Staycation Calories Don't Count Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 19:35 | Winning time: 6m 6.62s

Go Chique^p¹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson| OR: 120| D

12/1

Bumper winner who gained third hurdles victory back from a break at Bangor (23f, good) in September. Followed that with a solid second over 3m at Doncaster in November but she hasn't shown much in 2 starts since returning from a break last month.

Form: 10/12-60

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Ajp Kingdom⁷²

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: C Brace| T: F O'Brien| OR: 120| D

5/6

Went close in a Ludlow novice back from a 5-month absence in April and odds-on winner of his next 3 starts at up to 23.3f. More on his plate now handicapping but he remains something of an unknown quantity for respected yard that also saddles Oslo.

Form: 122-111

Clear The Runway²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: Adam Wedge| T: L Morgan| OR: 120| C

11/1

Highly progressive hurdler/chaser in 2022 but something to prove after 4 disappointing efforts since returning to action.

Form: 16-P895

Copper Beach⁶⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Tom Midgley⁽³⁾| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 114| BF

4/1

Much improved as he shed his maiden tag in runaway style upped to 20f at Uttoxeter in June. Blunder at the second-last proved costly when runner-up at Aintree next time and may well raise his game another notch now faced with a stiffer test.

Form: 229-312

Headscarf Lil⁵⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 10-6| J: Sean Quinlan| T: N G Richards| OR: 98| C

5/1

Returned to form on the back of a breathing op when winning 6-runner handicap here (20.6f, good) in May. Not disgraced in a race that wasn't run to suit back here next time but she looks vulnerable all the same.

Form: 2257-18

Non-Runners

Lock's Corner³⁰

Weight: 11-13| Age: 9

T: J & A O'Neill J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.

Oslo¹⁵

Weight: 11-2| Age: 6

T: F O'Brien J: P J Brennan

Forecasts

Ajp Kingdom (5/6), Copper Beach (4/1), Headscarf Lil (5/1), Oslo (7/1), Clear The Runway (11/1), Go Chique (12/1), Lock's Corner (16/1)

With this step up in trip expected to help unlock further improvement, COPPER BEACH looks the way to go. He lost little caste in defeat when losing out only to a fellow progressive type at Aintree and this 6-y-o remains on a feasible mark. Oslo is also moving up in trip and is respected on the back of an eye-catching reappearance display at Bangor, while stablemate Ajp Kingdom, who is gunning for the four-timer following a winning spree in uncompetitive novice events, has to be feared, too.