15:15 Market Rasen

Sunday 12 March 2023

All13:3314:0514:4015:1515:5016:25

Get Cheltenham Ready At Rhino.Bet Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:16 | Winning time: 5m 28.55s

Ballyhome¹⁵

Age: 12| Weight: 12-2| J: Fern O'Brien⁽⁷⁾| T: F O'Brien| OR: 122| CD

13/2

C&D winner who was back to form when runner-up at Kempton 15 days ago and should be able to make his presence felt again.

Form: 1/22-052

Image of Stars that are filled with the colour gold

Happy And Fine^p⁴⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 12-2| J: Harry Bannister| T: A M Hales| OR: 122| BF| CD

5/2

Cheekpieces seemingly the making of him to end 2022, landing a brace of handicaps at up to 20.6f. Shaped as if still in form at Catterick last time and there's reason to think he'll be involved.

Form: 738-113

Sacre Pierre⁹³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Abbie McCain⁽⁵⁾| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 118

50/1

Back-to-back juvenile hurdle winner in 2021 and came out on top in workmanlike fashion in 4-runner handicap at Leicester (15.5f) on return. Followed that with a poor effort at Doncaster, however, so needs to bounce back in a big way.

Form: F516-18

Haas Boy^t³⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: J J Burke| T: C E Longsdon| OR: 116

3/1

Bagged 2m maiden at Huntingdon in March and would have made a winning handicap debut but for falling at Ludlow on return. Hasn't fired on both subsequent outings but not one to completely write off.

Form: 412-F45

Big Bad Bear⁴³

Age: 9| Weight: 11-9| J: Sean Quinlan| T: N G Richards| OR: 115

10/1

Ended last season with handicap wins at Newcastle and Perth, and lost out only narrowly at Market Rasen (20.6f) in October. However, not in the same form of late.

Form: 352587

Heross Du Seuil⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Caoilin Quinn⁽⁵⁾| T: R Potter| OR: 110

33/1

French bumper winner who landed a Kempton juvenile hurdle for Nicky Henderson in December 2021. Hasn't gone on from that, however, and was pulled up on debut for current yard at Newbury 9 days ago.

Form: 2/2P-45P

Halondo^t²⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: S Bowen| T: O Murphy| OR: 109

11/4

Fair in bumpers and going the right way over hurdles, sticking to his task when runner-up at Ayr the last twice. Has more potential now handicapping, and looks the one to beat.

Form: 45-5322

Sadler's Bay^h1⁷⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 10-8| J: David Noonan| T: T R Gretton| OR: 100

16/1

Promising third in maiden/novice events at Exeter at the start of the year. Below that level when switched to handicap company since and others make more appeal.

Form: 33-60

Magna Moralia¹²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: Aaron Anderson⁽⁵⁾| T: M E Sowersby| OR: 99

150/1

Flat winner at Pontefract last April. Little impact for new yard back hurdling and much more is required here after his break.

Form: 417/8-58

Non-Runners

Everything'sontick³⁸⁰

Weight: 12-0| Age: 7

T: Mrs L Hill J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Happy And Fine (5/2), Halondo (11/4), Haas Boy (3/1), Ballyhome (13/2), Big Bad Bear (10/1), Sadler's Bay (16/1), Heross Du Seuil (33/1), Sacre Pierre (50/1), Magna Moralia (150/1)

HALONDO has responded well to pressure to finish second at Ayr on his last two starts and an opening mark of 109 could prove lenient, so he takes preference over Happy And Fine, who is expected to bounce back from a lesser effort at Catterick recently. Ballyhome also merits consideration.