Jardine Utilities Race To Repair 'Hands & Heels' Handicap Hurdle (Conditional/Amateurs') (RE Series)

Ridden by Aamilah Aswat in his last five races; he's won the last two, though a 19l margin of victory at Newbury last time (2m4f, good to soft; first-time tongue-tie) provided the handicapper with the ammunition to hit him with a 10lb hike; he still rates a likely contender as a 6yo firmly on the up.

Won a bumper for Paul Nicholls and added a 2m4f handicap at Perth in October (soft) on his first run for Olly Murphy; ran well afterwards over 2m5f, and 3m was perhaps too far when last seen three months ago; he could be handicapped on the high side but capable of having some say.

His early-season form (2m3f-2m7f) offers encouragement off this mark; last two runs well below his best, though heavy ground was a feasible excuse the last time when a tongue-tie joined his regular cheekpieces; hard to rule out.

Had them well strung out in a 2m Southwell maiden (soft) in early March but that was a modest contest, for all that the second and third horses have won since, in low-grade races on the Flat and over hurdles; this 5yo may need to be on a sharp upward curve if he's to defy this initial mark.

Narrowly denied in a Gowran handicap (2m, heavy) before changing hands for £21,000; hit the ground running for this yard when readily taking a 2m handicap on soft at Wexford; should have no trouble staying this far and a hood goes on; he's not yet exposed and quite interesting.