bet365 Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:35 | Winning time: 3m 48.9s

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Selected odds by:

Mixboy⁷³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Callum Bewley| T: K Dalgleish| OR: 132| CD

11/4

A winner over both fences and hurdles at this track in the past, he reverts back to the smaller obstacles (rated 8lb higher over fences) for the first-time since February 2016; down the field finish in the Ripon Bell-Ringer (1m4f) in July.

Form: 1PF/12-3

Beach Break^b²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-6| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 126| D

2/1

Rock-solid since May with form figures reading; 222111, and climbing the weights by 21lb as a result. 3lb higher than when pulling out extra from the last to account for Lovato at Stratford (2m+, good) latest.

Form: 222111

Viking Hoard^p⁶⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-11| J: K J Brouder⁽⁷⁾| T: C Byrnes| OR: 117| BF

10/1

Bolted up (15L winner) on his penultimate start at Killarney (2m4f, good), but hardly raised a gallop from an early stage in a stronger 2m race at Galway just eleven days later; off since, but considered here despite the 2m trip.

Form: 00231P

Lucky Robin⁴⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-9| J: Danny Cook| T: B Ellison| OR: 115

3/1

Much improved for a change of scenery (form figures for Brian Ellison read 211); 5lb above his last winning mark, when making all to beat subsequent Uttoxeter scorer Fleeting Visit by an all out ½L (2m2f+ Market Rasen, good).

Form: 900-211

Red Ochre⁷³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-3| J: D B Hurst⁽¹⁰⁾| T: C Grant| OR: 109

11/2

13-race maiden; runner-up in each of his last four starts, including when just held by Collodi at Market Rasen (2m1f, good) in July; will be doing extremely well in order to fill that position today against some fairly progressive looking rivals.

Form: 352-222

Forecasts

Beach Break (2/1), Mixboy (11/4), Lucky Robin (3/1), Red Ochre (11/2), Viking Hoard (10/1)

The 'unknown' commodity is the Killarney winner Viking Hoard who posted what could only be described as a 'stinker' when bidding to follow up at Galway. However, that race was just eleven days on from his decisive win, conceivably too soon, so he deserves another chance. Both Beach Break (three) and LUCKY ROBIN (two) are seeking to extend their recent winning runs of form, so in an open race the tentative vote sways towards the Brian Ellison-trained runner. He gamely fended off a subsequent winner (Fleeting Visit) at Market Rasen latest and should cope with this slight drop back in trip.