May 13 / 16.35 Hereford

16.35

Good

Get Emma’s Offers At PlanetSportBet Handicap Hurdle

  • Prize money: £4066.37
  • 2m 0f 53y
  • Class 4
  • 5 runners
SKY
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Get Emma’s Offers At PlanetSportBet Handicap Hurdle

Runners: 5 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Cloudy

OUR TIP

Form: /4675- D

Last run: 43 days

W: 12st 0lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 112

Form & Verdict
Useful hurdler/chaser at his best for Fergal O'Brien (mainly on good ground) but regressed last year; not disgraced when beaten 32l on stable debut at Ffos Las (2m) in March, given it came after a six-month break and on heavy ground, but has a lot more to prove than a couple of these.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6

29th Sep 2025

Good

2m 2f 110y

Class 5

14:31 Newton Abbot

Byzantine Empire

10st 12lb

J: Ellis Collier

T: Alison Thorpe

Badly out of form over fences and on the Flat for the Flint stable this year, and was well beaten in 2m4f Warwick chase for new trainer on Tuesday; needs combination of return to hurdling and refitted cheekpieces to rekindle his enthusiasm.

16/1

9th

1

23rd Sep 2025

Good

2m 4f 0y

Class 5

14:28 Warwick

Byzantine Empire

12st 0lb

J: Shane Fenelon

T: Alison Thorpe

Two-time chase winner but last success in this sphere was in 2022 and he's deteriorated considerably since; has switched yards since his last run and is well treated if new trainer can get a tune out of him.

20/1

8

31st Aug 2025

Good

2m 4f 0y

Class 4

14:10 Worcester

Byzantine Empire

11st 7lb

J: Jack Tudor

T: John & Rhys Flint

Two-time chase winner who won off this mark over hurdles here last July; however, he's been well beaten over fences and on the Flat on his four outings this year and needs a major turnaround.

33/1

Form: 2311- D

Last run: 38 days

W: 11st 10lb

4 yo Gelding

OR: 114

Form & Verdict
Made very good progress on the Flat last year (five wins) and has also done very well over hurdles in recent months; won competitive series final at Musselburgh (2m1f, soft) on latest outing and won't mind if the ground stays good here; makes very obvious appeal.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3

28th May 2025

Good To Soft

2m 6f 31y

Class 4

19:10 Cartmel

Golden Maverick

11st 11lb

J: Sean Bowen

T: Jamie Snowden

Rewarded determined ride when keeping on strongly from poor position to lead on the post at Carlisle (2m1f, soft; visored) in February but again raced lazily at Stratford (2m, good to soft; first-time blinkers) in March, where he was beaten before final-flight fall; worth a go over this longer trip but it's hard to predict the extent to which he'll warm to the task; visor refitted.

11/2

3

28th May 2025

Good To Soft

2m 6f 31y

Class 4

19:10 Cartmel

Golden Maverick

11st 11lb

J: Sean Bowen

T: Jamie Snowden

Rewarded determined ride when keeping on strongly from poor position to lead on the post at Carlisle (2m1f, soft; visored) in February but again raced lazily at Stratford (2m, good to soft; first-time blinkers) in March, where he was beaten before final-flight fall; worth a go over this longer trip but it's hard to predict the extent to which he'll warm to the task; visor refitted.

11/2

2

10th Mar 2025

Good To Soft

2m 0f 70y

Class 3

15:20 Stratford

Golden Maverick

11st 9lb

J: Gavin Sheehan

T: Jamie Snowden

raced lazily at times, prominent, hit 3rd, reminder before 4 out, lost ground on turn before last, weakening when fell last

4/1

Form: 132- D BF

Last run: 19 days

W: 11st 7lb

4 yo Gelding

OR: 111

Form & Verdict
Fair Flat-racer who won comfortably on stable/hurdle debut at Taunton (2m, good to soft) in December and went close when upped to 2m3f there (good) for recent handicap hurdle debut; went up 4lb for that and probably won't be favoured by rain here but still features prominently in calculations.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

8

5th Jun 2024

Good

2m 0f 167y

Class 3

16:10 Newton Abbot

Swift Hawk

11st 1lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Paul Nicholls

Fair Flat maiden who got off the mark on stable/hurdle debut at Taunton (2m, good to soft) in December and made a solid start to handicaps this year, going close at Taunton then comfortably accounting for a warm favourite at Hereford (2m, good) last month; in a deeper race here but he's an improving 4yo and the 5lb rise might not be enough to anchor him.

7/4

1st

3

13th May 2024

Good

2m 0f 53y

Class 4

16:35 Hereford

Swift Hawk

11st 7lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Paul Nicholls

Fair Flat-racer who won comfortably on stable/hurdle debut at Taunton (2m, good to soft) in December and went close when upped to 2m3f there (good) for recent handicap hurdle debut; went up 4lb for that and probably won't be favoured by rain here but still features prominently in calculations.

11/8

3

13th May 2024

Good

2m 0f 53y

Class 4

16:35 Hereford

Swift Hawk

11st 7lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Paul Nicholls

Fair Flat-racer who won comfortably on stable/hurdle debut at Taunton (2m, good to soft) in December and went close when upped to 2m3f there (good) for recent handicap hurdle debut; went up 4lb for that and probably won't be favoured by rain here but still features prominently in calculations.

11/8

Form: F6074-

Last run: 32 days

W: 11st 6lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 104

Form & Verdict
0-9 over hurdles for Gavin Cromwell in Ireland but belied 250-1 odds when very creditable fourth in useful novice at Taunton (2m, soft; also suited by good) on last month's stable debut; interesting to see whether he can build on that recent effort.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

4

25th May 2026

Good

2m 1f 61y

Class 3

16:36 Cartmel

Got Grey

10st 13lb

J: Leah Noreci

T: James Moffatt

Finished strongly to beat Jet Of Dreams on last summer's chasing debut but his three subsequent runs for Dan Skelton were somewhat underwhelming and he was sold for £10,000 in the autumn; makes stable debut after seven-month break; market may guide.

15/2

6th

5

19th Oct 2025

Good

2m 2f 0y

Class 3

14:16 Kempton

Got Grey

11st 2lb

J: Tristan Durrell

T: Dan Skelton

Won at Worcester (2m, good) on chase debut; has failed to repeat that form in two starts since, however, and was beaten in a match race on latest; others have stronger claims.

8/1

Form: 316P7- D

Last run: 121 days

W: 11st 1lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 99

Form & Verdict
Smart on the Flat when trained in Germany and built upon promising hurdle debut when winning easily at Plumpton (2m, good to soft) for Milton Harris in November; disappointed in three subsequent handicap hurdles, though, and made low-key stable debut when well beaten on the Flat (albeit in a good-quality race) three weeks ago.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

2

19th May 2026

Good To Soft

2m 0f 48y

Class 5

20:50 Hexham

Western Soldier

11st 13lb

J: Callum Pritchard

T: Seamus Mullins

Scored in pretty good style at Wincanton (1m7f, good) in November and today's 4lb higher mark is probably workable but not much has gone to plan since and he arrives here with a bit to prove.

4/1

4

23rd Mar 2026

Good

1m 7f 50y

Class 4

14:15 Wincanton

Western Soldier

10st 11lb

J: Bdr Jody Sole

T: Seamus Mullins

Good-ground C&D winner in November, despite racing a bit too freely; just over 19l behind Thankyouandplease over C&D this month but his margin of defeat was magnified by a last-flight jumping error and the good to soft ground probably wasn't ideal for him; he has a nice pull in the weights today and the services of top military rider Jody Sole.

5/1

9th

4

5th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

1m 7f 50y

Class 5

15:07 Wincanton

Western Soldier

11st 12lb

J: Paul O’Brien

T: Seamus Mullins

Scored over C&D (good) in November, despite racing too freely; looked a non-stayer over 2m4f on next outing and had soft ground as his excuse last time but others appeal more all the same.

14/1

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Golden Maverick

TOPSPEED:

Swift Hawk

POSTDATA:

Swift Hawk

WEST COUNTRY:

Swift Hawk

Daily Mail:

Swift Hawk

Daily Record:

Swift Hawk

RP RATINGS:

Golden Maverick

The Times:

Golden Maverick

Telegraph:

Golden Maverick

The Guardian:

Golden Maverick

D Express:

Golden Maverick

Daily Mirror:

Golden Maverick

The Sun:

Golden Maverick

The Star:

Golden Maverick