14:25 Haydock

Saturday 22 November 2025

All12:0812:4013:1513:5014:2515:0015:35

Betfair Stayers' Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race)

Off time: 14:25 | Winning time: 5m 54.73s

Shoot First⁴⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 12-0| J: Benjamin Macey⁽⁷⁾| T: C Byrnes| OR: 145| CD

22/1

Landed this race off 6 lb lower last year. Below par in only 3 outings since but last month's reappearance over an inadequate 2m at Tipperary was presumably just a warm up for this.

Form: 1/519F-5

Jingko Blue²⁸⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: B S Hughes| T: N J Henderson| OR: 145| BF| D

12/1

Point winner who has made a very promising start to his chase career last winter, winning a 2½m Uttoxeter novice handicap before landing a 3m Windsor Grade 2. Unseated early Reynoldstown at Ascot final start. Reverts to hurdles on return.

Form: 11P/11U-

Harbour Lake¹⁹⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 12-0| J: Tom Cannon| T: A King| OR: 145| CD

33/1

Strong traveller who has built up a really solid record in handicap hurdles since stepped up to 3m, including a C&D win when last seen in May. However, raised another 5 lb to a clear career-high mark so he'll need an improved performance to follow up back from 6 months off.

Form: 312P2-1

Red Risk^p²²⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 11-9| J: Freddie Keighley⁽⁷⁾| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 140

50/1

Edged out Joyeux Machin to land a valuable prize at Uttoxeter (23f, soft) in March. Well below par over a shorter trip at Ayr the following month and not seen since. Others are more persuasive.

Form: 07/6310-

Ma Shantou²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Ben Jones| T: Miss E C Lavelle| OR: 138| D

4/1

Useful staying novice hurdler last season and took it up another notched when making a successful handicap debut/reappearance over 3m at Cheltenham (good to soft) last month, beating the reopposing Electric Mason by 2¾ lengths. Raised 9 lb but there's almost certainly more to come.

Form: 21137-1

Joyeux Machin⁴²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-6| J: Harry Atkins⁽⁷⁾| T: D Skelton| OR: 137| DWS

18/1

Found his form for Dan Skelton with 3 good placed efforts in competitive handicaps in February/March. Shaped better than the result when mid-field in the Silver Trophy on Chepstow reappearance and that should have put him spot on for this. Has also had wind surgery. Considered.

Form: 05322-7

Horaces Pearl²¹³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Tom Broughton⁽⁵⁾| T: F O'Brien| OR: 135| BF

6/1

Won his first 5 starts (3 bumpers, 2 hurdles) and shaped well when third of 14 in 3m Perth listed novice hurdle when last seen in April. This low-mileage 7-y-o almost certainly has even bigger performances in him this season.

Form: 11/1153-

I Love My Baie¹⁵⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: J J Slevin| T: S R B Crawford| OR: 134

33/1

Three wins as a novice in the 2023/24 season but lightly raced since. Would have run creditably but set to finish no better than third when unseating at the last in 3m Kilbeggan handicap in June. Off since. Others are more persuasive.

Form: 13/437-U

Navajo Indy²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: G Sheehan| T: T Symonds| OR: 132

6/1

Bagged 2m handicaps at Bangor and Newbury last autumn and signed off with a solid third of 17 in valuable event back at Newbury (2m) in February. Returned with an excellent second of 20 in 2½m Cheltenham handicap last month. Likely still on workable mark after 4 lb rise but stamina for 3m unknown.

Form: 1/1143-2

Electric Mason²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: Freddie Gordon⁽³⁾| T: C Gordon| OR: 132

17/2

Bumper winner who landed maiden/novice hurdles at Fontwell last winter. Ended last season on a low note but very much back on form when 2¾ lengths second of 17 to Ma Shantou on Cheltenham reappearance (3m, good to soft) 28 days ago.

Form: 35107-2

Ace Of Spades²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 130

6/1

Took his hurdle record to 3-7 when seeing off 5 rivals on 2½m Aintree reappearance last month. Proven at 3m. Likely capable of even better for a top stable in flying form.

Form: 21142-1

Phantomofthepoints^t,p²²⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: Jack Tudor| T: D Pipe| OR: 129WS

18/1

Back to winning ways at Wincanton in January. Not disgraced in his 3 subsequent starts and reappears after wind surgery off the mark he defied at Wincanton. Stable no stranger to success in this.

Form: 341874-

Titan Discovery³⁰⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: Liam Harrison| T: R L Llewellyn| OR: 129| D

33/1

Back to his best on first start over 3m when seeing off 11 rivals in Windsor handicap (soft) in January. Off since. Should remain competitive off 6 lb higher.

Form: 2126/71-

Nab Wood²¹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-11| J: Danny McMenamin| T: N G Richards| OR: 128| D

22/1

Made light of an 8-month absence to win 7-runner handicap at Ayr (3m, soft) 3 weeks ago. Did it readily but he's 5 lb higher in a much stronger race now.

Form: 1/62U5-1

Esprit Du Potier²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-9| J: D R Fox| T: L Russell & M Scudamore| OR: 126

40/1

Dual bumper/hurdle winner who showed he retains his ability after a long absence when 5 lengths fourth of 7 to Nabs Wood in 3m Ayr handicap 3 weeks ago. This is much harder, though.

Form: 21P17/4

Karafon^t1²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-9| J: Sam Ewing| T: S R B Crawford| OR: 126

66/1

Won Clonmel maiden hurdle for Willie Mullins last December but has found things harder since. Not disgraced when 10½ lengths seventh of 11 to Hartington on Carlisle yard debut but no reason why he'll turn the tables. Goes up in trip with the tongue tie he wore when trained in France refitted.

Form: 470F-77

Hartington²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-5| J: S Bowen| T: J Tizzard| OR: 122

5/1

Ended last season with a promising handicap debut second at Windsor in January and improved again to go one better on 2½m Carlisle reappearance 3 weeks ago, staying on to lead close home in a style which suggests there could be plenty more to come now stepping up to 3m.

Form: 3/5122-1

Forecasts

Ma Shantou (4/1), Hartington (5/1), Ace Of Spades (6/1), Horaces Pearl (6/1), Navajo Indy (6/1), Electric Mason (17/2), Jingko Blue (12/1), Phantomofthepoints (18/1), Joyeux Machin (18/1), Nab Wood (22/1), Shoot First (22/1), Titan Discovery (33/1), I Love My Baie (33/1), Harbour Lake (33/1), Esprit Du Potier (40/1), Red Risk (50/1), Karafon (66/1)

HARTINGTON shaped at Carlisle as if he's likely to relish this step up to 3m and still looks well handicapped off only 3 lb higher. Ma Shantou is another low-mileage 6-y-o who surely has his best days still ahead of him and is second choice ahead Horaces Pearl and Dan Skelton pair Ace of Spades and Joyeux Machin.