Happy New Year Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:30 | Winning time: 6m 47.2s

Phoeniciana³⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Maxime Tissier⁽⁷⁾| T: L Wadham| OR: 110

10/1

Yet to win but made the frame in maiden and novices' hurdle company last season, including on heavy. Didn't jump too fluently on handicap debut when stepped up to 2m4½f last time. 4lb drop/up in trip again here with a bit to prove.

Form: 3224-5P

Cornish Warrior⁴³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: Mr James King⁽⁵⁾| T: N P Mulholland| OR: 107

9/4

Enjoyed a decent spring with a Stratford maiden hurdle (2m2½f, good to soft) success and a good handicap debut next time. Yet to reach those heights in two runs this term. Capable of having a say from this mark, though testing ground a concern.

Form: 3413-68

More Than Luck^p,t²⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: David England| T: O Murphy| OR: 106| BF| D

11/4

Won a Taunton handicap chase (2m7f, good) in November by 21L (stable debut/first-time tongue strap). Went well again last time from 1lb lower than today and worth a try back over hurdles in new headgear. Claims if handling ground.

Form: 623P13

Postbridge^b,t1⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: Graham Carson⁽¹⁰⁾| T: Mrs S J Humphrey| OR: 105

33/1

Won novices' hurdles at Plumpton (2m, soft) and Towcester (2m3f, good to firm) in early 2017 for Warren Greatrex. Yet to fire at all over hurdles/fences for this yard (inc. in first-time headgear twice). Hard to recommend despite 10lb claim.

Form: 9P64PP

Minella Gathering¹³

Age: 9| Weight: 10-11| J: Jack Sherwood⁽³⁾| T: P Henderson| OR: 95| CD

7/4

Stays 3m1f on heavy ground and returns to this C&D after scoring here on soft last time out from 3lb lower. Rise in handicap negated by claimer here and given good recent form he is likely to be thereabouts once again.

Form: 15-3821

Phare Isle^p,t¹¹

Age: 13| Weight: 10-11| J: Max Kendrick⁽⁷⁾| T: B I Case| OR: 95| CD

18/1

3lb lower here than when winning over C&D (good) in April under today's pilot. Beaten a long way on three out of four completed starts since then and despite this mark, his recent form leaves plenty to be desired.

Form: 1-35B50

Forecasts

Minella Gathering (7/4), Cornish Warrior (9/4), More Than Luck (11/4), Phoeniciana (10/1), Phare Isle (18/1), Postbridge (33/1)

MORE THAN LUCK routed his field in a chase at Taunton in November and also ran well from a similar mark to today's last time. Back over hurdles, he may have been found another good opportunity here. Minella Gathering has trip and ground to his liking and has to be taken very seriously after his win last time given that his jockey's clim negates the 3lb rise. Phoeniciana handles the ground and a better round of jumping would give her a squeak, while Cornish Warrior has the ability to have a say but he does have to prove himself in these conditions.