April 01 / 16.00 Southwell

16.00

Good

Country And Western Night 25th April Maiden Hurdle (Novices’ Championship Hurdle Qualifier) (GBB)

  • Prize money: £5446
  • 1m 7f 182y
  • Class 4
  • 7 runners
SKY
View Course
Country And Western Night 25th April Maiden Hurdle (Novices’ Championship Hurdle Qualifier) (GBB)

Runners: 7 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Cloudy

Evs (Won)

  • Win: £1.23
  • Place: £1.10

Form: 2

Last run: 24 days

W: 11st 5lb

5 yo Colt

OR:

Form & Verdict
Fairly useful four-time AW Flat winner in these silks for Richard Hughes and promising second of ten on his Warwick hurdle debut (2m, good to soft) for Olly Murphy 24 days ago; entitled to improve and the one to beat.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

1

15th May 2026

Good

2m 0f 209y

Class 4

16:35 Aintree

Road To Wembley

11st 9lb

J: Sean Bowen

T: Olly Murphy

Four-time winner on the Flat for Richard Hughes and it's been a promising start over hurdles, winning a Southwell maiden last time without too much fuss (good); penalised accordingly but sets the standard.

Evs

1st

5

1st Apr 2026

Good

1m 7f 182y

Class 4

16:00 Southwell

Road To Wembley

11st 5lb

J: Sean Bowen

T: Olly Murphy

Fairly useful four-time AW Flat winner in these silks for Richard Hughes and promising second of ten on his Warwick hurdle debut (2m, good to soft) for Olly Murphy 24 days ago; entitled to improve and the one to beat.

Evs

2nd

7

8th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

2m 0f 0y

Class 4

14:40 Warwick

Road To Wembley

11st 5lb

J: Sean Bowen

T: Olly Murphy

Four-time AW winner at up to 2m on Flat for Richard Hughes, reaching an RPR of 85 (has shown a similar level of form on turf); remains with same owner; has the potential to become a fairly useful hurdler.

13/2

2/1

  • Place: £1.10

Form: 6

Last run: 74 days

W: 10st 11lb

4 yo Colt

OR:

Form & Verdict
Useful on the Flat for Charlie Johnston, proving reliable and winning 2m handicap at Goodwood (heavy) last autumn (sold for 165,000gns soon after); 9-2, weakened to finish a well-held sixth of ten in Ascot juvenile (2m, soft) on hurdle debut in January; should be capable of a lot better in this sphere.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

2

(1)

2nd May 2026

Good

2m 0f 0y

Class 4

14:45 Goodwood

Novelista

9st 10lb

J: Charles Bishop

T: Warren Greatrex

Acts on good and heavy ground; won off 2lb lower over C&D for Charlie Johnston last autumn and he ran well over hurdles last month, on his second run for current yard; seems tactically versatile and he's in the mix off a workable mark back on the Flat.

9/2

2nd

7

1st Apr 2026

Good

1m 7f 182y

Class 4

16:00 Southwell

Novelista

10st 11lb

J: Harry Bannister

T: Warren Greatrex

Useful on the Flat for Charlie Johnston, proving reliable and winning 2m handicap at Goodwood (heavy) last autumn (sold for 165,000gns soon after); 9-2, weakened to finish a well-held sixth of ten in Ascot juvenile (2m, soft) on hurdle debut in January; should be capable of a lot better in this sphere.

2/1

6th

8

17th Jan 2026

Good To Soft

1m 7f 157y

Class 3

12:25 Ascot

Novelista

11st 0lb

J: Harry Bannister

T: Warren Greatrex

Not far off useful on the Flat for Charlie Johnston, proving reliable and winning 2m handicap at Goodwood (heavy) last autumn; changed hands for 165,000gns in October; likely to be suited by longer distances in due course but he commands respect on his hurdling debut even so.

5/1

Form: 78

Last run: 24 days

W: 11st 5lb

5 yo Colt

OR:

Form & Verdict
A fair 1m4f Flat scorer for David Menuisier but yet to fire for his current yard, including in two hurdles; can't make a case for.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

10

15th May 2026

Good

2m 0f 209y

Class 4

19:30 Aintree

Promethean

11st 1lb

J: Jonathan England

T: Sam England

Quite useful on the Flat at his best; always behind on first two hurdling starts and didn't achieve huge amount when well-held third in slowly run Southwell maiden (2m, good) last month but is still worth a glance in the betting before this handicap hurdle debut; tongue-tie refitted.

20/1

3rd

4

1st Apr 2026

Good

1m 7f 182y

Class 4

16:00 Southwell

Promethean

11st 5lb

J: Jack Quinlan

T: Sam England

A fair 1m4f Flat scorer for David Menuisier but yet to fire for his current yard, including in two hurdles; can't make a case for.

33/1

8th

8

8th Mar 2026

Soft

2m 1f 0y

Class 4

15:20 Carlisle

Promethean

11st 5lb

J: Jonathan England

T: Sam England

A fair 1m4f Flat scorer for David Menuisier but yet to fire for his current yard, including on his hurdling debut at Southwell (2m) last month; not easy to make a case for.

50/1

33/1

Form: 47

Last run: 21 days

W: 10st 11lb

4 yo Colt

OR:

Form & Verdict
Modest maiden on Flat; reached the frame on the first of two hurdle outings at Huntingdon in recent months but the form is barely modest; more needed.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

5

28th May 2026

Good

2m 0f 125y

Class 5

20:42 Market Rasen

Paragon

11st 3lb

J: Paul O’Brien

T: Pam Sly

0-11 on the Flat and 0-4 over hurdles; made a fairly encouraging handicap hurdle debut when sixth of 13 at Southwell (2m, good) this month, though, and might be boosted by refitted cheekpieces here.

7/1

6th

4

11th May 2026

Good

1m 7f 182y

Class 5

16:42 Southwell

Paragon

11st 1lb

J: Paul O’Brien

T: Pam Sly

Modest maiden on Flat and a similar story over hurdles, all maidens; handicaps are now a better option but he's unconvincing.

20/1

4th

8

1st Apr 2026

Good

1m 7f 182y

Class 4

16:00 Southwell

Paragon

10st 11lb

J: Charlie Todd

T: Pam Sly

Modest maiden on Flat; reached the frame on the first of two hurdle outings at Huntingdon in recent months but the form is barely modest; more needed.

33/1

Form: 3-436

Last run: 14 days

W: 11st 5lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 116

Form & Verdict
Fair form when reaching the frame in a bumper and two maiden hurdles (all 2m) in Ireland for Gavin Cromwell last year but weakened quickly from two out when a remote last of six in 2m4f Hereford handicap for new yard a fortnight ago; quickly drops back in trip.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

4

4th Jun 2026

Good

2m 7f 70y

Class 4

15:00 Uttoxeter

Top Coeur

11st 5lb

J: Jack Tudor

T: Christian Williams

Not seeing out his races at all convincingly this year, beaten 54l in a 2m4f 0-125 handicap here latest (2m4f, good); overlooked.

14/1

8th

9

2nd May 2026

Good

2m 3f 207y

Class 3

15:50 Uttoxeter

Top Coeur

11st 3lb

J: Jack Tudor

T: Christian Williams

Fair form when reaching the frame in a bumper and two maiden hurdles (all 2m) in Ireland for Gavin Cromwell last year but below that form in two runs for current yard; needs to show more.

9/1

5th

6

1st Apr 2026

Good

1m 7f 182y

Class 4

16:00 Southwell

Top Coeur

11st 5lb

J: Kielan Woods

T: Christian Williams

Fair form when reaching the frame in a bumper and two maiden hurdles (all 2m) in Ireland for Gavin Cromwell last year but weakened quickly from two out when a remote last of six in 2m4f Hereford handicap for new yard a fortnight ago; quickly drops back in trip.

11/2

OUR TIP

Form: 00

Last run: 31 days

W: 11st 5lb

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:

Last run:

W: 11st 5lb

8 yo Gelding

OR:

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

Non-runners

Corsican Caper

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £1.60
Straight Forecast £1.69
Trifecta £18.10

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Road To Wembley

Daily Mail:

Novelista

RP RATINGS:

Road To Wembley

TOPSPEED:

Road To Wembley

POSTDATA:

Road To Wembley

The Times:

Road To Wembley

Telegraph:

Road To Wembley

The Guardian:

Road To Wembley

D Express:

Road To Wembley

Daily Mirror:

Road To Wembley

The Sun:

Road To Wembley

The Star:

Road To Wembley

Daily Record:

Road To Wembley