Betway Heed Your Hunch Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:15 | Winning time: 4m 47.10s

Poetic Rhythm⁴¹⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: P J Brennan| T: F O'Brien| OR: 142| BF| D

4/1

Short-head winner of the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle at Newbury (2m4½f, heavy) in December 2017; unable to scale those heights in Albert Bartlett of 2018 and didn't take to chasing either (0-2); eased noticeably in grade on first start for 414 days.

Form: 3107/P2-

Chti Balko³⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: W T Kennedy| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 141| C

15/8

Folded from the second last when finishing 10½L third to Ballymoy in this contest 12 months ago (on heavy); took advantage of an easing mark with a decisive 10L win at Bangor (2m3½f, heavy) in November; the handicapper has reacted (up 9lb).

Form: 3390-51

Captain Moirette²⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 130| BF| C

3/1

Lightly raced hurdler (2-5); 5L winner of a 1m7½f novice (soft) here in March; reverts back to the smaller obstacles after a far from fluent round of fencing when runner-up to the prominent racing Schiehallion Munro at Catterick (2m3f).

Form: 118-342

Romeo Brown¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-3| J: Thomas Dowson| T: P A Kirby| OR: 119

7/1

2-7 over hurdles, most notably winning on heavy ground at Carlisle (2m1f) in March; posted a respectable comeback run there in October (2m4f) but hasn't delivered the goods since (fell at third over C&D 17 days ago); monitor only.

Form: 341-20F

Off The Hook³⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 10-2| J: Lucy Alexander| T: N W Alexander| OR: 118

9/2

Broke her maiden beating a couple of fair yardsticks (Sam's Adventure & Glinger Flame) at Ayr (2m4½f) in January; finished third to Queenohearts in the mares' Listed race on this card 12 months ago; is likely to benefit for her Ayr comeback run.

Form: 32314-6

Forecasts

Chti Balko (15/8), Captain Moirette (3/1), Poetic Rhythm (4/1), Off The Hook (9/2), Romeo Brown (7/1)

Donald McCain's Chti Balko made the frame in this contest 12 months ago, while there could be more to come over the smaller obstacles for the lightly raced Captain Moirette. Nevertheless, it's impossible to ignore the alluring claims of the Grade 1 (Challow) and Grade 2 (Persian War) winning hurdler POETIC RHYTHM who re-emerges from a 414-day absence for the Gloucestershire-based handler Fergal O'Brien. Now eight (fast rising nine) he clearly didn't take kindly to the switch to chasing but assuming that he's fit, well and raring to go back over hurdles then he's highly likely to prove a cut above this level of opposition.