Happy 60th Birthday Nigel Kirby Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:30 | Winning time: 5m 57.48s

Pounding Poet^p,t⁵⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 11-7| J: Stan Sheppard| T: T Lacey| OR: 119| CD

5/4

C&D winner who hinted at a revival when third of 13 in handicap hurdle at Ayr (24.3f, good) 55 days ago. Merits serious consideration off a handy-looking mark.

Form: 6PP4/63-

Image of Stars that are filled with the colour gold

Roger Pol¹¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: G Sheehan| T: Jamie Snowden| OR: 117

11/8

A fairly useful hurdles/chase winner but off since pulled up in handicap chase at Kempton (24f, soft) 118 days ago. Has something to prove back in this sphere.

Form: 2P0/13P-

Party Business^p³⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 11-2| J: C J Todd| T: Ian Williams| OR: 114

4/1

It's now 17 runs since his last win in 2022 and he came in a below-form fourth of 9 in handicap hurdle at Worcester (23f, good to soft) 30 days ago. He's hard to warm to.

Form: 3PP57-4

Non-Runners

Ernest Gray³⁰

Weight: 11-8| Age: 8

T: A King J: Tom Cannon

Forecasts

Pounding Poet (5/4), Roger Pol (11/8), Ernest Gray (11/8), Party Business (4/1)

C&D scorer POUNDING POET took a step back in the right direction when third at Ayr last time and can capitalise on a lenient mark here. Ernest Gray showed the benefit of a wind op when going in at Worcester and rates much the biggest threat ahead of Roger Pol.