One To Watch / Timeform / 04 February 2009 / Leave a comment

Get exclusive Timeform insight on one of the few jumps races to survive the recent freeze.

With the cancellation of so many jumps meetings so far in 2009, the competitiveness of the novice hurdles at meetings that do take place is higher than normal.

This was well illustrated by the 1.55 at Newcastle last Wednesday, the bet365.com Novices' Hurdle, which produced several eye-catching displays. Few more so than the winner, Nicky Richards' Steady Tiger, who defied an absence of two years to take the race in convincing fashion.

The winner looked beforehand as though the run would bring him on and shaped accordingly, travelling very strongly as he took the lead two flights out though needing to be driven right out in the end to score. He's bred to stay two-and-a-half miles and make a chaser, though Steady Tiger isn't short of either speed or talent over the smaller obstacles.

Second-placed Best Lover was making his racecourse debut, and shaped encouragingly in staying on strongly to challenge the winner after that one had made it to the front with the greatest of ease. Best Lover should improve and is capable of providing his in-form trainer James Ewart with another success.

Whisky Magic was a disappointing favourite, comfortably held in fourth, though he has excuses based on his absence of two months and the emphasis that the race placed on stamina. An exuberant sort, he is worth another chance to improve and add to his sole victory over hurdles to date.

There were a few others back in the field who also emerge as interesting. Mamba from the Len Lungo yard travelled well until emptying from the fourth last. She will come on for the run and prove better than what she has achieved to date. Bee Sting was useful on the Flat at up to 12 furlongs for Walter Swinburn, though he arguably was unsuited by the ground, losing his place from the fourth suggesting this wasn't his running in any way.

Despite falling, Waldo Winchester shaped with some encouragement, up with eventual fifth Dancing Dik when exiting three out, though whether he would have matched his course and distance form from his previous run is debatable.