DragonBet The Roar Before Cheltenham Extra Places EBF Junior 'National Hunt' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: K Brogan| T: J & A O'Neill

Half-brother to 4 winners, including useful hurdler/very smart chaser Yala Enki, stayed 31f, and fairly useful hurdler Grace A Vous Enki. Like those siblings, he may well need a stiffer test before long but a market check is a must all the same.

Dakota Star¹²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Callum Pritchard⁽³⁾| T: P Hobbs & J White| BFWS

11/2

Strong in the betting and shaped well when third in a 6-runner Hereford juvenile hurdle (2m, good) on debut in November, form which has since been franked by the multiple-winning runner-up. Subsequently undergone a wind op and should make his presence felt.

Form: 3

Mecene⁴⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: C Gethings| T: Mrs J Williams| OR: 107

5/6

Half-brother to 3 winners, including smart hurdler/useful chaser Faivoir and fairly useful hurdler/useful chase winner Clic Work. Placed in juvenile events at Wincanton and Warwick, and there's a strong chance that he will be involved in the finish here, too.

Form: 23

See Me Later^t1

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Stan Sheppard| T: T Lacey

5/1

Half-brother to French 2m hurdle winner Gamaline and dual bumper winner Martha Willow. Appealing type on paper and it will be interesting to see how he shapes up in the betting. Wears tongue strap.

Sixty's Rock⁵⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Thomas Bellamy| T: A King

4/1

Brother to useful hurdler/smart chaser Cheddleton and showed more than on debut when third of 8 in a juvenile hurdle at Newbury in January. Still very much a work in progress and likely to be on the premises here with further improvement anticipated.

Form: 53

Ashpriors^h1⁸²

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Sean Houlihan| T: P Hobbs & J White

66/1

Half-sister to fair 19f hurdle winner Don't Wind Me Up, while dam was a bumper/2m-2¾m hurdle winner. Didn't show much in the way of immediate promise at Ludlow and Dakota Star appears to be the stable No 1. Hood enlisted.

Form: 0

Clear Sky⁵⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Lorcan Williams| T: J Scott

16/1

Underwent a wind op after finishing down the field on debut in a Stratford bumper and hinted at ability starting out over hurdles at Newbury in January. Probably more of a handicapping prospect.

Form: 94

Milady Du Breuil⁴¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Jack Tudor| T: Christian Williams

66/1

Bred more for stamina than speed and has shaped accordingly in a bumper and 2 mares' events since switched to hurdles.

Form: 645

Forecasts

Mecene (11/4), Sixty's Rock (7/2), Dakota Star (9/2), See Me Later (5/1), Another Enki (6/1), Milady Du Breuil (12/1), Clear Sky (14/1), Ashpriors (25/1)

Having displayed a fair level of ability at Wincanton and Warwick, MECENE may well prove equal to this task. His pedigree offers hope that there is better to come and it was a potentially very useful juvenile that he finished third to at Warwick last time. Sixty's Rock is also open to improvement and is next on the list ahead of Dakota Star and newcomers Another Enki and See Me Later.