The new National Hunt season is under way and adjusting to life after Tony McCoy. Haydock stages a mixed card of flat and jump races on Saturday but the feature event is the two-mile Swinton Handicap Hurdle.
The bookmakers have chalked up Handiwork as the early favourite on the strength of his fourth behind Cheltenian at Ayr in the Scottish Champion Hurdle. That title is a little misleading as it is now a handicap and Handiwork is just 2lbs better off with the winner. The Steve Gollings-trained gelding stormed through in the closing stages and he has the assistance of Nico de Boinville in the saddle.
Cheltenian is now nine years of age but has always been a classy performer, winning the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham back in 2011. He was a game second to Violet Dancer at Newbury in the Betfair Hurdle and thoroughly deserved his victory at Ayr.
Tony Martin was narrowly denied in the Chester Cup when Quick Jack was just beaten by Trip To Paris on Wednesday. He is targeting another big handicap here with The Plan Man, a five-year-old son of Jeremy.
He was fourth to Some Article at Fairyhouse in April and got no further than the fourth flight before unseating his rider last time. Evan Williams saddles Court Minstrel and last year’s winner Ballyglasheen and neither has particularly inspiring form figures. The former has been cutting little ice against the top two-mile chasers recently while Ballyglasheen was never a factor at Cheltenham or Aintree.
Brian Ellison is represented by Vodka Wells, a two and a quarter length winner from Harvey’s Hope at Hexham last time. That was his first victory since joining the trainer from France and he could still be improving.
Barizan is another previous winner of this race having won in 2013 but he too has been struggling to show his form of late. Oliver Sherwood saddles Rayvin Black who tried to set the pace at Sandown recently but could not sustain the effort and faded into seventh. He was a very game second to Ebony Express in the Imperial Cup but that was a real slog and it may have taken its toll.
David Pipe’s Rathealy has won modest contests at Plumpton and Warwick, both in very testing ground. He is up 7lbs for his latest win but the one that really catches the eye is Harry Whittington’s Arzal. He ran no sort of race in the Imperial Cup but something was clearly amiss that day and he bolted up at Chepstow last time in a novices’ hurdle.
Handiwork @9-1 Paddy Power
Arzal @9-1 Ladbrokes
Each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3,4
Betfair:
Bet on Henrik Stenson to become the BMW PGA Championship Winner.
Paddypower:
Back Australia to take the Ashes home with them.
Betway:
Back Rafael Nadal to become the Mens French Open Winner.
Coral:
Back One For Arthur to win the Grand National.
Bet365:
Back Mexico to win the Confederations Cup.
