Watch Irish Racing On Racing TV Novices' Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:20 | Winning time: 4m 24.40s

Dorking Cock²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Stan Sheppard⁽³⁾| T: T Lacey| OR: 121| CD

4/5

Ready Sandown winner (2m, soft) who followed up over C&D just three days later last month under a penalty. Up 9lb for that, but gets on well with this pilot and should be very competitive in his hat-trick bid.

Form: 377311

Informateur²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 121| BF

2/1

Won a Sedgefield novice event in November and went close to a repeat under a penalty at Newcastle (soft) in December. Beaten favourite here (2m3f) on handicap debut latest, and slight concern that he wants better, rather than heavy, ground.

Form: 3-21524

Mountain Hawk²⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: T D Easterby| OR: 119

9/1

Went close on heavy at Hexham before scoring at Newcastle (2m, good to soft) in January. Easy to back when a 25L third on handicap debut over 2m4f at Sedgefield latest, and much more needed after just 1lb drop, but positive that he acts on heavy.

Form: 4/46213

Romeo Brown²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Sean Quinlan| T: P A Kirby| OR: 117

12/1

Handled heavy well enough when third on his rules debut in a Cheltenham bumper last year. Scored over hurdles in a Kelso maiden (2m, good to soft) in December, but well held under a penalty twice since. Initial mark looks tough.

Form: 3-82134

Forecasts

Dorking Cock (4/5), Informateur (2/1), Mountain Hawk (9/1), Romeo Brown (12/1)

Potentially a muddling race with just the four runners and heavy ground, but DORKING COCK has to be the selection given his current good form and also as a C&D winner. Informateur can't be ruled out, but ideally he looks in need of better ground than this. Mountain Hawk and Romeo Brown have both shown that they act in testing conditions, so although they both have a fair bit to find, neither is written off.