1:30 Taunton Tips

Had shown useful form in bumpers and made an encouraging start over hurdles last time out on just his second start for this yard. That debut run came over an extended two-mile trip at Hereford, where he finished a keeping-on 3rd of 12. Kept to a similar trip here, and with improvement to come, he looks to hold strong claims.

Babyken pulled up on her hurdling debut over 2m 2f at Fontwell in October last year. She should have come on for that run. Dropped in trip to 2m should suit, and she could well be able to win this race.

Jaffa Cake is an unexposed hurdler from Ben Pauling's yard, arriving with bumper form that's been franked. That green run near last was all about learning the job to me, and this step up in trip looks perfect. He has elite bumper pedigree by the Order of St George gelding and loves 2m on today's ground. Pauling's second-time juveniles are notorious for bounce-backs also.

Victors Spirit has not won yet but was second on his first two bumper runs at 2+ miles. He then returned from a short break last month and finished at the back of the pack at Wolverhampton over 1m4f. I am hoping the return to turf can get him back in the game in this hurdle debut EW.

On what he's shown, the favourite should win, but as reflected in price he's no certainty, especially despite the absence of the second favourite. In the race, the others have not set the bar particularly high. Trooper, from Tom George, was 5/25 on the flat in Getmany. Sure to have been well schooled, he could cause an upset if fit enough after a 257-day layoff. And 16/1 makes a lot of appeal for an each-way bet. I envisaged around 10/1-12/1 with second favourite in tge race yet he's 4 points bigger with him out. Has been gelded since his ladt run

Hard Stare won his point-to-point over 2 miles on good ground, and his recent hurdle tries came on softer turf where he got outpaced. He'll do better back on a faster track like this at Taunton.