Better Value With Racecourse Bookmakers Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:50 | Winning time: 4m 19.21s

Playful Saint^t³⁶⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 12-1| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 131| D

5/4

Lightly-raced 9-y-o who won easily in the mud at Leicester last winter before good third of 16 In Imperial Cup at Sandown (2m, soft). Off for a further 12 months but goes well fresh and has been given a chance by the handicapper.

Form: 21/4213-

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Nayati⁸⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 11-11| J: Charlie Maggs⁽⁷⁾| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 127| D

8/1

Won 3 times last season. Reappearance fifth at Huntingdon in November was creditable but he ran poorly at Musselburgh a month later. Off since.

Form: 1586-50

Milldam^h,t²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: G Sheehan| T: Jamie Snowden| OR: 122| D

11/4

Winner of 2m handicaps in the mud at Ffos Las and Catterick this winter, overcoming a sloppy round of jumping at the latter track 4 weeks ago. A 3 lb nudge is unlikely to prevent another prominent showing.

Form: 49-5141

Schmilsson^h¹¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Fergus Gregory| T: O Murphy| OR: 116

11/2

Fairly useful on Flat for Andrew Balding and going the right way over hurdles, winning a 17f Sedgefield maiden and second in 2m Ludlow novice (both heavy) last month. Looks on a competitive opening handicap mark in this sphere.

Form: 37212

Mac's Xpress⁷⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-2| J: Danny Gilligan⁽³⁾| T: P J Gilligan| OR: 102

7/1

Remains a maiden after 18 NH runs. Below-form eighth of 16 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (20.5f, heavy) 70 days ago. Back down in trip. 2 lb out of the handicap.

Form: 332668

Non-Runners

Castel Gandolfo¹²³

Weight: 11-9| Age: 7

T: F O'Brien J: Liam Harrison

Forecasts

Playful Saint (5/4), Milldam (11/4), Schmilsson (11/2), Mac's Xpress (7/1), Nayati (8/1), Castel Gandolfo (14/1)

PLAYFUL SAINT reappears off a mark 4 lb lower than when third in the very competitive Imperial Cup at Sandown a year ago and he'll take a bit of stopping if still capable of that level of form. Handicap hurdle newcomer Schmilsson is feared most ahead of Milldam.