13:50 Haydock

Saturday 23 November 2019

All12:0512:4013:1513:5014:2515:0015:40

Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 13:50 | Winning time: 4m 43.1s

Kateson²³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: T Scudamore| T: T Lacey| OR: 141| D

5/1

Winner of first two starts last year and then ran well in defeat after, his close third to Ballymore runner-up Champ in the Challow Hurdle; can clearly go well fresh and both trip/ground ideal, so has to be on the shortlist here.

Form: 2/11377-

Project Bluebook^p³⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-11| J: B J Geraghty| T: J & S Quinn| OR: 140

8/1

May well have ended a frustrating run at Wetherby last time out had rider not taken wrong course when in front; has the talent to win this, trip fine although may not want ground too deep; clear chance of rectifying the mistake today.

Form: 00-227P

Irish Roe¹⁹⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: Henry Brooke| T: P Atkinson| OR: 139

16/1

Consistent mare that tries hard, given some tough tasks last year but came good on her final start at Aintree; starts this year 5lb higher than that and often needs a run to put her straight, so may be best watched today.

Form: 27394-1

Whoshotthesheriff²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Sean Quinlan| T: P A Kirby| OR: 132

5/1

Winner of three of his four starts in novice hurdles last year, looking an exciting prospect and was was still in with every chance when falling in a competitive handicap at Cheltenham on reappearance last month; stays this trip and has chances.

Form: 31211-F

Honest Vic^v³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: R Patrick⁽³⁾| T: H D Daly| OR: 132

5/1

Plenty of talent but his share of temperament to go with it, as he showed when almost throwing victory away at Market Rasen last time by idling badly; with that, hard for handicapper to pin him down and he might still be capable of more.

Form: 252U5-1

Bold Plan⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: R M Power| T: Evan Williams| OR: 130| D

11/4

Improved handicapper last year and looked one to follow this year, especially when the mud was flying; bit below par on reappearance but easy enough to forgive at this stage, and one to be interested in here.

Form: 2/3312-0

Notwhatiam¹⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-1| J: T J Phelan| T: A Berry| OR: 130

100/1

Winner for Dan Skelton last year but going backwards at a rate of knots for new yard, and despite a decent looking handicap mark at present, is very easy to pass over.

Form: 4-12265

Eviscerating^p,t⁴²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: Nathan Moscrop⁽³⁾| T: Sara Ender| OR: 127

50/1

Very solid effort on debut for yard at Hexham last month, finishing a close second, but then too keen/didn't stay when returned there on latest start. Suspicion is there's better to come but he does need to settle better and see his race out.

Form: 54F527

Man Of Plenty^p,t²¹

Age: 10| Weight: 10-10| J: Liam Harrison⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs S Leech| OR: 125

14/1

A regular in these big Saturday handicaps and perhaps this trip will suit him better than the bare 2m he's been trying lately; no secrets from the handicapper though, and will find this company plenty hot enough for him.

Form: 009868

Fin And Game²³¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-9| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 124WS

14/1

Looked useful as a novice hurdler but progress rather stalled last year, although at leas this best effort came at this track; comes back off a wind operation and there's still time for him to get back on track, so not discounted.

Form: 14/652P-

Gortroe Joe²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-8| J: Bridget Andrews| T: D Skelton| OR: 123| D

16/1

Rather disappointing sort that often travels well in his races, only to find less than expected when push comes to shove; best effort for a while at Wetherby last time and conditions fine here, but no good thing to follow that up.

Form: P1-P393

Falcon Sun^b,t²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-4| J: William Marshall⁽⁷⁾| T: D Skelton| OR: 119

16/1

Winner of two handicaps on quicker ground last winter (both at Leicester) and did little wrong when second in a competitive race at Cheltenham last time; worries would be any further rain and this step up in trip, but clearly in good heart.

Form: 511F6-2

Forecasts

Bold Plan (11/4), Whoshotthesheriff (5/1), Honest Vic (5/1), Kateson (5/1), Project Bluebook (8/1), Fin And Game (14/1), Man Of Plenty (14/1), Irish Roe (16/1), Falcon Sun (16/1), Gortroe Joe (16/1), Eviscerating (50/1), Notwhatiam (100/1)

Another wide open handicap and plenty can be given chances on the best of their form. BOLD PLAN looked very much like a horse to follow this season and it's worth forgiving his first start of the season at Chepstow as he may well have needed the run. He can get back on track with victory today. Project Bluebook is totally frustrating but it wasn't his fault that a winning chance was thrown away last time, and he is worth considering. Eviscerating is one to consider at a price and Honest Vic - if on his best behaviour - can make his presence felt too.