26 February Landlord's Raceday Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:18 | Winning time: 4m 16.67s

Imaginarium^t³¹

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: S Bowen| T: O Murphy| OR: 120| D

16/5

Fairly useful Irish Flat winner who signed off last season with success in 2m Perth handicap in April. Off 8 months before coming in last of 8 in 2m Sandown handicap (good to soft) 31 days ago but no surprise to see him bounce back under these more testing conditions.

Form: 551P1-8

Doyen Star⁶⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-11| J: Ben Jones| T: Evan Williams| OR: 117| D

12/1

Dual 2m hurdles winner in 2022/23 but well held on both subsequent starts over fences and following 23-month absence in 2m1f Carlisle handicap hurdle in November. Very hard to fancy.

Form: 1115P/7

Courageous Strike^h²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Freddie Gingell| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 113| D

3/1

Fair on the Flat in Ireland and won 2 of his 3 starts over hurdles for current yard last spring. Comes here on the back of a solid third of 8 in 2m Kempton handicap 24 days ago so enters calculations.

Form: 21-1523

Teorie¹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: Lorcan Murtagh| T: Daisy Hitchins| OR: 107| D

20/1

It's now 11 runs since his last win in 2024 and he jumped none too fluently when a below-form fifth of 12 in handicap hurdle at Wincanton (19.8f, heavy) 19 days ago. Needs to bounce back.

Form: 625505

Phoenix Risen^b⁴⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 10-11| J: Chad Bament⁽⁷⁾| T: J Scott| OR: 103| CD

11/4

C&D winner who arrives on the back of a very good second of 13 in handicap hurdle at Wincanton (15.2f, soft) 49 days ago. Can go well again despite a 2 lb weights rise.

Form: 4936-32

Premier^h²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-5| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: W Greatrex| OR: 109| CD

3/1

Arrives better than ever, going in over C&D in December before posting an excellent third of 11 in handicap at Newbury (16.3f, good to soft) 20 days ago when faring best of those held up. Capable of further progress. Interesting.

Form: 24313

Daany²⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 10-2| J: Taylor Fisher| T: J Tickle| OR: 88| D

40/1

A three-time winner over hurdles in 2024. Below form both runs back in this sphere of late but not totally disgraced when fifth of 8 at Ffos Las (2m) 26 days ago. 6 lb "wrong" in the weights here though.

Form: 4111-P5

Forecasts

Phoenix Risen (11/4), Premier (3/1), Courageous Strike (3/1), Imaginarium (16/5), Doyen Star (12/1), Teorie (20/1), Daany (40/1)

PREMIER comes here on the up and can quickly resume winning ways on the back of an excellent Newbury third. Fellow C&D scorer Phoenix Risen is in fine form too so should ensure Warren Greatrex's 4-y-o doesn't have things all his own way though, while Imaginarium, Teorie and Courageous Strike all enter calculations too in this competitive handicap.