toteexacta Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:20 | Winning time: 5m 34.9s

Chicoria³⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 12-0| J: Harry Reed⁽⁷⁾| T: T Davidson| OR: 107| D

4/1

Winning hurdler and chaser who has been kept to timber in four starts for his current stable. Not beaten too far when fourth of eight off this mark at Newcastle over 3m last time and has each-way prospects dropped in trip.

Form: 37-2754

Saint Freule^h³⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: D R Fox| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 105

9/4

Winning point-to-pointer who was second on his debut over hurdles, but has been well held in three subsequent starts in similar company. May do better now he is handicapping.

Form: 1-2655

Skywards Reward¹⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 103

9/2

Showed very little until suddenly bursting to life at Wetherby last time. Takes a step up in trip off 9lb higher, but has to be given serious consideration on the assumption that win wasn't a fluke.

Form: 36-U691

U Name It⁴³

Age: 10| Weight: 11-7| J: Dale Irving⁽³⁾| T: R M Smith| OR: 100

13/2

Pulled up in three starts following a break of almost two years before finishing last of four finishers at Kelso on his latest outing. Difficult to make any sort of case for.

Form: P5/PPP4

Sporting Milan⁵⁹⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: Sam Coltherd⁽⁵⁾| T: W Coltherd| OR: 94| BF

15/8

Winner and runner-up in handicaps on last two starts for Harry Wittington. Has been on the sidelines for a long time and make his debut for this yard, but is feasibly handicapped and is one to note in the betting market for last year's winning team.

Form: 232/412-

Millrose Bell²⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 10-2| J: Alex Chadwick⁽⁷⁾| T: V Thompson| OR: 81

16/1

Sent off at big prices on all her five starts over hurdles, the last two in handicap company. Lowest handicap mark so far, but remains hard to fancy.

Form: 3-37667

Border Victor^p1⁷²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-1| J: Lorcan Murtagh⁽⁵⁾| T: F P Murtagh| OR: 80WS

11/1

Has failed to hit the frame in nine starts over hurdles and handicap mark has fallen accordingly. Hopes are pinned on first-time cheekpieces and wind surgery having a positive effect.

Form: 447-7P8

Forecasts

Sporting Milan (15/8), Saint Freule (9/4), Chicoria (4/1), Skywards Reward (9/2), U Name It (13/2), Border Victor (11/1), Millrose Bell (16/1)

Quite an open handicap in which Sporting Milan would be of interest if the betting market spoke for him after his long absence. Skywards Reward has to be considered after showing his first real form at Wetherby last time, but a chance is take on SAINT FREULE, who runs in his first handicap and represents a stable which does well at this track. Chicoria has an each-way shout, while bottom-weight Border Victor is a possibility following wind surgery in first-time cheekpieces.