galliardhomes.com Cleeve Hurdle (Grade 2)

Current favourite for this race UNOWWHATIMEANHARRY has gone from strength to strength over the past 18 months. He comes here seeking an eighth win in a row after starting his winning run in a handicap at this course in 2015. Highlights since then include his wins in the Albert Bartlett and his two latest Grade 1 victories at Newbury and Ascot. His main rival will be Ballyoptic who deserves to win a race of this nature and was upsides Unowwhatimeanharry at Ascot last time when falling at the final flight. If he stays on his feet this time he’s capable of giving the favourite a stern test. In the same colours as the favourite, Kotkikova looks to be of interest based on her French form and she may well have come on for her Leopardstown run last time out. He wasn’t that far behind when hampered and unseating his rider last time out. The real dark one though may well be Shantou Bob who wears headgear for the first-time, has shown a progressive profile of late, and comes from a stable with a pedigree in his sort of event. 1. Unowhatimeanharry 2. Ballyoptic 3. Shantou Bob