12:45 Kempton

Wednesday 27 December 2023

All12:4513:2013:5514:3015:0915:40

Ladbrokes Boost Your Odds On Racing Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 12:45 | Winning time: 3m 54.50s

Soaring Glory^p¹¹

Age: 8| Weight: 12-0| J: J J Burke| T: J & A O'Neill| OR: 135| D

14/1

Smart hurdler at his best, winner of the Betfair Hurdle in 2021. However, largely below par since landing a a listed handicap at Ascot in October of that year and has come up short off this reduced mark at Doncaster the last twice.

Form: 57-3525

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Brookie^t³⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: Ben Godfrey⁽³⁾| T: A J Honeyball| OR: 131| CD

9/2

Fairly useful hurdler/chaser in Ireland and has won 2 of his 3 starts since joining Anthony Honeyball, most recently producing a career-best when accounting for 9 rivals over this C&D (soft) last month. 5 lb rise demands more but he's clearly in good nick.

Form: 64-4101

Matterhorn^t²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Lorcan Williams| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 128| BF| D

9/2

Went the right way last season and defied a penalty in fine style following a breathing operation and 7-month break at Taunton (16.5f, good to soft) in November. Turned over when odds on for a novice event over the same C&D since but that form is strong and mark for this handicap debut looks fair.

Form: 3/P12-12

Rock House⁷⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 127| DWS

10/3

Point/bumper winner who easily landed the odds on hurdling bow at Worcester (2m, good to soft) in September. Subsequent third upped to 19.4f in a Chepstow Grade 2 novice was no backward step (since undergone a wind op) and may well have more to offer dropping back in trip for this handicap debut.

Form: 1/1-213

Our Champ²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Rex Dingle| T: C Gordon| OR: 126| D

9/2

Looked firmly on the up when winning 2m handicaps at Plumpton and Cheltenham on first 2 outings for Chris Gordon. Good run of form has come to a halt with below par efforts at Ascot and Newbury since, though, and he needs to get back on track.

Form: 46-1155

Yorksea^v³⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: N F Houlihan⁽³⁾| T: G & J Moore| OR: 123| BF

18/1

Gambled on when landing a Fontwell handicap last December before finishing a fine fourth in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury. Fit from a good run on the Flat but blotted his copybook by refusing to race back at Fontwell last month and now tried in a visor.

Form: 41480-R

Aurigny Mill^t¹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Fergus Gillard| T: V R A Dartnall| OR: 123| D

9/1

Left previous efforts well behind to get off the mark in 14-runner novice at Taunton in March. Further progress when taking a Wincanton handicap (15.2f, heavy) 15 days ago in ready fashion 15 days ago and a 7 lb rise is unlikely to prevent another bold show.

Form: 4712-51

Tapley²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-8| J: Elizabeth Gale⁽⁷⁾| T: Miss S Smith| OR: 115| CD

11/2

Returned to form with a bang when bagging a 13-runner C&D handicap in November. Creditable third to Brookie back here next time and wasn't disgraced in a Grade 3 Newbury handicap latest but he looks vulnerable all the same.

Form: 6-37134

Forecasts

Rock House (10/3), Our Champ (9/2), Brookie (9/2), Matterhorn (9/2), Tapley (11/2), Aurigny Mill (9/1), Soaring Glory (14/1), Yorksea (18/1)

MATTERHORN didn't appear to find a great deal off the bridle when runner-up in a Taunton novice last time, but it would be premature to question his constitution at this early stage and, in any case, that form looks all the better in light of the easy subsequent victories of the two that he divided. With improvement likely now pitched into a handicap, he gets the nod ahead of Aurigny Mill, who did the job well at Wincanton recently, and fellow handicap debutant Rock House.