February 14 / 13.15 Ascot

13.15

Soft

Betfair Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race)

  • Prize money: £13007.5
  • 2m 3f 63y
  • Class 2
  • 6 runners
ITV
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Betfair Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race)

Runners: 6 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Sunny

6/4 (Won)

  • Win: £1.73
  • Place: £1.10

Form: 2-61

Last run: 30 days

W: 11st 7lb

6 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Lightly raced 6yo; bought from the David Maxwell dispersal for £115,000; justified favouritism in clearcut style at Ludlow (2m5f, good to soft) on stable/hurdles debut and should improve further; respected.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

7

10th Apr 2026

Good To Soft

3m 0f 149y

Class 1

16:40 Aintree

Mondouiboy

11st 8lb

J: Ben Jones

T: Ben Pauling

Point winner who ran well in defeat in bumpers at top tracks before selling for £115,000 at the David Maxwell dispersal sale; they were easy pickings at Ludlow (2m5f) and Ascot (2m3f; again good to soft; favourite both times) but he confirmed himself high class (as his trainer had indicated) when fourth to Johnny's Jury in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham, where he was in the firing line throughout and fared best of those who raced prominently; provided that race hasn't left a mark then he's of major interest.

5/1

4th

12

13th Mar 2026

Good

2m 7f 213y

Class 1

15:20 Cheltenham

Mondouiboy

11st 7lb

J: Ben Jones

T: Ben Pauling

Runner-up in a 3m point and ran well in defeat in bumpers at top tracks before selling for £115,000 at the David Maxwell dispersal sale; has looked well above average in justifying market confidence over hurdles at Ludlow (2m5f) and Ascot (extended 2m3f; again on good to soft); Ben Pauling considers him one of his better novices; can't be taken lightly with this longer trip a probable plus.

10/1

1st

3

14th Feb 2026

Soft

2m 3f 63y

Class 2

13:15 Ascot

Mondouiboy

11st 7lb

J: Ben Jones

T: Ben Pauling

Lightly raced 6yo; bought from the David Maxwell dispersal for £115,000; justified favouritism in clearcut style at Ludlow (2m5f, good to soft) on stable/hurdles debut and should improve further; respected.

6/4

12/1

  • Place: £5.70

Form: 2

Last run: 276 days

W: 11st 2lb

7 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Showed promise with head second, clear of remainder, in Tipperary maiden hurdle (3m1f) in sole start for Jonathan Sweeney; half-brother to a five-time winner for his new yard; interesting.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

1

22nd Mar 2026

Good

2m 5f 137y

Class 4

14:32 Exeter

Kildinan Prince

11st 7lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Emma Lavelle

Joined Emma Lavelle after going close in 15-runner Tipperary maiden (3m1f, good to yielding) last May and made pleasing stable debut at Ascot (2m3f, good to soft) last month, keeping on well to take second behind recent Albert Bartlett fourth Mondoui'boy; could not have found an easier opportunity than this.

1/33

2nd

6

14th Feb 2026

Soft

2m 3f 63y

Class 2

13:15 Ascot

Kildinan Prince

11st 2lb

J: Jonathan Burke

T: Emma Lavelle

Showed promise with head second, clear of remainder, in Tipperary maiden hurdle (3m1f) in sole start for Jonathan Sweeney; half-brother to a five-time winner for his new yard; interesting.

12/1

OUR TIP

Form: 2-3021

Last run: 30 days

W: 11st 7lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 123

Form & Verdict
Justified favouritism in maiden hurdle at Ludlow (2m5f, good to soft) last time, gaining reward for being largely consistent in defeat previously; may build on that success and show further progress.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

1

10th Apr 2026

Good To Soft

3m 0f 149y

Class 1

16:40 Aintree

Catchintsavo

11st 8lb

J: Richie McLernon

T: Anthony Honeyball

Progressive novice but this is his first time in a Graded race of any nature and he finished some 10l behind Mondoui'boy at Ascot on his penultimate start; he'd be a surprise winner.

50/1

1st

1

9th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

2m 4f 116y

Class 4

14:00 Plumpton

Catchintsavo

11st 7lb

J: Rex Dingle

T: Anthony Honeyball

Delivered on earlier promise when narrow winner of Ludlow maiden (2m5f, good to soft) in January and was a respectable third after making the running in useful Ascot novice (2m3f, good to soft) last month; ought to be right in the thick of things again.

7/4

3rd

2

14th Feb 2026

Soft

2m 3f 63y

Class 2

13:15 Ascot

Catchintsavo

11st 7lb

J: Rex Dingle

T: Anthony Honeyball

Justified favouritism in maiden hurdle at Ludlow (2m5f, good to soft) last time, gaining reward for being largely consistent in defeat previously; may build on that success and show further progress.

11/2

Form: 3-315 C

Last run: 47 days

W: 11st 10lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 128

Form & Verdict
Justified favouritism at Ascot (2m5f, good) in November, building on reappearance effort; came up short in the Challow since but enters calculations back down in class, even with 8lb penalty; tongue-tie fitted.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

1

14th Mar 2026

Good

2m 5f 0y

Class 4

15:53 Kempton

Etna Bianco

11st 7lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Joe Tizzard

Justified favouritism in novice at Ascot (2m5f, good) in November but hasn't managed to build on that in his two outings since, albeit it was the Grade 1 Challow on the first occasion; will need to resume his progression to take this.

5/2

4th

1

14th Feb 2026

Soft

2m 3f 63y

Class 2

13:15 Ascot

Etna Bianco

11st 10lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Joe Tizzard

Justified favouritism at Ascot (2m5f, good) in November, building on reappearance effort; came up short in the Challow since but enters calculations back down in class, even with 8lb penalty; tongue-tie fitted.

7/2

7

24th Oct 2025

Good

2m 3f 200y

Class 2

16:10 Cheltenham

Etna Bianco

11st 0lb

J: Brendan Powell

T: Joe Tizzard

Irish point winner who joined new connections for £140,000; beaten favourite in a Kempton bumper (soft) but could have done with a truer pace; presumably showing the right signs at home to be sent here for hurdling debut.

10/1

Form: 2F3789

Last run: 12 days

W: 11st 2lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 113

Form & Verdict
Made the frame several times in Ireland but has posted a couple of lesser efforts for new stable, taking rules record to 0-10; faces a stiff assignment in this field.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1

23rd Jun 2026

Good

2m 5f 122y

Class 4

18:45 Newton Abbot

Coumeenoole

11st 13lb

J: Harry Skelton

T: Dan Skelton

Initially disappointing for new stable this year but easily landed gamble in Bangor handicap (2m7f, good) in March, and did not need to be at same level to justify skinny odds in Uttoxeter novice (2m7f, good) this month; has a big penalty but should still be hard to beat.

4/9

1st

1

4th Jun 2026

Good

2m 7f 70y

Class 4

14:30 Uttoxeter

Coumeenoole

11st 9lb

J: Harry Skelton

T: Dan Skelton

Miles clear with one other when beaten just over 1l in a Market Rasen 0-125 handicap latest (3m, good; RPR 118), and this novice contest isn't anywhere near as deep; yet to register form of that calibre with give underfoot, but possible he could get away with it here even if rain arrives.

4/11

2nd

4

8th May 2026

Good

2m 7f 16y

Class 3

16:20 Market Rasen

Coumeenoole

11st 10lb

J: Harry Skelton

T: Dan Skelton

The same combination of a sharp track, good ground and stayers' trip of his peak Irish effort similarly worked the oracle at Bangor last time; a 9lb re-raise demands another big step forward, though that's not impossible having won with far more in hand than the near-3l verdict may infer.

15/8

Form: 1-123 D BF

Last run: 25 days

W: 11st 7lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 127

Form & Verdict
Got rather tired on the heavy ground when beaten favourite at Leicester (2m4f) last time; progressive otherwise and ran well earlier in January when bidding for a Ffos Las hat-trick; leading chance on ratings.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4

14th Feb 2026

Soft

2m 3f 63y

Class 2

13:15 Ascot

Starzand

11st 7lb

J: Sean Houlihan

T: Philip Hobbs & Johnson White

Got rather tired on the heavy ground when beaten favourite at Leicester (2m4f) last time; progressive otherwise and ran well earlier in January when bidding for a Ffos Las hat-trick; leading chance on ratings.

11/4

3rd

3

20th Jan 2026

Soft

2m 4f 110y

Class 4

13:32 Leicester

Starzand

11st 12lb

J: Sean Houlihan

T: Philip Hobbs & Johnson White

Impressed in good-ground Ffos Las bumper on rules debut last March and justified favouritism in 2m4f maiden hurdle there (soft) in October; not discredited when clear second to another useful one there (2m, soft) recently and this move back up in trip should suit; leading contender.

8/11

1st

8

28th Oct 2025

Soft

2m 4f 0y

Class 4

13:58 Ffos Las

Starzand

11st 4lb

J: Sean Houlihan

T: Philip Hobbs & Johnson White

Changed hands for £230,000 after his emphatic Irish point win (yielding to soft) last December; 13-8 favourite on bumper debut here (2m, good) in March and he made smooth headway before forging 7l clear; could have a bright future at this new discipline and he needs a close look on his return.

2/1

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £20.50
Straight Forecast £20.54
Trifecta £76.30

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Mondoui'boy

RP RATINGS:

Starzand

The Star:

Kildinan Prince

The Guardian:

Mondoui'boy

Daily Mail:

Mondoui'boy

D Express:

Mondoui'boy

Daily Mirror:

Mondoui'boy

The Sun:

Mondoui'boy

Daily Record:

Mondoui'boy

TOPSPEED:

Starzand

POSTDATA:

Starzand

The Times:

Starzand

Telegraph:

Starzand