Welsh Guards Association Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 16:02 | Winning time: 3m 37.59s

Hooper⁴⁹⁸

Age: 10| Weight: 12-0| J: Miss Amber Jackson-Fennell⁽⁷⁾| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 110| D

16/1

Quirky sort who ended his time with Nicky Henderson out of sorts. Sold for only £3,500 and can only be watched returning from 16 months off with his usual headgear discarded.

Form: 34349P/

Pergamon^p,t³⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-13| J: William Shanahan⁽⁵⁾| T: J Candlish| OR: 109| D

6/5

Soundly beaten on first couple of handicap hurdles but found a chunk of improvement returning from 5 months off when winning 8-runner event at Huntingdon just over 5 weeks ago, seeming well suited by the drop back to 2m. Every chance he will defy a 7 lb higher mark here.

Form: 114561-

The Tide Turns^p,t²⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Lewis Stones⁽³⁾| T: Stephen Allen| OR: 108| D

150/1

No impact on all 3 starts for new yard, the latest returning from a 5-month break.

Form: 0F0/PP9-

Soleil D'arizona^h,t³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 108| D

3/1

Three-time hurdle winner from the front in 2025. Below par on first 2 starts back from a break in February but took a step back in the right direction when fifth of 11 in 2m Stratford handicap in March. Found to have bled at Plumpton since, however. Skelton back in the plate a plus.

Form: 41085P-

Zucayan^t¹⁵⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-5| J: Nick Slatter⁽³⁾| T: F O'Brien| OR: 101| CD

11/2

Has an excellent record here (all three career wins over C&D), most recently in this corresponding race last season. Struggled on the level towards the back end of last season but back on song when second of 9 over C&D (good to soft) 5 months ago. Respected on return.

Form: 26/1552-

Ufouria^t²¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-1| J: J J Burke| T: A Ralph| OR: 97| D

8/1

Bumper winner in Ireland and bits and pieces of promise for this yard over hurdles, shaped a little better than the distance beaten suggested when tenth of 13 in handicap at Stratford (19f, good to soft) 3 weeks ago. Back down in trip and the handicapper has given her a chance.

Form: 4/47640-

Lord Cauvelliere¹⁶⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Callum Pritchard| T: Sheila Lewis| OR: 93| D

8/1

Point bumper winner landed a Stratford bumper on his Rules debut and was only narrowly denied under a penalty at Bangor last June. Nowhere near that level in 3 starts over hurdles but may well prove a different proposition now handicapping on return.

Form: 1/12577-

Forecasts

Pergamon (6/5), Soleil D'arizona (3/1), Zucayan (11/2), Ufouria (8/1), Lord Cauvelliere (8/1), Hooper (16/1), The Tide Turns (150/1)

This looks to revolve around PERGAMON, who found a chunk of improvement to make a winning return at Huntingdon last month and Jennie Candlish's 5-y-o can make light of a 7 lb rise. All 3 of Zucayan's wins have been over C&D and having won this race last year, he's put forward as the main danger on reappearance. Lord Cauvelliere has shown precious little so far over hurdles, but the switch to a handicap may well see him in a better light.