It's Fontwell's big race of the year and the Racing Post's Gary Savage has found four bets on the card.
2.30 Fontwell
Brewin'upastorm @ SP
1pt win
2.00 Fontwell
Hector Jaguen @ SP
1pt win
3.00 Fontwell
Wavering Down @ SP
1pt win
4.30 Fontwell
Goodwin @ SP
1pt win
Fancy a brew
Only five runners for the feature National Spirit hurdle (2.30), which is not far off the average for this Grade 2, and they all have a chance of landing the 45k first prize.
First off the list for me is perennial talking-horse Goshen who has been tried over fences and sent over 3m on his last two starts, those are hardly ideal and with the ground and probably the direction of travel also not in his favour.
The horse Goshen beat into second in the Ascot hurdle, Brewin'upastorm, reopposes on the same terms but I fancy him to turn the tables today.
Olly Murphy's 10yo was a narrow second in this last year under a penalty and when winning this two years ago he probably ran his best race when comfortably accounting for a similar field to today's.
Unlike his opposition this will have been a target all season and he will take some beating back here under ideal conditions.
Hector a warrior
The races either side of the feature are competitive handicaps and the 2m 5 1/2f handicap chase (2.00) can see Gary Moore's Hector Jaguen get off the mark at the 6th tie of asking.
He was quickly sent over fences after a disappointing handicap hurdling debut, where he ran a fine race over an inadequate trip at Plumpton.
That sharp track wouldn't have played to this stoutly-bred point runner-up's strengths but he may well have won that had he not been taken on up front for much of that contest and the way he rallied makes this step up in trip look ideal.
This isn't a bad race with Furkash, Sure Listen and Bolsover Bill all bringing decent recent form, which will hopefully mean the selection is a backabale price.
Down can get up
In the 2m 5 1/2f handicap hurdle (3.00) eight go to post but I will be having a win bet on Wavering Down for the in-form Jeremy Scott.
All of this relatively lightly-raced 8yo's best form is at around this trip on good or good to soft ground and after a couple of poor efforts over fences last season he has returned to hurdles this winter in great form.
He has posted his top two Racing Post ratings in three starts this season, with a ready win at Newton Abbott in October followed by a lesser effort on soft here, and another good performance off a pound lower at Exeter.
The winner that day was a progressive type, while the sixth has won since, with the second, fourth and fifth all hitting the frame so that looks a good race for the grade and he can get his head in front again in an ordinary contest.
Win looks imminent
I always enjoy trying to figure out a bumper ( 4.30) and although I think unraced horses are usually the way to go, I will make an exception in this for Chris Gordon's Goodwin who comes here following a very unlucky debut at Chepstow.
He found himself behind a couple of horses going backwards as they rounded the bend, with his jockey unable to find a clear route for over a furlong.
The field had got away from him by the time he was in the clear and he looked booked for about 10th, but he absolutely powered up the straight and took third near the line.
With nothing of note among the newcomers here it's worth taking a positive view of one with bumper winners in his pedigree.
