Sam Thomas's 5yo C'EST DIFFERENT left his inauspicious qualifying runs miles behind when easily winning a conditional jockeys' handicap at Carlisle on Monday and has an excellent chance to complete a quick double off the same mark here. Bridget Mary is on a workable mark if responding well to first-time cheekpieces, while Arctic Saint may have been helped by wind surgery.[Chris Wilson]
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Placed in run-of-the-mill mares' novice at Uttoxeter (2m6f, soft) in December, her second hurdling start, but was pulled up on her latest outing and has a point to prove on this handicap debut.
Stuck to his task well and was only beaten just over 2l when fourth of 16 on last month's handicap debut at Warwick (2m3f, good to soft; first-time cheekpieces), having been badly hampered by a faller at the third-last flight; can make his presence felt again here.
Displayed huge improvement when upped to 2m3f for handicap debut at Carlisle (good to soft) on Monday, where he easily drew clear in the straight and was almost eased to a walk in the closing stages; escapes a penalty here and ought to be very hard to beat.
Showed some ability in novice hurdles in 2023 but was safely held on was what effectively his handicap debut in October of that year and has been absent for 474 days since.
Ex-Irish maiden who made the frame in two handicaps (2m4f/2m5f) for Deborah Cole towards the end of last year; needs to find extra here but a recent wind op may help in that regard.
Beaten just over 20l when seventh in his first two handicaps (1m7f/2m); needs combination of new trip and first-time cheekpieces to unlock improvement here.
Placed in two handicaps for Michael Scudamore (2m4f/2m6f) during 2022-23 season but absent since two disappointing runs at end of that campaign; market may guide before today's stable debut.
Unplaced all five hurdling starts; arguably ran better than bare form suggests when fifth of 16 at Doncaster (2m3f, good to soft) last month but subsequent 2lb drop is not enough to tempt.
Below form when well-held third on hurdling return in December but won Stratford chase (2m3f, soft) in the autumn and current mark is workable if she responds well to first-time cheekpieces here; had wind op last month.
Gave good account when fourth at Taunton (2m, good) in December, his second start for Tim Vaughan, but last month's Ffos Las run was a backward step and he's now 0-13 over hurdles; cheekpieces removed; tongue-tie added.
Pulled up on last summer's handicap debut (2m1f) but her sixth of 18 at Exeter (2m5f, good to soft) was more encouraging and she remains unexposed; not ruled out each-way.
