Ben Linfoot's Cheltenham Nap won on Friday - Dave Ord has the Saturday selections.
Tony Martin won this race two years ago and looks to have a leading contender this time around in HAMSIYANN.
He improved with every start as a juvenile hurdler last season, finding himself with too much to do when third behind Royal Way in an Ascot handicap on his final start. He’s crying out for this step up in trip, duly improving for a similar hike on the flat when second in the Chester Plate on his only run this season. A big player.
There’s a major leap of faith involved in selecting GLORY AND FORTUNE but it the fire still burns he has to be competitive.
Tom Lacey’s charge won the Betfair Hurdle at the peak of his powers but now races from his lowest mark since winning at Ffos Las in 2021. After a long lay-off he has the benefit of a pipe-opener in a Listed race at Kempton where he very much ran as if needing it and could just be a different proposition on Saturday in these much calmer waters.
He’s a three-time course-and-distance winner and while he has a four-month absence to overcome, ROCK ON TOMMY returns with the Olly Murphy team running hot.
The nine-year-old is now eight pounds below his last winning mark and has been a found a good opening with the only concern being his usual hold-up tactics in what is forecast to be a weakly-run contest.
He ran in the 2000 Guineas in the spring but this is NIGHT RAIDER’s surface and he can claim his biggest prize to date.
Three-from-three on the all-weather, he was a very taking winner of a conditions stakes at Kempton last time, having plenty in hand of Equilateral at the line. He’s capable of making an impact at this level.
He arrives here at the top of his game and ZU RUN is fancied to make a bold bid despite an ordinary draw.
He’s struck up a good partnership with Millie Wonnacott at this track the last twice, winning over seven furlongs and then touched off by Evocative over this trip last time. Willlolarupi will be popular after his Southwell success earlier this month but was helped by a very strong gallop that day and the selection might just be more tactically versatile.
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