12:40 Ascot Tips

First last time over a longer distance. Same jockey takes the ride again. Course no problem. Has to be given serious consideration and will be there at the business end of the race. Nap: Each way.

Won at Perth and Chepstow. Had a break and then ran too bad to be true. Last time out at Carlisle, likely to bounce back here and be involved.

Samuel Spade is a 6yo gelding trained by Ben Pauling and ridden by 3 lb conditional Callum Pritchard. He runs today off a mark of 124 with conditionals' claim. He is 5/21 wins as a hurdler and has posted a career-high RPR of 135, which incidentally comes here at Ascot back in February over 23.5f, won comfortably by 4.75 lengths under Ben Jones off a mark of 125. So he's clearly well handicapped. He's a winner on soft ground over a much shorter trip at Kempton and seemingly comes to hand around this time of year, winning in December 2022 and 2023. His form in class 3 contests or lower in handicap hurdles is: 1-PU-4-1-6-3-2-3-1-7 ??' 3/10 wins and 6/10 placed, so he should be well at home in today's company. Trainer Ben Pauling also remains in red-hot form, picking up 3 winners and hitting the crossbar twice in his last 7 runners. Samuel Spade has a hefty weight but deserves his position as topweight given his excellent strike rate as a hurdler.

Whatsupwithyou was well beaten in this race last year and was only fourth last time after being taken on up front at Lingfield. He will have to contend with another frontrunner here in Goodwin, but he did win at this time of year in 2023 and won his very first hurdle race over course and distance way back in 2019. The eleven-year-old is still competitive enough to get at least a place.