Strong Flavours Catering Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:40 | Winning time: 3m 52.73s

Shared^p²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Paul O'Brien| T: Harry Derham| OR: 118| BF| D

7/4

Improved when taking a 2m Chepstow handicap on reappearance last season, and ended that campaign with a creditable effort at Warwick. His tendency to race lazily was in evidence on return this time round at Kelso last month, though, and he's likely to find one or two too good.

Form: 139P-43

Aggagio¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: Caoilin Quinn⁽³⁾| T: G & J Moore| OR: 114| D

20/1

Likeable dual-purpose performer who enhanced his good strike rate with a pair of hurdle victories during early 2023 and held form well on Flat thereafter. However, he ran poorly on the level back from a break in September and again failed to fire back in this sphere recently.

Form: 531/2F-7

Non Stop²⁸⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Brendan Powell| T: J Tizzard| OR: 108| D

7/1

The second of his 4 runs over fences last season was encouraging, finishing runner-up in a 2¼m Taunton handicap on the occasion in question. Interesting returned to hurdles (2-5 in this sphere) for the yard that saddled the winner of this race in 2023.

Form: 74/5234-

Inferno Sacree¹⁴⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: Lorcan Murtagh| T: N J Hawke| OR: 107| CD

14/1

Enjoyed a most productive spell when winning 5 times from 6 starts in the first half of 2023, with 3 of those wins gained here. Largely struggled since, though, and others make more appeal on this occasion.

Form: 3P30-76

Two To Tango¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Joe Anderson⁽³⁾| T: Miss E C Lavelle| OR: 106

3/1

Lightly-raced maiden who showed fair form in pair of maiden hurdles last winter. Back on track when third in a 10-runner Wincanton handicap (15.2f, good) 18 days ago and he is high on the shortlist off the same mark here.

Form: 5/32P-53

Calshot Spit²⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: M Goldstein| T: Miss S West| OR: 106

3/1

Found only a well-handicapped rival too strong in 2m handicap at Stratford in August and, having scored on the Flat next time, he narrowly prevailed back in this sphere at Fontwell towards the end of September. Ground was probably against him returned to the level since and he remains of interest.

Form: 0-3421

Forecasts

Shared (7/4), Two To Tango (3/1), Calshot Spit (3/1), Non Stop (7/1), Inferno Sacree (14/1), Aggagio (20/1)

It's probably best to overlook CALSHOT SPIT's heavy defeat on the Flat last month, as he simply didn't appear to handle the testing conditions. He was at the top of his game prior to that and, with the ground more suitable back hurdling here, the 4-y-o is taken to deliver. Two To Tango took a step back in the right direction at Wincanton recently and he is second choice ahead of Non Stop and Shared.