Betfred 'Supports Jack Berry House' Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:25 | Winning time: 5m 25.79s

Dieg Man^t1³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Harry Reed⁽⁵⁾| T: N P Mulholland| OR: 130| BF| CD

4/1

€200,000 purchase who scored with ease on his first two UK starts (beat Blottos by 3L at Catterick in January, levels). Bombed out badly in a better race at Ascot latest and returns to action wearing a tongue tie.

Form: 3-21119

Blottos¹³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 124| CD

5/1

Beaten 3L by Dieg Man at Catterick on New Years Day, but successful on each of his next two starts, including over C&D when beating subsequent dual scorer Aaron Lad by 3L. Disappointing latest, so on a retrieval mission.

Form: F1211P

Quick Pick¹³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: Sean Quinlan| T: J Candlish| OR: 121| CD

9/4

Unbeaten so far over C&D (2 from 2 in novice company) and has his sights lowered for just his second start in a handicap after contesting a decent race at Sandown latest (2m4f soft).

Form: 2U3119

Black Art⁵⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: W T Kennedy| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 120| C

11/2

Doubled up with an all out head success from Cape Hideaway over 2m1f here in January (course record reads 2,1,1). Upped in trip, and a further 6lb higher in the weights with Danny Cook opting to partner stable companion Blottos.

Form: 3-24211

Henry's Joy³²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-8| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 112

9/2

Can race keenly and whilst it's still early days in his career, he was beaten 2L by Quick Pick over C&D in January, and there's probably not enough of a turnaround at the weights in order to reverse those placings.

Form: 32-2425

It's Your Move^p1⁵⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-8| J: Henry Brooke| T: B Ellison| OR: 112

14/1

£50,000 purchase who hasn't lived up to expectations. Not really progressing with racing, and was held by Blottos when falling two out over C&D in January. First time cheek-pieces need to propel his career in the right direction.

Form: 3-3343F

Iolani^p1,h1,t⁷¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-0| J: Ross Chapman⁽³⁾| T: Mrs Dianne Sayer| OR: 103

33/1

Downpatrick bumper winner for Willie Mullins in May 2017, but dismal on all three starts for this trainer (£10,000 purchase). Wears all sorts of headgear today with the hood and cheek-pieces newly applied, so will be impossible to miss in-running.

Form: 2F6788

Forecasts

Quick Pick (9/4), Dieg Man (4/1), Henry's Joy (9/2), Blottos (5/1), Black Art (11/2), It's Your Move (14/1), Iolani (33/1)

A smashing little contest with plenty of previous Sedgefield form on offer and a number of these horses already no strangers to one another. The likely market principals all contested better races than today's latest, but equally were a fraction disappointing so return to action needing to recapture their true level of form. Blottos holds It's Your Move unless the cheek-pieces work the oracle, whilst Quick Pick can confirm C&D form with Henry's Joy. However, it could well be the top-weighted, first time tongue tied DIEG MAN who comes out on top for Neil Mulholland in a very difficult to solve heat.