Terry's Birthday Mares' Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:37 | Winning time: 4m 44.03s

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Selected odds by:

Pawapuri⁵⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 124| D

4/1

Useful Flat performer who won twice over hurdles at the end of 2023. Beaten 20 lengths or more in 3 hurdle starts for Nicky Henderson this winter but it was a Grade 2 last time and interesting runner dropped in class on first run for Dan Skelton.

Form: 116-3P6

Ile De Jersey⁵⁷⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson| OR: 121| D

20/1

Hurdle/chase winner but absent since finishing second in a Fontwell handicap hurdle in August 2023. Top yard obviously capable of readying one but betting perhaps the best guide to expectations.

Form: F14/372-

Shantwopointfive²³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: S Bowen| T: W Greatrex| OR: 114

5/2

Irish point winner who landed a 2¾m Cartmel maiden hurdle last May and resumed progression when readily seeing off 10 rivals in 20.5f Southwell handicap last month. Creditable second of 3 off this mark at Exeter (17f) since. Return to a longer trip will suit. Respected.

Form: 2-21512

Molto Bene^t²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Lily Pinchin| T: C E Longsdon| OR: 114| CD

4/1

Improved to make a winning reappearance after wind surgery in a big-field C&D race in November. Hasn't managed to build on that in her 3 outings since so her hopes are pinned on the return to Chepstow sparking a revival.

Form: 13-17P7

Greyval²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: J J Burke| T: F O'Brien| OR: 114

5/1

Won twice as a juvenile hurdler. 0-9 in handicaps but placed at Wincanton and Fakenham this winter and perhaps 3m stretched her at Ascot last time. Thereabouts back down in trip.

Form: 346325

Current Mood²⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 10-7| J: Isabel Williams⁽³⁾| T: Evan Williams| OR: 103| BF| C

8/1

Better for return when capitalising on a much-reduced mark over fences at Ludlow (3m, good to soft) in October. Creditable efforts next 3 starts (including hurdle) but below-par fifth over fences in cheekpieces (discarded now) last time.

Form: 513245

Dromlac Jury⁸⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-5| J: Benjamin Poste| T: T Symonds| OR: 101

10/1

Quite a costly buy out of points and made a winning handicap bow over hurdles at Ludlow (2m) last March. Similar form when runner-up in 2m handicap chases on first 2 outings this season but weakened out of it at Hereford last time. Now back hurdling after 12 weeks off.

Form: 431-227

Non-Runners

Blue Las³¹

Weight: 11-11| Age: 7

T: N P Mulholland J: Dylan Johnston

Love Of Neymore³⁵

Weight: 11-4| Age: 7

T: R L Llewellyn J: Charlie Price

Forecasts

Shantwopointfive (5/2), Blue Las (3/1), Pawapuri (4/1), Molto Bene (4/1), Love Of Neymore (4/1), Greyval (5/1), Current Mood (8/1), Dromlac Jury (10/1), Ile De Jersey (20/1)

The lightly-raced BLUE LAS has the potential for better again now handicapping for the first time and might prove the answer to what looks quite a tight mares event. The return to a longer trip should benefit Shantwopointfive and she's second choice ahead of Love of Neymore. Pawapuri is also an interesting runner on her first outing for Dan Skelton.