15:10 Haydock

Saturday 11 May 2019

All14:0014:3515:1015:4516:2016:5517:2517:55

Pertemps Network Swinton Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3)

Off time: 15:10 | Winning time: 3m 40.4s

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Selected odds by:

Le Patriote^p²⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: Dr R D P Newland| OR: 148| D

20/1

Improver who arrives seeking a hat-trick after wins at Ayr (2m, good) in November, and after a break, at Cheltenham (2m4½f, good) last month. Up 6lb for the latter, drops in trip, and won't mind any rain, so plenty going for him.

Form: 41P/811-

Mister Fisher⁶⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-9| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson| OR: 145| CD

4/1

Has won 3-6 so far, including the Grade 2 Rossington Main Novices' Hurdle here (1m7½f, good to soft) in January. Held in the Supreme when last seen, but potential for improvement and not ruled out on handicap debut.

Form: 10/2118-

Jenkins^b²⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: James Bowen| T: N J Henderson| OR: 143| D

33/1

Drops in trip here for the first time since being pulled up in the 2018 County Hurdle. 2lb drop should help, and couldn't rule him out each-way, but more needed to win over this trip at this level.

Form: 0/14327-

Leoncavallo^b²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: Charlie Hammond⁽³⁾| T: Dr R D P Newland| OR: 143| D

14/1

Scored on stable debut (first-time blinkers) this time last year at Ludlow (2m, good), when 10lb lower. Has improved on that a couple of times since, including in Scottish Champion Hurdle latest, but more needed from this mark.

Form: 6/13205-

Sofia's Rock^t⁵¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 140| C| D

7/1

Dual Flat winner here on fast ground, at around 1m4f, when with Mark Johnston. Has win surgery after winning hurdle/stable debut at Worcester last year. Easy novice win under penalty at Ludlow in March and very interesting on handicap debut.

Form: 131-

Champagne City⁴⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: J J Burke| T: T R George| OR: 139| D

20/1

Class 2 handicap hurdle winner at Newton Abbot (2m2½f, good) last June, when 11lb lower. Has gone close on both his last two starts, the latest at Kelso prompting another 3lb rise, but can't rule him out.

Form: 143422-

Christopher Wood³⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: H Cobden| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 142| D

6/1

Acts on good, though would ideally want a little ease in the ground. Dual juvenile hurdle winner from just three runs last season and 6L third in Aintree Grade 1 last time out. Improving and much respected on handicap debut.

Form: 113-

Fiesole²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: David England| T: O Murphy| OR: 136| D

20/1

4-18 over hurdles, and produced a career-best last time, his fourth start for this trainer, when an impressive 9L winner of a valuable Plumpton handicap (2m, good) last month. 12lb rise requires significant improvement, but enters calculations.

Form: 7106F1-

Dino Velvet²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: Adrian Heskin| T: A King| OR: 135| D

16/1

Improving hurdler who was 7L second in last month's Scottish Champion Hurdle, after Class 3 wins at both Market Rasen and Stratford. Up 1lb here, and others may have scope for a bit more of a step up.

Form: 855112-

Nietzsche^t¹⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: Danny McMenamin⁽⁷⁾| T: B Ellison| OR: 135| D

16/1

Won Cheltenham's Greatwood Hurdle last season, when 9lb lower. 3L third in big field conditionals' and amateurs' Class 2 at Aintree last month. Up 3lb for that. Competitive, but more needed to win this.

Form: 00/6103-

Arthington²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: Kevin Jones⁽³⁾| T: J W Mullins| OR: 133| D

12/1

Soft ground winner over this trip at Lingfield in January and largely consistent in defeat since then, including C&D second here last month. 4lb rise will demand more, but should be competitive.

Form: 091222-

Project Bluebook³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 10-10| J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.⁽³⁾| T: J & S Quinn| OR: 132| D

20/1

Grade 2 hurdle winner who is 3-12 in this discipline, but on a losing run of six. Drops 3lb here and good claimer up, while he was entitled to need his reappearance after a break. Not written off, but clearly a bit to prove.

Form: 6806/00-

John Constable^t¹⁰⁵

17/2

Won this two years ago from a 2lb higher and went on to win from 18lb higher in Listed Market Rasen contest. Losing run now 14, but has had wind surgery since last seen and foolish to write him off for trainer who has won four of last six renewals.

Form: 6F0867-

Flying Tiger⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-9| J: Chester Williams⁽⁵⁾| T: Nick Williams| OR: 131| BF| D

16/1

2017 Fred Winter win was the last he recorded, and losing run now at 15. Well handicapped on that form, but hasn't shown enough recently to be confident he will take advantage, and ideally wants some rain.

Form: 23B8U5-

Cubswin²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-9| J: R Johnson| T: N B King| OR: 131| CD

20/1

Arrives in good form after wins at Wincanton and here over C&D, when getting the better of Arthington by a head (now 2lb better off) last time. Gets on well with champion jockey and has could make each-way appeal.

Form: 646511-

Kingofthecotswolds¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-8| J: Jordan Nailor⁽⁷⁾| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 130| D

33/1

Won a Ludlow maiden hurdle (2m, good) in February and has been stepped up in trip on both starts since. Initial mark looks fair and 7lb being taken off here, but this is a tough race for a handicap debutant.

Form: 242124-

Thistimenextyear³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-5| J: Darragh O'keeffe⁽⁷⁾| T: R Spencer| OR: 127| D

10/1

1-7 over hurdles, having landed a Class 3 handicap at Fakenham (2m, good to soft) two starts ago. Finished ahead of Nietzsche at Aintree last time, when improving, and not ruled out each-way after 6lb rise.

Form: 22/2412-

Forecasts

Mister Fisher (4/1), Christopher Wood (6/1), Sofia's Rock (7/1), John Constable (17/2), Thistimenextyear (10/1), Arthington (12/1), Leoncavallo (14/1), Dino Velvet (16/1), Nietzsche (16/1), Flying Tiger (16/1), Le Patriote (20/1), Project Bluebook (20/1), Fiesole (20/1), Champagne City (20/1), Cubswin (20/1), Kingofthecotswolds (33/1), Jenkins (33/1)

A typically wide-open look to this traditional big spring handicap hurdle. Evan Williams has farmed this in recent years, so despite his moderate recent form, 2017 winner John Constable has to be considered on his first run post-wind surgery. Christopher Wood and Mister Fisher step out of juvenile/novices' company and both could have a fair bit more to come, so they have to be much respected. Similarly, SOFIA'S ROCK, a dual Flat winner here, represents a trainer who is very good at lining one up for such races, and he gets the vote. La Patriote is going the right way and could have a big say under top weight.