Pertemps Network Group Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:20 | Winning time: 6m 49.40s

Keeper Hill²²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Adrian Heskin| T: W Greatrex| OR: 147

11/2

Reverts to hurdles after struggling over fences (error prone); 3lb higher than when an excellent third to Aux Ptits Soins in a Grade 3 handicap hurdle at Aintree (3m½f, good) in April 2019; merits respect.

Form: 003-1P2

Rocket Lad^t1⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: Alain Cawley| T: E Mullins| OR: 144

16/1

Gowran Park maiden winner (2m4f, yielding); finished lame at Cork on his penultimate start; didn't get home after travelling strongly until the home turn in a Gr 2 novice at Cheltenham (2m4½f, soft) last week; is tongue-tied for handicap debut.

Form: 21F15P

Fred The Foot^p,t³²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: B S Hughes| T: J C McConnell| OR: 139| C

5/1

Successful in two of his last three starts over hurdles, including when scoring over 3m here on New Year's Day (Mighty Thunder disappointing); 5lb higher in the weights with Brian Hughes taking over from Donal McInerney in the saddle.

Form: 831351

Traditional Dancer^p,t⁵⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 10-9| J: C O'Farrell| T: I Jardine| OR: 130

40/1

Twice a winner over fences (Perth and Cartmel) during the course of 2019 but has also blotted his copybook by twice refusing to race; rates as a very risky proposition indeed; look elsewhere.

Form: 1-651RR

Highland Hunter⁷¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-7| J: H Cobden| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 128

10/11

Progressive novice (at or around 2m4f) for Lucinda Russell in late 2018; wasn't at his best on debut for Paul Nicholls; would hold every chance if able to replicate his third to Closing Ceremony at Haydock (3m, good to soft) 12 months ago.

Form: 0/1135-8

Mighty Thunder^t,v³²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-6| J: S Mulqueen⁽³⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 127| BF| C

22/1

Made all, running out a ready 10L winner over 3m here (good to soft) on his penultimate start; beaten favourite (below-par) from his revised mark since (has work to do with Fred The Foot); stablemate of Order Of Thistle.

Form: 3-21814

Order Of Thistle³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-0| J: Thomas Willmott⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 119| C

8/1

Lightly raced stablemate of Mighty Thunder; sits just outside of the handicap (debut) proper; kept on strongly when winning a 3m maiden here (good to soft) early in the New Year; is facing much sterner opposition.

Form: 4-15431

Forecasts

Highland Hunter (10/11), Fred The Foot (5/1), Keeper Hill (11/2), Order Of Thistle (8/1), Rocket Lad (16/1), Mighty Thunder (22/1), Traditional Dancer (40/1)

Despite the small field, this Pertemps Qualifier promises to take some solving. Fred The Foot, Mighty Thunder and Order Of Thistle are all recent Musselburgh winners (3m), and it's certainly noteworthy that the champion jockey elect Brian Hughes takes over in the saddle aboard the Irish raider. Meanwhile, Keeper Hill (reverts to hurdles) and Rocket Lad (tongue-tied) both possess plenty of ability, yet admittedly are on retrieval missions. Therefore, we'll take a chance on the stamina reserves of the lightly raced HIGHLAND HUNTER. He was a promising novice for Lucinda Russell in late 2018 and remains relatively unexposed in handicap company.