Happy Birthday Sheila James Mares' Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:30 | Winning time: 5m 55.76s

Larchmont Lass⁸⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: H Cobden| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 115| BF| C

5/4

Returned from wind surgery to land a 21f course handicap on reappearance. Let down by her jumping when third at Sandown a month later and put together another error-strewn round without her usual hood at Kempton (24.6f, good to soft) when last seen 3 months ago. Leap of faith required.

Form: 145-137

Bethpage¹³⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Ben Jones| T: Miss E C Lavelle| OR: 111WS

11/4

Progressive mare who completed the hat-trick in good style at Southwell in June. Good efforts in defeat on her next couple of starts but ran too badly to be true when tailed-off last of 12 to Larchmont Lass at this course (21.4f, good) back in November. Bounce back needed (has had a wind op).

Form: 1-11320

Briefly^t³⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: A J Honeyball| OR: 109

7/4

Steadily progressive in bumpers and is following a similar path over hurdles, coming good in 19.5f Bangor maiden at the end of June. Ran well switched to a handicap in a tongue strap after 6 months off when second over C&D (soft) just over 5 weeks ago and every chance she can go one better.

Form: 3-32132

Forecasts

Larchmont Lass (5/4), Briefly (7/4), Bethpage (11/4)

Preference is for BRIEFLY, who ran a cracker on return/handicap debut when runner-up to a subsequent winner over C&D last month and Anthony Honeyball's 5-y-o can go one better at the expense of Larchmont Lass, who was let down by her jumping on both starts in December but should find this assignment easier. Bethpage has had a wind operation since last seen and needs to get back on track.