Connections feel Jasmine Bliss can blossom again at Newbury

Jasmine Bliss will have to defy the burden of top weight to bring up a three-timer in the BetVictor British EBF “National Hunt” Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday.

Trained by Harry Derham, the dual bumper winner has slowly found her feet over hurdles and impressed when winning the last twice, including when thrashing the reopposing La Pinsonniere at Southwell earlier this month.

It was a performance that tees the six-year-old up perfectly for a shot at this valuable Grade Two prize, with her connections believing there is still plenty more to come.

“We’re really looking forward to running her again and she put up a really nice performance at Southwell last time,” said Noel Fehily of owners the Noel Fehily Racing Syndicates. “She’s got plenty of weight I suppose, but hopefully she can run very well.

“She won two bumpers last year and one at Newbury and we’ve always liked her a lot. She’s been a good mare for us and hopefully she can win a couple of more nice races for us.

“We hope she’s still improving – and she will need to be, off the mark she’s on. But Harry has been very happy with her since Southwell and we’ll give it a good go.”

As well as La Pinsonniere, Nicky Henderson will also be represented by Crazierthandaisy, who has been saved for this since breaking her duck over hurdles at Warwick on New Year’s Eve.

Fergal O’Brien runs Siog Geal, who showed up nicely in some hot bumpers earlier this term and has been equally as consistent since making the transition to hurdles.

“She’s in good form and I’m not sure if she’s well handicapped or not, but if we get a bit of rain Friday night, that will help her,” said O’Brien. “She’s very straightforward and has been running well all season.

“I was a bit disappointed with her at Market Rasen (when beaten by Bluey), but Emma Lavelle’s horse is probably a proper two-miler and we just couldn’t lay a glove on her. Hopefully she will run well.”

Also heading to the race in good form is Joe Tizzard’s Sunset Marquesa, who scored at Ffos Las last month and bids to give his handler his second win in the race after Ilovethenightlife’s win in 2023.

“She did it well at Ffos Las last time and even though she let us down first time in a handicap at Newbury, I think we can put a line through that, she came back and she wasn’t quite right,” explained Tizzard.

“She’s got some lovely form and we’ve always liked her and this is the right race for her at the end of the season, it’s a lovely Grade Two to target.

“She’s won her two novice hurdles well and this is a competitive race, but I think she can get involved. I think the step up in trip on better ground won’t hurt her at all and she stayed well in her bumpers, so you would like to think she has a chance.”

Paul Nicholls’ Clotilda was third to Sunset Marquesa at Ffos Las but is not one to dismiss, while Anthony McCann’s Irish raider Rockstown Girl has already tasted success in Britain once this season and is back for a slice of the £55,000 prize fund.