15:35 Sandown

Saturday 7 January 2017

All12:1012:4513:1513:5014:2515:0015:35

32Red.com Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:36 | Winning time: 4m 10.95s

Robinshill¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 135

9/1

Has defied the handicapper twice this season and was well placed to pick up a novice event last time. A further rise sets him a difficult task in trying to concede weight to horses who look better treated.

Form: 120117

Kapstadt^t⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: T J O'Brien| T: Ian Williams| OR: 135

14/1

Impressive winner at Cheltenham but failed to back that up when well beaten off today's mark next time. There is a real sense he needs races run to suit and the presence of Robinshill as a likely pacemaker will aid his cause.

Form: 652141

Discours D'un Roi⁴⁶¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-11| J: N D Fehily| T: N J Henderson| OR: 134

6/1

Winner of two races in France with more in hand than the margins suggest. Makes debut for top yard off a handicap mark that looks about right. There could be more improvement to come and the jockey has an impressive 33% strike rate for the stable. Worth a check in the market following a 15 month layoff.

Form: 411-9

Cloonacool^b1¹¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-7| J: P J Brennan| T: S Edmunds| OR: 130

7/1

Winner of the valuable Prelude Hurdle at Market Rasen two seasons ago and was running a big race in this season's renewal when taking a heavy fall two out. He may have remembered that in his next two starts and blinkers are applied. Jockey is unbeaten on him and he is one to note in the market.

Form: 72133-F

Prairie Town⁴²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Lee Edwards| T: A W Carroll| OR: 127

20/1

Has run well here previously including on his reappearance in November. Stable have gone off the boil since and he did not run to the same level next time.

Form: 9/92772

Chocala²⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Wayne Hutchinson| T: A King| OR: 127

9/4

Winner over 2m on the flat during the summer. Not disgraced in two runs over timber this winter and the form of his latest effort looks a lot better now given the subsequent victory of the winner. Takes a drop in distance here having run freely over further.

Form: 35/2

Maestro Royal²⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: David Bass| T: N J Henderson| OR: 125

15/2

Gets a useful pull in the weights with Kapstadt on Cheltenham running. That was his first run in six months and he should be thereabouts for a yard who have not left this meeting empty handed since 2006.

Form: 272171

John Reel¹²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: Aidan Coleman| T: P D Evans| OR: 123

8/1

Smart Flat performer who has not run over hurdles for more than three years. Those efforts and his Flat form suggest he may have been let in lightly. Stable in form and jockey has ridden 11 of their 14 National Hunt winners in the last five seasons.

Form: 32312/6-

Krugermac³⁹²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: J E Moore| T: G & J Moore| OR: 122

6/1

Form of his Ascot victory has not worked out and he was comfortably beaten at short odds next time. Best watched after an absence of more than a year.

Form: 212-8

Non-Runners

Faithful Mount³⁵

Weight: 11-3| Age: 8

T: Ian Williams J: R Johnson

Forecasts

Chocala (9/4), Krugermac (6/1), Discours D'un Roi (6/1), Cloonacool (7/1), Maestro Royal (15/2), John Reel (8/1), Faithful Mount (8/1), Robinshill (9/1), Kapstadt (14/1), Prairie Town (20/1)

A case can be made for a few in this but a chance is taken with JOHN REEL who could be ahead of the handicapper judged by what he has achieved on the Flat since his last run over hurdles. Peter Evans has his horses going well at the moment and he looks the answer to a tricky looking finale. Cloonacool is interesting with blinkers fitted and Paddy Brennan back on board so a market move would carry significance. Discours D'un Roi is the unknown quantity and the market will give an indication as to what is expected after a lengthy absence. 1. John Reel 2. Cloonacool 3. Discours D'un Roi