We send three up to Hexham on Friday, where the ground is currently described as heavy, soft in places.
The good thing about the re-introduction of 0-95 events is that horses with a lower rating can get the chance to run off their official handicap mark, and this could prove decisive for Walk My Way who runs at 2.50.pm, in the o-95 novices handicap hurdle, over two miles and four furlongs, with Emma Smith-Chaston retaining the ride. Walk My Way was beaten under 10 lengths at Wetherby last time from 6lb higher than now, and her close up sixth at Catterick on New Years Day also makes her look attractively weighted.
The first time cheek pieces helped to do the trick for Lincoln Burrows on his penultimate start at Newcastle in January, when winning from a 5lb lower mark than now, but at Catterick 24 days ago he failed to fire under similar conditions. The cheek pieces are retained, and if he re-finds his Newcastle form he will be in the mix. Lincoln Burrows runs at 3.55.pm, in the 0-105 handicap hurdle, over two miles and seven furlongs, with Emma Smith-Chaston taking the ride.
At 11 years old Duo D'Enfer retains all his old enthusiasm. Since arriving from France in May of last year he has raced in six chases, and won two of them. He now tries his hand at hurdling, from 5lb lower than his chase mark, on what will be his ninth start over timber, and his first since finishing fourth at Compiegne just over a year ago. Duo D'Enfer shouldn't be inconvenienced by hurdles, having won two of his eight starts in that discipline to date.He runs at 5.05.pm, in the 0-110 handicap hurdle, over two miles, with his regular rider Emma Smith-Chaston in the saddle.
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Good luck to the connections, D Lees, D Pollitt & Driving Down Ltd, K Jardine R Griffiths D Boyce, and Samuel Sutton.
Duo D'Enfer.
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