December 08 / 14.38 Taunton

14.38

Good

Classic Collection Holidays Handicap Hurdle

  • Prize money: £6753.04
  • 2m 3f 1y
  • Class 3
  • 4 runners
RTV
View Course
Classic Collection Holidays Handicap Hurdle

Runners: 4 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Showers

Evs (Won)

  • Win: £2.63

Form: 312431

Last run: 7 days

W: 10st 8lb

4 yo Gelding

OR: 103

Form & Verdict
Market Rasen bumper winner (good) and an improver over hurdles; won latest start decisively back at the Lincolnshire track (good to soft; conditionals event) last week; goes back up in grade but he escapes a penalty and this longer trip offers the potential for further improvement; key player.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

3

12th Dec 2024

Good To Soft

2m 3f 1y

Class 3

14:40 Taunton

Ilanz

11st 9lb

J: Lewis Stones

T: Olly Murphy

Placed in two of his three starts for new stable; remains on career-high mark but Lewis Stones takes off a useful 3lb and record of 1-1 at Taunton bodes well; in the mix.

8/1

4th

3

12th Dec 2024

Good To Soft

2m 3f 1y

Class 3

14:40 Taunton

Ilanz

11st 9lb

J: Lewis Stones

T: Olly Murphy

held up in rear, raced wide home turn, good headway before 2 out, soon pressed leaders, kept on run-in

8/1

3rd

2

20th Jul 2024

Good

2m 4f 139y

Class 3

14:05 Market Rasen

Ilanz

11st 11lb

J: Sean Bowen

T: Olly Murphy

3-10 over hurdles; arguably posted career-best form when second on stable debut at Plumpton (2m4f, good) in May but ran no race when dropped back to 2m at Stratford last month; needs to put that performance behind him.

14/1

Form: 4556-7

Last run: 40 days

W: 11st 8lb

4 yo Gelding

OR: 117

Form & Verdict
Won a Chepstow juvenile hurdle (2m, good) on his stable debut 14 months ago; beaten favourite in a Cheltenham Grade 2 next time; couldn't get back to the level of that win thereafter; wind surgery followed; tailed off on his return at Ascot; drops a further 2lb but has a bit to prove at present.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

4

21st Mar 2026

Good To Soft

2m 3f 123y

Class 2

15:20 Bangor-on-Dee

Magistrato

10st 13lb

J: Charlie Deutsch

T: Deborah Cole

Ended last year in excellent form over fences, with latest fourth coming behind the seriously progressive Thistle Ask; whereas he's 5-18 in that discipline and only 1-13 over hurdles, he's probably a better horse now than when last seen in this discipline; 5lb lower than his chase mark; front runs.

20/1

5

31st Oct 2025

Good

2m 3f 85y

Class 1

14:55 Wetherby

Magistrato

10st 10lb

J: Sean Bowen

T: Deborah Cole

Front-runner who can be tough to reel in on his day and has left his rivals trailing in completing a hat-trick in small fields at about 2m4f (latest in a match); has gone up a collective 20lb but he loves this good ground and looks sure to make a bold bid.

7/2

4th

5

31st Oct 2025

Good

2m 3f 85y

Class 1

14:55 Wetherby

Magistrato

10st 10lb

J: Sean Bowen

T: Deborah Cole

Front-runner who can be tough to reel in on his day and has left his rivals trailing in completing a hat-trick in small fields at about 2m4f (latest in a match); has gone up a collective 20lb but he loves this good ground and looks sure to make a bold bid.

7/2

OUR TIP

Form: 313-21 D

Last run: 193 days

W: 12st 0lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 123

Form & Verdict
Came good on his handicap debut at Warwick (2m5f, good to soft) in March; best effort came back there in defeat (2m3f, good) the following month; didn't need to be as good to score again at Uttoxeter (2m4f, good) when last seen in May; no surprise if there is more to come.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

13

10th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

3m 1f 0y

Class 1

15:20 Cheltenham

Hyland

11st 0lb

J: Nico de Boinville

T: Nicky Henderson

Won Listed novice chase here (3m, good) in November 2024; 0-5 in handicaps in 2025 but having edged down the weights he was a close fourth at Ascot (3m, good to soft) in December last time; 3-5 here and, with the drying ground in his favour, he could be in the mix in first-time cheekpieces.

11/1

3

25th Oct 2025

Good To Soft

3m 1f 0y

Class 2

14:20 Cheltenham

Hyland

11st 11lb

J: Nico de Boinville

T: Nicky Henderson

Doesn't want the ground worse than good to soft; took care of Transmission here last October and followed up in a Listed novice at the track, beating subsequent improver Resplendent Grey; nothing wrong with his following seconds (3m; Grade 1/hot handicap) and can be forgiven his no-show in the Grand National; goes well fresh and very feasible that there's further improvement to come.

11/2

30

5th Apr 2025

Good To Soft

4m 2f 74y

Class 1

16:00 Aintree

Hyland

10st 6lb

J: Nico de Boinville

T: Nicky Henderson

Best away from soft ground; saw the 3m out well on last two starts when second at Kempton in a Grade 1 novice and a major handicap; reverting to a left-handed track here may help his jumping; however, he switched from hurdling only last June and, notwithstanding his three small-field wins, six runs over fences is a slight record for a would-be Grand National winner.

18/1

Form: 3/443-

Last run: 347 days

W: 11st 9lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 118

Form & Verdict
Multiple Flat winner at up to 1m6f; won a maiden and a novice hurdle at around 2m last year, both on ground slower than good; faced some tough tasks on the Flat this year; dropped 4lb for his first hurdles start in 12 months on ground possibly a little quicker than ideal.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

11th

10

28th Jan 2024

Good

3m 0f 84y

Class 4

15:05 Doncaster

On To Victory

11st 11lb

J: Tom Cannon

T: Alan King

One-time very useful Flat performer who won twice over hurdles early in 2021; fourth at Haydock (2m3f, soft) last March but pulled up in November (25-1) when next seen; goes beyond 2m5f for first time.

14/1

0

4

26th Nov 2023

Good To Soft

2m 2f 111y

Class 3

14:05 Exeter

On To Victory

11st 5lb

J: Tom Cannon

T: Alan King

One-time useful Flat performer who has won over hurdles; however, seems past his best and doesn't look solid on 2022/2023 form (both codes); absent since Haydock fourth in March; best watched unless the market suggests a big run is expected.

14/1

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £4.80
Straight Forecast £5.84
Trifecta £10.50

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Ilanz

LAMBOURN:

Hyland

TOPSPEED:

On To Victory

WEST COUNTRY:

Magistrato

RP Ratings:

Ilanz

POSTDATA:

Ilanz

The Times:

Ilanz

The Guardian:

Ilanz

Daily Mirror:

Ilanz

The Sun:

Ilanz

Daily Record:

Ilanz

Daily Mail:

Hyland

D Express:

Hyland

The Star:

Hyland

Telegraph:

On To Victory