15:40 Kempton

Sunday 27 December 2020

All12:4513:2013:5514:3015:0515:40

Watch Racing Free Online At Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:40 | Winning time: 4m 2.2s

Christopher Wood^p,t1²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-13| J: H Cobden| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 141| D

11/1

Fairly useful hurdle/Flat winner who returned after 4 months off with encouraging third in first-time cheekpieces in 20f Bangor handicap hurdle. Disappointed at Newbury since and tongue tie now added.

Form: 4910-39

Sternrubin^p⁶⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: R Johnson| T: P Hobbs & J White| OR: 140| D

14/1

Useful on Flat/over hurdles and was as good as ever when second in a handicap at Warwick in May 2019. Took a crashing fall on belated reappearance in October but he's in top hands.

Form: 3264/2-F

Hang In There²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: Thomas Bellamy| T: Miss E C Lavelle| OR: 134| D

5/1

Looked very useful prospect when landing Cheltenham Grade 2 last November. Hasn't yet happened this term, sixth all outings in handicaps but latest Newbury run was the best of the trio. Back in trip.

Form: 15F-666

Dino Velvet⁷⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: Adrian Heskin| T: A King| OR: 133| D

33/1

Underwent wing surgery after a below-par display at Market Rasen in July. Much more like it when fourth in a competitive handicap back there in September but he failed to fire at Chepstow.

Form: 6-38347

Torigni⁴³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-4| J: D A Jacob| T: H Whittington| OR: 132

6/1

Twice-raced ex-French gelding who landed 2m juvenile hurdle (37/1) at Dieppe in June 2019. Easy to back but ran with credit when third of 9 on handicap/stable debut at Wetherby last month.

Form: 01-3

Faro De Kerser⁴¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: N de Boinville| T: T R George| OR: 132

28/1

Impressive winner of a juvenile hurdle in France in 2018 and landed brace of 5-y-o contests for this yard over the Channel this autumn. Revised mark does look stiff, however.

Form: 1/475-11

River Bray^p,t²⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: C Gethings| T: V R A Dartnall| OR: 131

25/1

Runner-up twice last season for all temperamental side resurfaced but ridden prominently and back to winning ways at Wincanton 3 weeks ago. Up 6 lb in a much deeper race.

Form: 282-5U1

Cadzand³⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 129| D

5/2

Well-bred point winner. Placed in a couple of bumpers last season and ran out an impressive winner on second hurdle start at Warwick (2m, soft) last month. Type to go on improving.

Form: 1/32-21

The Bees Knees^t⁴⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Max Kendrick⁽³⁾| T: F O'Brien| OR: 128| BF| D

4/1

Progressive young hurdler who followed up his Newton Abbot win with most impressive wide-margin success in Musselburgh handicap. Creditable fourth in a competitive Cheltenham handicap last time.

Form: 3-33114

Crooks Peak¹⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: David England| T: D Skelton| OR: 128| CD

25/1

Looked a smart hurdling prospect in early 2019 for Philip Hobbs but made low-key start over fences since. Back hurdling now for new yard after wind op and he was spared a hard race at Cheltenham.

Form: 40-5429

Eddiemaurice³⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 10-8| J: R T Dunne| T: J L Flint| OR: 122| CD

18/1

Good servant for this yard and a regular in this event winning in 2018 before another solid effort a year ago. Should be spot on following last month's Ascot outing.

Form: 1/6313-7

Always Resolute^p¹⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 10-4| J: Dave Crosse| T: Ian Williams| OR: 118| D

66/1

Dual 20f winner during 2018/19 campaign. Fit from winning on the Flat but hurdles efforts of late hardly brimming with promise.

Form: 12U/6-88

Vision Clear³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-0| J: J E Moore| T: G & J Moore| OR: 114| CD

33/1

C&D winner in May of last year but hasn't scored since and recent efforts in headgear (left off now) suggest he's gone off the boil.

Form: 52-3255

Non-Runners

Magic Dancer⁴⁴

Weight: 10-8| Age: 8

T: Kerry Lee J: C Brassil

Sorbet³⁶

Weight: 10-0| Age: 5

T: L Wadham J: J M Quinlan

Forecasts

Cadzand (5/2), The Bees Knees (4/1), Hang In There (5/1), Torigni (6/1), Christopher Wood (11/1), Sternrubin (14/1), Eddiemaurice (18/1), Magic Dancer (20/1), Sorbet (20/1), River Bray (25/1), Crooks Peak (25/1), Faro De Kerser (28/1), Dino Velvet (33/1), Vision Clear (33/1), Always Resolute (66/1)

There's definitely a bigger performance in HANG IN THERE, who travelled with purpose until his stamina was stretched at Newbury a month ago. Eased a further 2 lb and back over 2m, he could well be the answer to this tricky puzzle, with the Dan Skelton-trained pair Cadzand and Crooks Peak just a couple of potential threats.