13:35 Taunton

Wednesday 30 December 2020

All12:3513:0513:3514:0514:4015:1515:50

Invest Southwest Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 13:36 | Winning time: 6m 24.26s

Dell' Arca^b,t³³

Age: 11| Weight: 12-5| J: Fergus Gillard⁽⁵⁾| T: D Pipe| OR: 131| D

11/1

Sweetened up by return to hurdling, winning over 3m at Aintree and Newbury under Fergus Gillard in recent weeks. Left poorly placed at latter track last time and this mark needn't prove beyond him.

Form: 736115

Premier D'troice^p³⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Miss Brodie Hampson⁽³⁾| T: A Watson| OR: 124| D

28/1

Signed off time in Ireland with victory and perfect start for new yard at Fakenham (23.4f) in February. However, pulled up in 3 of his 4 subsequent starts and bit to prove now.

Form: 11P-2PP

Broken Quest^t¹⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: K Brogan⁽⁷⁾| T: T Symonds| OR: 124| D

5/4

Three-time winner in 2018 and proved better than ever when scoring in a handicap at Ludlow on debut for new stable 14 days ago. Up 8 lb but useful conditional almost negates that, so big claims.

Form: 11135/1

Ridgeway Flyer^h,t²⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-8| J: Rex Dingle| T: Jack Barber| OR: 120| C

12/1

Dual novice chase winner who went the wrong way after an encouraging return in 2018/19. Some encouragement both starts over hurdles this term and mark looks reasonable.

Form: 82P5/33

Fraternel³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Tom Cannon| T: A King| OR: 120

12/1

Left form of his British debut well behind when upsetting an odds-on favourite at Fakenham (2½m) in February. Failed to repeat that effort on both subsequent outings and opening mark demands more.

Form: 3/51-34

Hugos Other Horse^p²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: H Cobden| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 117

11/4

Fair bumper winner. Hasn't really clicked over hurdles, though more like it switched to handicaps with a brace of runner-up efforts in recent weeks at up to 23.9f.

Form: 664-022

Jefferson Davis^t,v³¹⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-11| J: Alan Johns| T: Tim Vaughan| OR: 109| D

150/1

Fair hurdler/chaser but lacklustre display when last seen over timber at Doncaster and has another 10-month absence to overcome, so others make more appeal.

Form: 600/15P-

Flowing Cadenza³¹³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: Sean Houlihan⁽³⁾| T: R H Buckler| OR: 109| D

20/1

Winner over 3m at Ascot a year ago and just as good when second at Warwick in January. Shaped better than being pulled up suggests final start and claims if primed for this return.

Form: 89412P-

Colonel Manderson⁸⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-11| J: Chester Williams⁽⁵⁾| T: Nick Williams| OR: 109

15/2

Promising fourth in 19f hurdle at Stratford in March but never able to land a blow back at 2m on return at Newton Abbot. Still has more to offer so firmly in the mix now handicapping up in trip.

Form: 554-6

Forecasts

Broken Quest (5/4), Hugos Other Horse (11/4), Colonel Manderson (15/2), Dell' Arca (11/1), Ridgeway Flyer (12/1), Fraternel (12/1), Flowing Cadenza (20/1), Premier D'troice (28/1), Jefferson Davis (150/1)

BROKEN QUEST made a winning start for Tom Symonds at Ludlow and, with Kevin Brogan taking 7 lb off, he looks well capable of going in, even in a more competitive affair. Dell' Arca is also appealing down in grade and Colonel Manderson strikes as a fascinating handicap debutant.