

Tchoupinminzac

11st 4lb

J: Sean Bowen

T: Dr Richard Newland & Jamie Insole

Two-time bumper winner who was runner-up in a 2m maiden hurdle at Worcester in May 2023; well below that form since returning from long absence in January, with his two handicap runs in April particularly disappointing, but the booking of Sean Bowen catches the eye here.

8/1

7

3rd Jun 2025

Good

2m 4f 88y

Class 4

16:30 Southwell

Tchoupinminzac

11st 4lb

J: Sean Bowen

T: Dr Richard Newland & Jamie Insole

Two-time bumper winner who was runner-up in a 2m maiden hurdle at Worcester in May 2023; well below that form since returning from long absence in January, with his two handicap runs in April particularly disappointing, but the booking of Sean Bowen catches the eye here.

8/1

Form: 095

Last run: 18 days

W: 11st 0lb

5 yo Filly

OR:

Form & Verdict
Beaten between 27l and 36l in two bumpers and a novice hurdle at Wetherby; has a lot to find.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

2

13th Feb 2026

Soft

2m 7f 95y

Class 5

16:00 Fakenham

Apieceovfortune

11st 11lb

J: Paul O’Brien

T: Pam Sly

Has won two of her four handicaps and responded well for pressure to collect over C&D last month (good to soft); off only 2lb higher her claims are crystal clear, provided she's okay on soft.

7/2

1st

5

18th Jan 2026

Good To Soft

2m 7f 95y

Class 5

13:00 Fakenham

Apieceovfortune

11st 2lb

J: Paul O’Brien

T: Pam Sly

Only her second run in handicaps when collecting at Southwell (3m) but Catterick was a bit disappointing; could bounce back.

11/2

Form:

Last run:

W: 11st 7lb

5 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Showed more when a 12l third in his final point and was then sold for £16,000; that's not looking strong form and he should be vulnerable in a race of this nature.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

5

24th May 2026

Good

2m 7f 70y

Class 5

14:52 Uttoxeter

Dublin City

10st 8lb

J: Ciaran Gethings

T: Julian Smith

0-3 in points and failed to raise his modest profile when 50-1 for handicap debut at Bangor (2m7f, good); no appeal for now.

50/1

10th

7

21st Mar 2026

Good To Soft

2m 7f 32y

Class 5

14:45 Bangor-on-Dee

Dublin City

11st 1lb

J: Rex Dingle

T: Julian Smith

May be seen in a better light on this switch to handicaps and he's unraced beyond 2m4f (third in a 3m point), but wouldn't be the percentage play.

25/1

9th

6

7th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

2m 3f 147y

Class 4

14:12 Hereford

Dublin City

11st 7lb

J: Jack Hogan

T: Julian Smith

Placed in a point but he has offered little in a pair of maiden hurdles, beating just one rival in 2m4f Bangor maiden in November; significantly more is required.

66/1

Form: 261-6

Last run: 103 days

W: 11st 7lb

6 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Good bumper form in these colours for Ben Pauling and he's undergone wind surgery since an underwhelming hurdling debut at Carlisle (2m4f, good to soft), for which he was 15-8; a lot better can be expected from him this afternoon, with a tongue-tie also added.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7

15th Oct 2025

Good

2m 7f 0y

Class 4

16:28 Worcester

Monty Bodkin

11st 0lb

J: Kielan Woods

T: Jonjo & A J O’Neill

Won soft-ground bumper for Ben Pauling in February 2024; failed to complete on his last two runs over hurdles last term so it will be like starting over again on this first run back; still has potential and cannot dismiss.

11/2

5

20th Apr 2025

Good

2m 4f 139y

Class 4

15:45 Market Rasen

Monty Bodkin

11st 6lb

J: Kielan Woods

T: Jonjo & A J O’Neill

prominent, went second before 6th

Evs

5

20th Apr 2025

Good

2m 4f 139y

Class 4

15:45 Market Rasen

Monty Bodkin

11st 6lb

J: Kielan Woods

T: Jonjo & A J O’Neill

prominent, went second before 6th

Evs

Non-runners

Bertie The Rebel

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £4.20
Straight Forecast £4.77
Trifecta £14.50

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Nativehill

WEST COUNTRY:

Monty Bodkin

RP RATINGS:

Nativehill

TOPSPEED:

Nativehill

POSTDATA:

Nativehill

LAMBOURN:

Nativehill

The Times:

Nativehill

Telegraph:

Nativehill

D Express:

Nativehill

Daily Mirror:

Nativehill

The Sun:

Nativehill

The Star:

Nativehill

Daily Record:

Nativehill