Only LE LIGERIEN and Stoner's Choice have achieved much this season and the former is preferred despite his 99 days off, given that the latter switches to fences for the first time since 2022. The Widdow Maker showed enough in two 2m hurdle races last month to be given a second look but it's his stablemate Le Ligerien who is partnered by the stable jockey Brendan Powell.[Richard Austen]
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Smart form for his 3m wins in January and April 2023 but, after 545 days off, he's flickered in only one of his four races this season; that was on penultimate start (fourth of five at Ascot) and this is a big step down in class compared to his latest, in which he was pulled up early with an irregular heartbeat, but it's hard to have confidence in him at the moment.
567-day absence before this season; showed plenty of ability on three of his four starts back, helping to set the pace when second at Kempton (2m5f) latest; those four were over hurdles and his only chase experience are three races in 2022, easily the best of which was his win in a two-runner race on first occasion, so this return to chasing asks the big question.
Last season's win was on good ground and he had wind surgery (his third) before this campaign; won a six-runner race at Lingfield (2m4f, soft) in December very comfortably, which sees him off 6lb higher for today's first run since, but that's clearly the most substantial achievement over fences from any of these runners this term.
29 of his 32 races under rules were for Henry de Bromhead; won a hunter chase at Haydock (2m6f, heavy) last February on debut for new connections but pulled up in the Aintree Foxhunters' next time and same again in valuable 2m4f Newbury handicap (100-1; dropped out from five out) when reappearing 17 days ago; it's hard to be confident in how much ability remains.
The last of his four wins was at this track in February 2022; 706 days off before this season, including with wind surgery (his third); beaten 20l and 15l in his two hurdle races (2m1f) last month, which was nothing like his old hurdles form but he did show something and all hope is probably not lost on this return to chasing with a step back up in trip.
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