'FIXED BRUSH' HURDLE H'CAP [HAYDOCK 23RD]

Two Rockers

1     1132-4    Trustan Times21      7    11-12    Tim Easterby67     148    125    155
2     F5-176    On His Own26      9    11-12    W P Mullins72     148    92    149
3     1118-    Two Rockers255      6    11-8    Alan King50    Wayne Hutchinson     144    120    151
4     11144-    Master Of The Sea232      6    11-7    Nigel Twiston-Davies48     143    140    151
5     111P6-    Gevrey Chambertin232      5    11-7    David Pipe55     143    99    154
6     352F-1    Gullinbursti13    7    11-7    Emma Lavelle100     143    —    —
7     3160-1    Ely Brown27      8    11-6    Charlie Longsdon60     142    124    152
8     5648-3    Lovcen27      8    11-4    Alan King50     140    95    144
9     311-13    Southfield Theatre7      5    11-4    Paul Nicholls73     140    122    157
10     F63-P    The Knoxs21      10    11-2    Sue Smith53     138    —    —
11     4502-2    Knock A Hand20      8    11-2    Richard Lee33     138    113    148
12     0212-1    Crowning Jewel27      7    11-2    Keith Reveley71     138    135    151
13     672P-1    Lie Forrit38      9    11-2    Lucinda Russell50     138    85    147
14     1521-4    Utopie Des Bordes14      5    11-0    Nicky Henderson59     136    129    148
15     5416-F    Sixty Something21      7    10-13    Paul Webber43     135    144    150
16     3/374-    Alfie Sherrin254      10    10-12    Jonjo O´Neill52     134    —    —
17     4545-5    Free To Dream8      6    10-8    Venetia Williams58     130    136    151
18     2-7037    Monetary Fund7      7    10-8    Venetia Williams58     130    145    152
19     503P-0    Restless Harry36      9    10-6    Robin Dickin50    Charlie Poste     128    72    85
20     3F1-23    Night In Milan23      7    10-3    Keith Reveley71     125    65    149
21     07643    Bourne10    7    10-3    Donald McCain50     125    127    150
22     948-3    Baile Anrai11      9    10-3    Dan Skelton50     125    100    141
23    1F1-2    Western Warhorse6      5    10-3    David Pipe55     125    115    155
24     332-3O    Kilmurvy14      5    10-1    Jeremy Scott44     123    140    153
25     P080-1    Yellow Ball184    5    9-12    Venetia Williams58     120    —    108

Gevrey Chambertin

Won over the fixed brush hurdles at this meeting last year.

Lie Forrit/Yellow Ball.

Two Rockers - Very impressive winner of a G2 C+D novice hurdle last season when quickening smartly after the last having traveled strongly throughout. The G1 Neptune Novice Hurdle at the festival was an unsuitable test but back up to 3m, and off a workable handicap mark, he is likely to go very well IF returning at peak fitness. With only four starts under rules he is open to any amount of improvement and will make a nice steeplechaser next season. The market is likely to give a strong hint as to if he's ready for this.

Knock A Hand - Beat Gullinbursti in a novice hurdle at Newbury Feb '12. Below his best last season until bouncing back in a C+D handicap hurdle, finishing 2nd behind Seymour Eric, when sporting first time blinkers. That rival went on to improve 18lbs so the form is good and he ran another good race on his reappearance in a novice chase at Carlisle. Arrives in top form and may be capable of more 2nd run back from a break.

Lie Forrit - Reached a peak of 155 when trained by William Amos but on debut for Lucinda Russell he won a Wetherby handicap hurdle off a mark of 131. Goes up 7lbs for that win and steps up in class but he remains capable of winning off his new mark if anywhere near his best and his new in-form yard are capable of taking him back there.

888sport have put up a market

Western Warhorse would be interesting if its come out of Sundays race ok. In time i think that race will show it was a good one, both Sausalito Sunrise (3rd) & Leuitenant Miller (4th) will prove to be a lot better than there current ratings suggest. Western Warhorse will be a lot higher than 125 at the end of the season and will creep in here off a lovely weight

looked at Knock A Hand too. His second to Many Clouds, albeit over fences, off levels could be very strong from indeed as I think MC has pretensions of being Grade 1 class over fences. I do wonder if the ground is Soft enough for Knock A Hand though, he loves it deep/testing and I think they're expecting it to be Good to Soft?

KNOCK A HAND did win on g/s at Newbury but 2 wins on heavy ground at Chepstow would suggest the more testing the ground the better for him.
NIGHT IN MILAN is very game and catches my eye out of the older handicappers ,whilst the winner of this race last year TRUSTAN TIMES is respected although you would think that there would be others better handicapped than him.
The younger generation look like they are going to be well represented by the big stables.

Gullinbursti is interesting. Always thought he could be top drawer over fences and surprised his entered for this after winning and jumping impeccably last time out
in a novice handicap chase at Market Rasen
Stable's in flying form and fancy he can run a big race on Saturday

Backed him myself Giddy. He could be an RSA type.

Unfortunately looks like western warhorse will miss out, so my eachway money will be on Utopie Des Bordes.

Not  sure if he can run in the RSA this year as he was novice chasing last term.Would love to know what the target is this season

Good luck Graeme

Gullinbursti didn't win a chase last season so is still a novice for this season. There was a tiny little fluff piece on the skysports website the other day if you missed it. Lavelle said they are going for the 3m Novice chase at Cheltenham in December (the one she won with Highland Lodge last year). If that goes well then they'll think about the RSA or the 4m race at the festival.

Emma Lavelle also has Shotgun Paddy running today at Haydock. Be careful Ante Post with Gullinbursti as she is likely to separate them come Cheltenham.  Don't know which way though but I've backed SP for the RSA.

She's got Le Bec aswell. The woman is spoiled with staying novices. I'm not so sure she can split them if they're good enough. One or two could seperate themselves because of the ground.

What a pathetic turnout.Racing crap all week then Saturdays racing a poor turnout all round.And they moan about poor prize money.

Owners do.

Put on decent prize money and still they won't run. Doubtless it'll be something about how the handicapper will hit them hard if they run too close to......

Here's a thought. Stop moaning and either buy better horses or pack up owning.

Pipedreamer have you not seen the Haydock card.  Absolute belter. Ascot is not great but Haydock more than makes up for it.

I'm glad for the TTF comp on days like tomorrow. Have 5 horses running and they are all Fav or 2nd fav, despite the small fields i'll look forward to it.

See O Neill runs Alfie Sherrin, get your National bets on now

Steamship, you speak wise words my friend. Backed him for the race last year so it goes without saying that I will be backing the horse blindly between now and April, regardless how poorly the horse performs, in a desperate and misguided attempt to get my five pounds sterling back from the bookies greasy mitts.

Thanks Tucho

Two Rockers for me

Shockster,yes,something weird here,its happened before,look at the final decs in the racing post in the morning,look again later in the day,and hey presto totally different than earlier!!!.
I think it was Cambridgeshire day that they added horses later,They cant get much right,cant even point out the reserves when they are listed.
Yes A fair race.

Going with Gullinbusti with a small saver e/w on Sixty Something

Gone for Lie Forrit with a saver on last years winner Trustan Times.

good luck all.

On the premise that the quality hurdlers do well in this race, I will weigh in with Master Of The Sea with Two Rockers as the danger. MOTS ran well all season progressing up the ranks before a staying on 4th in the Coral Cup and a creditable effort behind At Fishers Cross in G1 company at Aintree. A mark of 143 doesn't look oppressive on either of those runs. Similar for Two Rockers though did win a C&D G2 Novice Hurdle here before being put in it's place by The New One at Cheltenham. Again 144 would seem a fair mark. I would expect both to be in the firing line at the finish, just maybe MOTS is a bit more 'battle hardened' so will just edge it for me though. Good Luck.

Crowning Jewel EW for me with small reverse forecast him and Utopie Des Bordes.

Got a bad feeling that I'll end up regretting I did n't back the mare.

Good luck!

Not biggest fan of trainer but like the fact Fehily rides, Gullinbursti and Two Rockers for me, with Lovcen also at 33/1.

Gevrey Chambertain for me, on a fair hcap mark (favourite at chelt festival), got a feeling Pipe has him ready for today.

^ you were right ! Well done.

Noel Fehily being booked to ride seduced me into backing Gullinbursti but it's yet another horse from the Lavelle yard that hacks up first time out and is then well beat on it's next run.

well done Gevrey backers. Three years in a row Pipe has won that now.

Easterby won it last year but I get what you meant.

ah yes sorry, 3 out of the last 4 for Pipe.

Yeah I forgot to mention Pipe has a good record in the race, that was a huge swaying point for me tipping it.