SCA 26 Year Anniversary Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:38 | Winning time: 3m 51.38s

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Selected odds by:

Hecouldbetheone⁵⁷⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 12-2| J: Rex Dingle| T: C Gordon| OR: 122| BF| C

18/1

Won novice hurdles at Fontwell and here (20.5f) for Gary Moore in 2021/22 but has been absent for 19 months ahead of this handicap debut for new trainer Chris Gordon. Betting perhaps the best guide to expectations given the length of the lay-off.

Form: 121622/

Spartan Army¹⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-12| J: Tom Cannon| T: A King| OR: 118| D

20/1

Fairly useful juvenile hurdler last season, winning twice. Arrives fit from a run on the Flat last month but his opening handicap mark in this sphere isn't obviously generous.

Form: 15251-

Parc d'Amour^t1²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: David Bass| T: K Bailey & M Nicholls| OR: 111| BF

6/1

Bumper winner who has run to a fair level over hurdles without getting his head in front, performing creditably back from 5 months off when third of 6 at Huntingdon (2m) last month. Tongue tied first time here.

Form: 372-233

Western Soldier^h¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Bradley Harris⁽⁵⁾| T: M F Harris| OR: 106| CD

10/3

Useful on the Flat in Germany. Struck at the second time of asking over hurdles in a C&D novice last month and has plenty of scope from this opening hurdle mark judged on his Flat ability.

Form: 31

Sniper Point¹⁹³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Charlie Deutsch| T: Alexandra Dunn| OR: 106

200/1

Showed fairly useful form when winning 17f claiming hurdle at Cagner-Sur-Mer on final start for Hugo Merienn in January but well below that level in 2 novice hurdles for this yard in the spring. Has plenty to prove on reappearance.

Form: P23183-

Tara Iti¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: Rob Hargreaves⁽¹⁰⁾| T: G & J Moore| OR: 102| CD

16/1

Recorded a career best when winning 7-runner handicap hurdle at Fontwell in June. First outing since then when unseating 3 out in a C&D handicap 14 days ago, shaken up and still off the pace at the time.

Form: 51-321U

West End Boy⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: Freddie Gingell⁽⁷⁾| T: J Tizzard| OR: 99

8/13

Left last season's novice efforts well behind when making a successful handicap debut at Wincanton (2m, soft) 8 days ago. That was a conditional jockeys' event so he escapes a penalty here. His claims are obvious.

Form: 6F2-1

Non-Runners

Estacas²

Weight: 11-5| Age: 6

T: D G Bridgwater J: Non Runner

Forecasts

West End Boy (8/13), Western Soldier (10/3), Parc d'Amour (6/1), Estacas (7/1), Tara Iti (16/1), Hecouldbetheone (18/1), Spartan Army (20/1), Sniper Point (200/1)

It's tough to ignore the claims of WEST END BOY, who escapes a penalty for his ready handicap debut success at Wincanton recently and Freddie Gingell can use his full 7 lb allowance this time. C&D novice winner Western Solo is comfortably the most interesting of the remainder as an opening handicap hurdle mark of 106 is lenient based on the level of form he attained on the Flat in Germany.