Cheltenham Pony Racing Authority Graduates' Handicap Hurdle (Conds/Amateurs)

Off time: 17:33 | Winning time: 4m 5.2s

Red Tornado²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Bridget Andrews⁽³⁾| T: D Skelton| OR: 137

4/1

Winner of a Listed handicap hurdle at Market Rasen last July and finish third over an extended 2m at Taunton (good) last month on his first hurdles outing since last September. Yard in good form currently (13/49) and interesting off top weight.

Form: 111733-

Solatentif³²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: H Cobden| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 132

10/3

Only victory came on good ground over 2m at Gowran Park when with previous stable in 2015. Finished a good second here over 2m5f on first outing for this yard in October and an interesting runner despite a 9¼L defeat at Fontwell last month.

Form: 262455

Poker School¹¹⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: Mr James King⁽⁵⁾| T: Ian Williams| OR: 130

7/2

Winner over hurdles off an 8lb lower mark at Sandown in November and successful twice over fences since. Latest of those victories came at Kempton over an extended 2m4f in December and he returns from nearly four months off here.

Form: 141146-

Lithic³⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Mr J J O'Neill⁽⁷⁾| T: J & A O'Neill| OR: 123

7/2

Victorious on his penultimate outing at Huntingdon over 2m (soft) early last month. Disappointing when turning out quickly for a Grade 3 handicap six days later. Has a promising amateur jockey in the saddle today.

Form: 256102-

Nabhan²⁶²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Robert Williams⁽³⁾| T: B J Llewellyn| OR: 122

33/1

Only victory in five hurdles outings came at Newbury over an extended 2m on soft ground in March 2016. Unraced since finishing well beaten in a handicap at Chester last July and probably best watched here.

Form: 27137-

Silverhow¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-10| J: Mr H Hunt⁽⁷⁾| T: N J Henderson| OR: 121

7/2

Successful off a 13lb lower mark at Sandown on soft ground last month. Finished runner-up upped to 2m4f at Uttoxeter subsequently and drop in trip shouldn't provide any issues. Unproven on forecast good ground.

Form: 971216-

Non-Runners

Copain De Classe²⁴

Weight: 11-7| Age: 5

T: P F Nicholls J: H Cobden

Bobble Emerald¹⁸

Weight: 10-5| Age: 9

T: M Keighley J: Harry Bannister

Forecasts

Copain De Classe (11/4), Solatentif (10/3), Silverhow (7/2), Lithic (7/2), Poker School (7/2), Red Tornado (4/1), Bobble Emerald (12/1), Nabhan (33/1)

RED TORNADO can take the concluding race for the Dan Skelton stable. The yard took this race in 2015 and the selection wasn't beaten far off a 2lb lower mark when runner-up at Taunton last month. Copain De Classe is worth noting on his return to handicaps here following a novice hurdle success at Wincanton last month and the predicted better ground looks likely to suit him better than the heavy going he pulled up on in his only previous handicap start while Lithic can put a disappointing effort at Sandown last time out behind him by claiming third ahead of Solatentif.