C&D winner MR BRAMLEY (nap) returns here after a creditable third in a competitive race at Newbury over Christmas and may still have more improvement to come. He gets the vote ahead of progressive 7yo Bowling Buddy, who was placed on his stable debut in November and may still have a bigger performance in him. Hazy Glen may not have been ideally suited by 3m last time and is a contender if judged on his 2m3f handicap debut win two starts ago.[Chris Wilson]
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Became disappointing in Ireland last year and was soundly beaten on stable debut in December; not disgraced when last of five behind Constitution Hill at Cheltenham last week but current ability remains hard to gauge.
Landed a big prize at Kelso (2m, soft) in March 2022 and is now 7lb below that mark but we haven't seen him since two below-par Flat runs in summer 2023; market may guide.
Returned to form when cheekpieces were added last spring and had excuse when well beaten on reappearance outing in November (bled from the nose) but didn't fire at Taunton last month and the headgear is missing again here.
Launched handicap career with four consecutive wins (2m4f-2m5f) in late 2022, and subsequent defeat in Grade 1 novice is easily overlooked; not yet fully exposed but has fitness to prove after 659-day layoff.
Low-mileage 7yo who won three in a row for Olly Murphy last summer/autumn (2m-2m3f) and kept on for third on stable debut at Doncaster (2m3f, good) in November; may still have more to offer; tongue-tie added.
Scored in good style over C&D (good to soft) on seasonal debut in November and his subsequent Newbury third (2m4f, good to soft) was perfectly respectable; still lightly raced after only five hurdle runs; major player.
Made all in two heavy-ground hurdles last season (2m3f/2m4f); back on a workable mark now but yet to strike form after three runs this term and needs to raise his game; swaps cheekpieces for refitted visor.
Six-time hurdle winner; good second over C&D (good) on seasonal debut in November and now 3lb below that mark but is yet to build upon that performance and dropped out rather tamely at Ayr 12 days ago.
3-9 over hurdles when trained by Kim Bailey; starts off for new stable on a good mark and with trip/ground suitable but has been absent for 631 days; had wind surgery in summer 2023.
Made winning handicap hurdle debut at Haydock (2m3f, soft) in December, despite racing too freely, and certainly didn't run badly when upped to 3m last month; remains lightly raced; one to consider.
Chasing has not gone to plan this season (two falls in three runs) and he now reverts to hurdling; has more to prove than some of these but he's on a workable mark and will be suited by today's trip/ground.
Progressive towards end of last season, winning three times (2m-2m4f), but failed to build upon his encouraging reappearance run when safely held at Haydock last month and needs to rebound here.
Led close home at Kelso (2m5f, good) in September, his sixth hurdling success, but the forecast slower ground here is probably not ideal and he returned from a break with a very disappointing AW run last week.
Came good in Britain at sixth attempt, at Perth (2m4f, good to soft) last May; back from break with lesser effort here in November and absent for another three months since but booking of Sean Bowen catches the eye.
Won Market Rasen maiden (2m4f, good to soft) by wide margin in November 2023 but subsequent form was diasppointing; absent since down-the-field finish in Kelso handicap last May; not the most obvious answer here.
Ex-Irish 8yo who won a maiden hurdle here (2m, soft) for Mark Walford last season; still lightly raced for his age but was pulled up on chasing debut in November and needs to put that experience behind him.
Completed 2m4f Newcastle hat-trick last season and looked back in prime form when close second here (2m5f, good to soft) on Boxing Day; however, Haydock last month was disappointing and he has become hard to predict.
1/5 Odds Place 1,2,3,4,5
( Pool guide displayed could change before the race starts & should be used as a guide only )
