A heavyweight clash between two horses who in an alternative timeline could have won the Champion Hurdle. While Sir Gino has walked the walk in open Grade 1 hurdles, the Fighting Fifth was not the strongest race of its type and the time lost means he is conceding chasing experience to the hugely exciting BALLYBURN. While the selection will need to jump with a little more zip than on his chasing debut, he can be expected to do so and his engine should stand up to even this speed-favouring 2m course. Rubaud would emerge as the main danger if either of the big two falls by the wayside. [Keith Melrose]
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Last season's leading novice hurdler, most impressive when winning the Baring Bingham at the Cheltenham Festival (2m5f, soft) by 13l; sometimes novicey jumping was the only blemish on a bloodless success on chase debut at Punchestown (2m3f, soft) 34 days ago; 2m at Kempton will demand he sharpens up on that score, but that is the only quibble with this exciting sort.
Half-brother to Champion Chase winner Captain Guinness and made a bright start over fences, winning a novice handicap at Sandown in November; ran flat next time and stiff task here against two demonstrable Grade 1 horses.
Smart and prolific hurdler, whose eight wins in Britain include three over 2m here; won both starts this season, at Listed level here and the Grade 2 Elite Hurdle at Wincanton (1m7f, good); this is a stiff task on chasing debut and his hurdles form is quite a way off Ballyburn and Sir Gino.
Unbeaten in four runs in Britain, starting in the juvenile hurdle on this card last year (2m, good to soft) and most recently in the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth at Newcastle 27 days ago (2m, good); has the physique for chasing and was set to start off here last month before being redirected to Newcastle; if he takes to fences, he will be the hardest test Ballyburn has ever faced.
( Pool guide displayed could change before the race starts & should be used as a guide only )