3:05 Worcester
This Class 4 maiden hurdle at Worcester over 2m on good to soft ground features a field of 16, several of whom arrive with placed bumper form or pointing experience. The KTB Fit scores are tightly bunched at the top, with five principals rated between 58 and 64, indicating an open-looking heat where connections, pedigree and limited racecourse evidence will be key. The race is a GBB qualifier and sees a number of horses stepping up in class from bumper or pointing runs.
How the race shapes up
The pace shape is genuinely run with high confidence, featuring a front-runner likely to be pressed by several handy types. Rainbow Tara is the clearest front-running type while Tandy's Bridge, Hidden Mountain, Beau Speed, Big John Ollie and Gili Island all race prominently or handy, promising an honest test. This sets up a fair examination that should suit those with a late kick, posing the key question of whether any of the hold-up performers can bridge the gap in a strongly-run affair.
The KTB Fit ranking
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1Tandy's Bridge64/100
Tandy's Bridge has shown mixed form across three starts, finishing second on debut before two lesser efforts. The trip has not brought out the best in him so far. He races prominently and usually races handily on or close to the lead. Trainer Tom Ellis has a 12% strike rate at Worcester from 25 runs and jockey Jack Andrews has a 20% strike rate from 30 rides here, both sitting in line with their overall figures. The horse steps up in class having had one run on good to soft with no win or place, and has no course form on record.
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2Pride Hill KTB Selection64/100
Pride Hill has a single flat fourth on debut and now switches to hurdles. The yard and rider both hold a 22% and 23% strike rate at Worcester respectively, both in line with their figures elsewhere. With only one run on this trip and on this ground the sample is too small to judge either. The dam has had just one other runner that failed to win. He is held up and usually produces his effort late, though that read comes with limited evidence and low confidence. The KTB Selection steps up in class with a KTB Fit of 64.
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3Hidden Mountain60/100
Hidden Mountain has shown promise in two bumper runs, finishing second on debut before winning last time out. He has already won on good to soft ground and at today's trip, which is a plus given his light career total. This horse races prominently and usually races handily on or close to the lead. Trainer Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls have a 5% strike rate at Worcester from 22 runs and jockey Ciaran Gethings has a 6% strike rate from 139 rides, both modest figures that sit in line with their records elsewhere. He steps up in class.
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4Beau Speed59/100
Beau Speed has shown fair form in two bumper runs and now steps up to hurdling. The trip looks suitable after he has already placed over it once. Half-brother to Authorised Speed who won four times from 15 runs, he comes from a dam who has had five other runners including two winners. Trainer Paul Nicholls has a 28% strike rate at Worcester from 394 runs which is above his 23% at other courses while jockey Freddie Gingell has a 0% strike rate from 8 rides here. He races prominently, usually on or close to the lead, steps up in class and is unproven on good to soft.
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5Walk The Hall58/100
Walk The Hall is a half-sister to useful Hester Flemen who won three times from five runs and comes from a dam who has had nine other runners including four winners. Connections are operating at their ordinary level here with a 9% strike rate at Worcester from 22 runs. The 6-year-old is a low-confidence debutant over hurdles so the bare pedigree is the main pointer. By Walk In The Park who has a 13% overall win rate, the horse has no course win on record and a KTB Fit of 58.
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6Big John Ollie53/100
Big John Ollie has shown placed form in both starts at this trip and looks sure to improve with racing. The yard's 18% strike rate at Worcester is in line with their record elsewhere while the jockey's 2% strike rate here is in line with his 13% at other tracks. He races prominently, is unproven on good to soft and has no course form.
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7Rainbow Tara52/100
Rainbow Tara is lightly raced with just three runs in the last year and a very small overall sample so any conclusions must be tentative. She drops back to 2m today having been placed without winning at the trip last time. This front-runner tends to make the running or race on the pace, has been placed once from two runs on good to soft and comes from a dam who has produced a winner.
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8Midnight Escape51/100
Midnight Escape has only one run to his name and showed little on that bumper start. The yard's 7% strike rate at Worcester is in line with their overall record while Burke's 11% at the track matches his wider figure. He races prominently, steps up in class, has had one run on good to soft with no win or place and the dam has produced one non-winning runner.
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9Navy Boy51/100
Navy Boy showed only modest form when fifth on his bumper debut. The yard posts a 13% strike rate at Worcester from 16 runs while Gavin Sheehan has a 17% strike rate here from 263 rides in line with his overall figure. He races in mid-division, steps up in class, is unproven on good to soft and has no course form.
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10Martial Law51/100
Martial Law showed modest form when fifth on debut over 1m7f. He now steps up in trip to 2m which is a fresh question, while the dam has had just one other runner that failed to win. The trainer has an 11% strike rate at Worcester from 38 runs in line with their record elsewhere. He races in mid-division.
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11Half The Battle48/100
Half The Battle is a debutant with no racecourse experience. The dam has produced just one previous runner that failed to win, while the horse's pedigree and sales background remain unknown here. Trainer and jockey both hold modest strike rates at Worcester that sit in line with their figures at other tracks.
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12Gili Island47/100
Gili Island is a lightly raced 4-year-old with just three runs behind him and a recent form line of 49-4 that offers little encouragement. He has been beaten at this trip on all three starts and the small sample makes it impossible to judge whether the ground or the track will suit. Trainer and jockey both operate at an 18% strike rate here at Worcester. He races prominently.
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13Sub Editor45/100
Sub Editor is a newcomer with no racecourse experience and only one previous foal from the dam who failed to win. The yard has a 22% strike rate at Worcester from 174 runs in line with their record elsewhere while Jack Tudor has a 6% strike rate here from 164 rides below his rate at other tracks. The assessment rests mainly on pedigree and connections.
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14Clonagoose39/100
Clonagoose is a debutant with a recent string of pointing wins that look ordinary on paper. The dam has produced two non-winners from two runners so far and the pedigree offers little encouragement at this stage. Trainer Dean Summersby has a 5% strike rate at Worcester from 22 runs while Bryan Carver has no supplied record at the track.
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15Exiguus38/100
Exiguus has shown modest form in four runs so far with a best of fifth on his latest start. He drops back in trip today having failed to trouble the judge in two runs at this distance previously. The yard has a 0% strike rate from 15 runs at Worcester. He is held up and usually produces his effort late.
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16El Dorado31/100
El Dorado was well beaten on his sole start and has a modest pedigree with the dam producing just two non-winning runners to date. The trainer operates at a 3% strike rate at Worcester from 87 runs, in line with their 7% at other courses. With only one run on this trip and a going record too small to judge, the picture remains unclear.
KTB verdict
Pride Hill is the KTB Selection. A single flat fourth on debut provides a limited but respectable starting point for this switch to hurdles, while the powerful Olly Murphy and Sean Bowen combination bring strong Worcester figures of 22% and 23% respectively that match their overall records. The small samples on trip and ground are the main unknowns, yet the overall profile fits a race that should be run at a genuine pace. Hidden Mountain brings the best bumper promise with a win on good to soft at this trip, while Beau Speed, Tandy's Bridge and Walk The Hall all have pedigree or placed form that keeps them as the main dangers.
KTB Selection Pride Hill
Early prices
The best price per runner across the bookmakers we track, each as first seen (UK time). Every runner had a price by 12:03am, 1 Nov. Prices move — see the live racecard for current prices.
| Runner | Early price | Bookmaker, time |
|---|---|---|
| Tandy's Bridge | 16/1 | Coral, 12:03am |
| Pride Hill | 10/1 | Bet365, 12:03am |
| Hidden Mountain | 5/6 | Bet365, 12:03am |
| Beau Speed | 6/1 | Bet365, 12:03am |
| Walk The Hall | 100/1 | BoyleSports, 12:03am |
| Big John Ollie | 13/2 | Bet365, 12:03am |
| Rainbow Tara | 20/1 | William Hill, 12:03am |
| Midnight Escape | 18/1 | William Hill, 12:03am |
| Navy Boy | 40/1 | Bet365, 12:03am |
| Martial Law | 50/1 | BetTom, 12:03am |
| Half The Battle | 28/1 | William Hill, 12:03am |
| Gili Island | 70/1 | 7Bet, 12:03am |
| Sub Editor | 10/1 | BoyleSports, 12:03am |
| Clonagoose | 22/1 | William Hill, 12:03am |
| Exiguus | 80/1 | Bet365, 12:03am |
| El Dorado | 200/1 | William Hill, 12:03am |
This is the narrative read of the 3:05 Worcester. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Worcester racecard. Every result we hold for the track is on the Worcester results & records page. How favourites, trainers, jockeys and the draw have fared here over the last five years is on the Worcester racecourse statistics page. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse has already won on good to soft ground and at this trip?
Hidden Mountain has already won on good to soft ground and at today's trip.
What is Paul Nicholls's strike rate at Worcester?
Paul Nicholls has a 28% strike rate at Worcester from 394 runs.
Which runner is the clearest front-runner in the field?
Rainbow Tara tends to make the running or race on the pace.
How many pointing wins does Clonagoose have on his record?
Clonagoose has a recent string of pointing wins that look ordinary on paper.
Which horse is half-sister to Hester Flemen?
Walk The Hall is half-sister to useful Hester Flemen.
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