14:23 Market Rasen

Thursday 13 November 2025

All12:1012:4013:1313:4814:2314:5815:30

NFU Mutual Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:23 | Winning time: 5m 34.91s

Nazare²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: James Owen| OR: 104

2/1

Fairly useful bumper winner and left his hurdling debut form well behind when fourth in an 8-runner maiden on return at Fontwell (19.1f) last month. Looks sure to improve for that experience and he's one to be interested sent handicapping by excellent stable.

Form: 2123-4

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Bitsnbuckles³⁷⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: S Bowen| T: O Murphy| OR: 104

4/1

Off the mark on handicap debut at Huntingdon (19.6f, soft) in January 2024 but hasn't stood much racing since. Well backed when fourth on reappearance on this track last season and as good as ever when second at Wetherby (21.2f) last November. Leading contender if ready to roll on return.

Form: 6177/42-

Times A Wastin²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Jack Hogan| T: F O'Brien| OR: 102

18/1

Maiden had fair bumper form in Ireland but hasn't matched that form in 3 runs over hurdles, including 2 starts over 2m for current connections. Interesting to see if the market expects better (yard also saddle Heart Over Head) stepping back up in trip on handicap bow.

Form: 3-34557

Bannister¹³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Charlie Hammond| T: N Kent| OR: 102| C

17/2

Went as close as he has this season when runner-up at this track (18.6f) in September and ran creditably but seemed stretched by longer trip at Wetherby (21.3f) last time. Racing from below last winning mark at a course he likes but wouldn't want too much rain over this extended 2½m.

Form: 586628

Heart Over Head^t¹⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: J J Burke| T: F O'Brien| OR: 100

15/2

Chased home a now useful sort when runner-up in a bumper at this course on debut. Easy to back over inadequate trips in novice/maiden hurdles but likely to be capable of better now upped in distance on first start in a handicap.

Form: 2/P-747

Warner's Cross⁴⁵³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-1| J: G Sheehan| T: C Hobson| OR: 91| CD

18/1

Built on earlier promise to belatedly get off the mark over C&D (good to firm) in June last year and continued in good heart when second on chase debut here last August. Has gone well fresh but likely to encounter much softer ground back over hurdles.

Form: 3F/3412-

Walk In The Valley²⁷³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Danny McMenamin| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 90

5/2

Stoutly bred sort wasn't disgraced in Points and was supported when well held third over an inadequate trip on handicap debut at Catterick (15.7f). Made more impact than previously at Newcastle (16.9f) last time and he makes appeal stepping back up in distance for capable yard.

Form: 7P5398-

Non-Runners

Matoury¹³

Weight: 10-6| Age: 6

T: M E Sowersby J: Aaron Anderson

Forecasts

Nazare (2/1), Walk In The Valley (5/2), Matoury (10/3), Bitsnbuckles (4/1), Heart Over Head (15/2), Bannister (17/2), Warner's Cross (18/1), Times A Wastin (18/1)

A case can be made for plenty of these but it may pay to take a chance on HEART OVER HEAD who chased home a now useful sort on bumper debut and looks to have be campaigned with handicaps over this sort of trip in mind. He's narrowly preferred to fellow handicap debutant Nazare, while Bitsnbuckles could have say if ready to roll on return. Walk In The Valley is by no means a back number stepping back up in trip for a capable yard.