Best Odds Guaranteed At Virgin Bet Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:25 | Winning time: 5m 17.5s

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Hear No Evil^t⁶⁵⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 135| CD

11/2

C&D winner (as a novice); placed in the French Furze Novices' Hurdle at Newcastle (2m6f, soft) in December 2017; absent since landing the odds at Catterick (2m3½f, soft) 654 days ago; retains potential on handicap debut.

Form: 32131/

Stoney Mountain²²⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-11| J: R Johnson| T: H D Daly| OR: 134| CD

4/5

Game winner of the maiden hurdle (2m4f, good) on this card last year and generally consistent thereafter (2123P), including in Grade 2 novice contests such as the Leamington (Warwick) and the Prestige (Haydock); respected on handicap debut.

Form: 12123P-

Howling Milan¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: S Drinkwater| OR: 130

11/2

Lightly raced, ending last season on a positive note when making all to thrash Born To Please by 26L in a 2m Newbury novices' hurdle (good); weakened quickly from the home turn on seasonal reappearance/handicap debut (Chepstow); 4lb lower.

Form: 2/D861-7

Garrettstown²⁰⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: Aidan Coleman| T: O Murphy| OR: 129

15/2

Enjoyed a successful first season over hurdles (6212P2), registering a career best effort on his final start at Market Rasen (2m2½f, good) in April - a 9L runner-up to Harambe; must raise the bar further now sent handicapping from a mark of 129.

Form: 6212P2-

Voodoo Doll^p³⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-6| J: Isabel Williams⁽⁷⁾| T: Evan Williams| OR: 115| D

8/1

His form tailed-off fractionally during the second half of last season and he hasn't regained the positive momentum so far this season - beaten in excess of 17L (fifth) at Worcester (2m4f, soft) last month; others readily preferred.

Form: 5337-55

Non-Runners

Chapmanshype²²

Weight: 11-9| Age: 5

T: Jamie Snowden J: Non Runner

Notwhatiam⁶

Weight: 11-9| Age: 9

T: A Berry J: Lorcan Murtagh

Hey Bud²¹⁶

Weight: 11-1| Age: 6

T: J Scott J: Non Runner

Constancio⁴⁹

Weight: 11-0| Age: 6

T: D McCain Jnr J: B S Hughes

Forecasts

Stoney Mountain (4/5), Chapmanshype (3/1), Hey Bud (4/1), Hear No Evil (11/2), Howling Milan (11/2), Garrettstown (15/2), Constancio (15/2), Voodoo Doll (8/1), Notwhatiam (16/1)

A tricky race featuring a number of handicap debutants (none of whom appear to be particularly well weighted). Furthermore, with Howling Milan and Constancio likely to set a searching early pace, that could feasibly leave the improving Chapmanshype exposed on rain-softened ground. Without the rain Jamie Snowden's five-year-old would've been a reasonably confident selection but with clear doubts about how he'll handle such testing conditions he's somewhat reluctantly opposed. Therefore, for small stakes a chance is taken on the C&D winner STONEY MOUNTAIN (won the maiden hurdle on this card 12 months ago) in a race which is probably simply best watched.