Virgin Bet Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:55 | Winning time: 4m 25.60s

Pyramid Place^h⁷⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Mitchell Bastyan| T: M F Harris| OR: 119| BF| D

17/2

Productive as a juvenile and has largely performed to a similar level this campaign, though bled when pulled up at Fontwell last time. Still looks too high in the weights for win purposes.

Form: 8-2743P

Limetree Boy⁴³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-11| J: T Scudamore| T: J & A O'Neill| OR: 118

11/2

Promising debut when third in 2½m Aintree novice won by Hillcrest and put a fall behind him when getting off the mark at Wetherby 43 days ago. Opening mark looks fair and he should prove competitive.

Form: 3F1

My Silver Lining²⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: James Best| T: Miss E C Lavelle| OR: 110

3/1

Shaped with promise when fourth here (18.5f) on debut before forging clear from Adonis Hurdle runner-up Teddy Blue at Lingfield (2m, heavy) last time. Leading contender on first handicap start.

Form: 241

Seventeen O Four^p²²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Fergus Gillard⁽³⁾| T: D Pipe| OR: 110

7/1

Dual Flat winner who struck on his second hurdles start in 2m Chepstow novice over Christmas. Best effort since when runner-up at Sandown last month but handicapper seemingly knows all about him.

Form: 41652

Lydford Lad³²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: Nick Scholfield| T: Jack Barber| OR: 109

12/1

Landed a novice at Ffos Las in November and ran to similar level when fifth on handicap debut at Chepstow in January. Below best back in novice company last time, so needs to find belated improvement.

Form: P5-1553

Hititi^t³²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: Stan Sheppard| T: R Walford| OR: 103

5/2

French bumper winner who confirmed the promise shown in Britain when scoring at Fontwell last month (third has won since). 6 lb rise is fair and there may be more to come from this unexposed type.

Form: 12F221

Show On The Road²²

Age: 11| Weight: 10-0| J: David Noonan| T: Mrs F M Shaw| OR: 92| CD

8/1

Veteran is winless since 2018 but has been running with credit this season, placed on both starts. Should run his race again but that may not be good enough to make the frame against unexposed rivals.

Form: 65/58-23

Forecasts

Hititi (5/2), My Silver Lining (3/1), Limetree Boy (11/2), Seventeen O Four (7/1), Show On The Road (8/1), Pyramid Place (17/2), Lydford Lad (12/1)

Several unexposed types in this contest, with MY SILVER LINING getting marginal preference for the in-form Emma Lavelle. Her strength at the finish allowed her to brush aside subsequent Grade 2 runner-up Teddy Blue last time and she may be underestimated by an opening mark of 110. Fontwell-winner Hititi and handicap-debutant Limetree Boy also look like potential improvers and hold strong claims.