AdamCox13579

Plenty bring strong form to the table here with Barton Snow, It's On The Line, Music Drive and Golden Son the 1-2-3-4 in the Cheltenham version, Gracchus De Balme won this 12 months ago and several others such as Unexpected Party, Thunder Rock and Java Point are not long out of NH handicap company. I do quite like the last of those named at a big price but i'll go for Joker De Mai. He was sent off just 7/1 for this race 12 months ago when under David Maxwell ownership and jockeyship, ultimately he fell early on but he's now 7 and looks sure to have been laid out for another crack at this race under new connections. His penultimate 3rd at Ludlow was a better run than the bare form given he was hampered and he probably hasn't had his ideal conditions yet this year.

I'm not the biggest Lulamba fan but I think he lost nothing in defeat to Kargese and Kopek Des Bordes who are both legitimate Grade 1 horses. The step up in trip is a question mark but several were suggesting even prior to defeat last time, that maybe Kopek would have too much speed for Lulamba so 2m4f seemed a likely stepping stone anyway. Koktail Divin comes the other way, back down in trip having not seen out the 3m strongly at Cheltenham but a 14l defeat to Romeo Coolio and a 21l win over Kiss Will (in 2 starts over an intermediate trip) suggests big improvement is needed.

Farfromnowhere was pulled up when last seen over hurdles but she has kept some good company the last twice over fences, finishing 4th behind The Big Westerner & Jade De Grugy and prior to that splitting Kala Conti & Jade De Grugy.

Plenty of these renew rivalry from 12 months ago with the 1-2-3-4-5-6 all back again. It's On The Line has been a staple in major hunter chases for a number of years and is understandably near the head of the betting to make it 4th time lucky but Willitgoahead could be overpriced. The selection was 3rd in the race 12 months ago as a relatively inexperienced runner. He hasn't set the world alight since but he was sent of favourite for the Aintree hunter chase (finishing 10th), his 2nd in December splitting It's On The Line & Con's Roc suggest he should be nearer those in price and he was again sent off at the head of the market to beat Panda Boy when unseating latest.

I think Gaelic Warrior was unlucky not to win the King George when Paul Townend got his whip tied for a couple of strides and lost momentum but I just don't fancy him here and with several of these well below the required standard I keep coming back to The Jukebox Man and Jango Baie both are unexposed, improving chasers. The selection looked like coming with a winning run at Kempton but flattened out, that is a concern with the extra 2f here but that was a first go at the trip and he stormed up the hill in the Arkle 12 months ago whereas The Jukebox Man emptied up the hill having looked the winner of the Albert Bartlett

Doctor Steinberg and Thedeviluno finished 1st and 2nd in a G2 Navan novice earlier in the year, the former got the best of it that day but the latter did seemingly improve for the step up to 3m. I'll chance Spinningayarn who has won his last 2 and gives the impression that this step up to 3m will bring about improvement

Dinoblue has won this and finished 2nd previously as well as boasting a Grand Annual 2nd from 3 runs over fences here. She has previously had question marks over the distance proving best at 2m and for all her stamina was untested last year with Allegorie De Vassy falling at the last, i do think she's become a more solid stayer over time. Spindleberry though will absolutely be at her best over this trip having won her last 5 starts all at around 2 1/2 miles before a pulled up effort in the Irish Gold Cup, that was a very tough race won by Fact To File but she didn't help her cause by failing to settle upped to 3m for a first time. Panic Attack has been hugely impressive this season but even big handicap wins off marks of 135 & 139 suggest this is a step up for her.

Sixandahalf won easily on her hurdling debut last season and she swept through looking like the proverbial good thing she'd been backed to be in the Mares Novice last season but she got headed close home that day and has developed a trend of finishing off weakly including as a 1/3f on seasonal reappearance (behind Colonel Mustard) but it's unlikely that small fields have been seeing her to best effect and she should be able to be smuggled into the race here.

Willie Mullins has won the last 4 renewals of the Triumph Hurdle and he has a strong hand once again with 9 entires, most of which are unexposed french imports. Mon Creuset appears to be quite a way down the pecking order but Poniros was hardly first string when winning at 100/1 last year. The selection was made Evs favourite on debut for Mullins and he looked to be coming there with every chance until a bad mistake 2 out. Harry Cobden takes over in the saddle and is much better than a 5th or 6th stringer.