Investec Wealth And Investment Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 16:16 | Winning time: 3m 49.6s

Call The Cops^p²⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: R P McLernon| T: B Haslam| OR: 127| D

18/1

Won four times over hurdles for previous stable but out of form since joining this yard last autumn. Beaten 34L over 2m4f here last time out but well handicapped on his old form.

Form: 0R8089-

Raise A Spark^h⁴⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: W T Kennedy| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 127| D

6/1

Winner by 8L in a four runner contest over an extended 2m3f on heavy ground at Carlisle in March. Beaten 12L in a 19 runner contest off this 8lb higher mark at Aintree last time out and would probably prefer softer ground than he's forecast to encounter today.

Form: 313134-

Caius Marcius³³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-9| J: Craig Nichol| T: N G Richards| OR: 124| CD

13/8

Successful on his penultimate start over 2m at Wetherby (good). Respectable effort when seventh off his revised 6lb higher mark at Haydock subsequently and an interesting runner in this.

Form: 12U417-

Deepsand^t⁶⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: Alexander Thorne⁽⁷⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 117| BF| CD

7/1

Winner off a 3lb lower mark on soft ground over an extended 1m7f at Haydock in January. Fell at Musselburgh and finished fourth on heavy ground at Ayr subsequently. Would likely appreciate any overnight rain.

Form: 0/241F4-

Verona Opera²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: B S Hughes| T: S R B Crawford| OR: 112| D

13/2

Off the mark over hurdles when winning a novice hurdle on heavy ground over 2m at Ayr.in February. Made the frame twice since and returns to handicaps here (beaten off lower marks in the past).

Form: 425132-

Weapon Of Choice^p,t⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 10-2| J: Lorcan Murtagh⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs Dianne Sayer| OR: 103| D

11/4

Finished ¾L second over 2m at Kelso (good) last time out. Has been raised 2lb for that return to form and races off a mark 3lb higher than when successful at Musselburgh in November.

Form: 71605-2

Forecasts

Caius Marcius (13/8), Weapon Of Choice (11/4), Raise A Spark (6/1), Verona Opera (13/2), Deepsand (7/1), Call The Cops (18/1)

CAIUS MARCIUS was successful on his penultimate outing at Wetherby in March and ran well enough in a better race at Haydock subsequently to suggest he can take this contest. Trainer Ben Haslam can boast a 22% strike-rate (2/9) of late and his Call The Cops is sliding down the handicap following some poor runs and can claim second here ahead of Verona Opera who was second in a novice hurdle last time out.