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

4th

4

18th Jul 2026

Good

2m 5f 34y

Class 4

17:30 Cartmel

Got Grey

11st 6lb

J: Leah Noreci

T: James Moffatt

Won twice over hurdles and once over fences for Dan Skelton; wasn't beaten far when third of three on stable debut here (2m1f, good) in May but he was well held in another small-field event over C&D last time; still lightly raced over fences but he needs to step up again after that last run; cheekpieces reapplied.

8/1

5th

5

28th Jun 2026

Good

2m 5f 34y

Class 2

16:15 Cartmel

Got Grey

10st 9lb

J: Leah Noreci

T: James Moffatt

Won twice over hurdles and once over fences for Dan Skelton; sold to join current yard for £10,000 in October; not beaten far when last of three at this track (2m1f, good) last month on stable debut following seven-month break and should be sharper this time; not out of this.

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

5

30th Jun 2026

Good To Firm

2m 2f 148y

Class 5

19:48 Stratford

Western Soldier

11st 5lb

J: Callum Pritchard

T: Seamus Mullins

Won at Wincanton (1m7f, soft) off this mark in November but failed to build on it afterwards; has offered more in two runs since returning from a short break but needs another step forward to figure.

12/1

5th

7

11th Jun 2026

Good

2m 0f 0y

Class 5

20:17 Worcester

Western Soldier

11st 5lb

J: Callum Pritchard

T: Seamus Mullins

Won at Wincanton (1m7f, good; from 2lb lower) last November, but lost his way and unseated in March; stayed on into modest fourth at Hexham (2m; beaten 12l) three weeks ago, though; slightly more needed.

13/2

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

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