17:40 Chepstow

Friday 26 April 2024

All16:3917:1017:4018:1018:4019:1019:4020:15

Sun Trade Windows Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 17:40 | Winning time: 3m 49.72s

Aucunrisque^p1²⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 12-0| J: Freddie Gordon⁽⁵⁾| T: C Gordon| OR: 134| D

4/1

Betfair Hurdle winner in 2023. Few efforts of note since but this is a drop in class and it wouldn't be a shock to see him stage a revival in first-time cheekpieces.

Form: 035P06

Matterhorn^t¹²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: H Cobden| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 132| DWS

16/5

Defied a penalty in fine style following a breathing operation and 7-month break at Taunton (16.5f, good to soft) in November. Good second back there 14 days later but very disappointing on Kempton handicap debut over Christmas. Had another wind op since. Goes well fresh.

Form: P12-127

Aurigny Mill^t⁷⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: Fergus Gillard| T: V R A Dartnall| OR: 131| D

17/2

Back-to-back wins at Wincanton and Kempton in December. Well held in the Betfair at Newbury since but should find life a bit easier in this lower grade.

Form: 12-5110

Wolf Prince³¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-11| J: C Brace| T: F O'Brien| OR: 131| D

10/1

Left first 2 runs this season well behind when making all in a small field at Taunton last month. 7 lb higher in what looks a deeper race now.

Form: 232-081

Way Out¹⁴⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: M G Nolan| T: S Hosie| OR: 128

9/1

Irish point winner who landed 3 hurdles in the first half of this season. Also shaped well when third in 2 chases in the autumn and given a break since a lesser run at Newbury in December.

Form: 111337

Manorbank¹⁵²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-2| J: Joe Anderson⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss E C Lavelle| OR: 122| CD

9/2

Won a pair of novice hurdles last spring (the first one over C&D). Decent start over fences when third at Ffos Las on handicap bow in October but absent since pulling up at Exeter in November. Reverts to hurdles now.

Form: 541-13P

Chaos Control^p²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: C Gethings| T: S Edmunds| OR: 120

22/1

Fairly useful handicapper on Flat who landed a Market Rasen juvenile early last year. Respectable third in a pair of handicaps last summer and sharpened up for this hurdle return with an outing on AW Flat 4 weeks ago.

Form: 16-7337

Lunar Sovereign¹³

Age: 8| Weight: 10-12| J: Tristan Durrell⁽³⁾| T: D Skelton| OR: 118| D

5/1

Lightly-raced 8-y-o who caught the eye when fourth in the Swinton Hurdle at Haydock last spring. Shaped as if better for the run when sixth of 9 over C&D 13 days ago, losing 3 places on run-in. Of interest having eased another 3 lb since.

Form: 33/46-46

Princess T¹⁵¹

Age: 9| Weight: 10-4| J: James Best| T: N P Mulholland| OR: 110| D

33/1

Won over hurdles on Jersey last summer. More miss than hit since but bounced back to form out of the blue when narrowly denied at Ludlow in November. Off since.

Form: 20-10P2

Forecasts

Matterhorn (16/5), Aucunrisque (4/1), Manorbank (9/2), Lunar Sovereign (5/1), Aurigny Mill (17/2), Way Out (9/1), Wolf Prince (10/1), Chaos Control (22/1), Princess T (33/1)

MATTERHORN has won on both previous outings after wind surgery and is taken to bounce back from a poor run on his Kempton handicap debut over Christmas. Lunar Sovereign should be spot on for this after shaping as if a recent comeback run here was just needed and is second choice ahead of Aurigny Mill.