FUM-ING BUT NO DISGARCE

Jeremy Grayson picks it up in the sticks after a late summer jumps break

- Jeremy Grayson

BANGOR-ON-DEE, September 6 (Good) 2m3f123yds (+58yds) Novices' Hurdle (class 4)

That first Rules winner of 2024-25 was remaining surprisingly elusive for Latenightpass's handler Tom Ellis at the time of writing, but the now tongue-tied FUMET d'OUDAIRIES got closer than most have to rectifying that situation when running - of all the luck into Willie Mullins' first ever Bangor-on-Dee winner.

Untried over hurdles for well over five years prior to this outing, and unraced in any capacity since taking his record in British points to eight wins from nine starts on New Year's Eve 2022, the now nine-year-old son of Della Francesca is not short of options assuming a clean bill of health following this hugely encouraging length second.

Speedy enough to win the extended 2m race at Cheltenham's hunter chase evening in May 2021, yet also sufficiently stamina-laden to go close over 1m4f further in the John Corbet Cup a month later, successes between the flags around both the ultra-sharp Cottenham circuit on good ground and Horseheath's testing line on soft speak further volumes as to his versatility - he was, and remains, £800 very well spent. A current official rating in the low 120s looks most exploitable set against his peak Stratford efforts, win or lose.

2m3f123yds (+58yds) 0-105 Handicap Hurdle (class 5)

Kauto Riko was far from an immediate success for Tom Gretton, netting six races (as well as finishing second in a Peterborough Chase) for the Inkberrow handler but none of them within his first 18 months of racing and the first two in just moderate handicap hurdles. That would suggest the faith can afford to be kept a little longer in Kauto Riko's nephew CRAC DE MEGAUDAIS, still just two starts into his handicapping career and hopefully likely to jump better again should the hood discarded for this outing be hastily reapplied hereafter.