February 26 / 16.35 Bangor-on-Dee

16.35

Heavy

Hope House Children’s Hospice Cross Lanes Handicap Hurdle

  • Prize money: £4224.8
  • 2m 3f 123y
  • Class 5
  • 7 runners
SKY
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Hope House Children’s Hospice Cross Lanes Handicap Hurdle

Runners: 7 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Light rain

13/2 (Won)

  • Win: £3.75
  • Place: £1.70

Form: 343-51 D

Last run: 17 days

W: 10st 4lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 79

Form & Verdict
Made it two wins in 25 starts when making a successful return from nine months off at Chepstow (2m3f, soft) 17 days ago; 5lb higher but he still has more to recommend him than most.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

15

26th Mar 2026

Good

2m 7f 131y

Class 5

16:50 Chepstow

Richardson

10st 3lb

J: Lee Edwards

T: Belinda Clarke

Slow-ground specialist who won twice over 2m3f (once here) in February 2025; should be fine over this trip but is yet to strike form this season (three runs; bled last time) and there may not be enough rain for him today.

40/1

9

13th Feb 2026

Soft

2m 3f 100y

Class 5

16:20 Chepstow

Richardson

10st 12lb

J: Lee Edwards

T: Belinda Clarke

Slow-ground specialist who won this race in 2025 (soft ground) and followed up at Bangor (2m3f, heavy) 17 days later; returned from layoff with two lesser efforts this season but still considered; usually held up in rear.

7/1

5th

5

24th Jan 2026

Soft

2m 3f 207y

Class 5

16:18 Uttoxeter

Richardson

10st 11lb

J: Richard Patrick

T: Belinda Clarke

Veteran campaigner with a C&D win to his name; goes well on soft/heavy ground and won at Chepstow and Bangor this time last year; probably needed run when last of five at Leicester on reappearance; more solid than most.

11/2

10/1

  • Place: £2.70

Form: 65-534

Last run: 18 days

W: 11st 11lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 100

Form & Verdict
Better effort when third of eight over C&D (soft) in December (winner has gone in again since); well held in a stronger race since but still goes on the shortlist; blinkers given a go.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

9

23rd May 2026

Good

2m 3f 123y

Class 4

15:00 Bangor-on-Dee

Rock Hurley

11st 4lb

J: William Maggs

T: Donald McCain

Won a C&D handicap (good to soft) last April but he's not come close to that form in four subsequent runs and latest was back here in March; has some questions to answer and he's still 3lb higher than for his last win.

16/1

4th

3

21st Mar 2026

Good To Soft

2m 3f 123y

Class 5

16:30 Bangor-on-Dee

Rock Hurley

11st 11lb

J: William Maggs

T: Donald McCain

Bang out of form in his last three races but only four starts back last April he won as he liked around here (good to soft) off 5lb higher; couldn't put a line through him.

20/1

Form: 06304

Last run: 21 days

W: 11st 1lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 90

Form & Verdict
0-5 over hurdles but has shown some ability, as when beaten a fair way into fourth of 12 at Sedgefield (3m3f, good to soft) three weeks ago; this trip may suit him better and he remains unexposed.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

9

25th Mar 2025

Good To Soft

2m 4f 28y

Class 5

14:50 Hexham

Tan Law

10st 12lb

J: Ross Chapman

T: Stuart Coltherd

Lightly raced 7yo who was a fair third at Bangor (2m3f, heavy) last month on his third handicap start, but needs a bigger performance today.

9/1

3rd

7

26th Feb 2025

Heavy

2m 3f 123y

Class 5

16:35 Bangor-on-Dee

Tan Law

11st 1lb

J: Sam Coltherd

T: Stuart Coltherd

in touch with leaders, headway after 6th, went second after 3 out (usual 4 out), lost second before last, soon weakened

16/1

4th

4

5th Feb 2025

Good To Soft

3m 3f 9y

Class 5

14:05 Sedgefield

Tan Law

11st 7lb

J: Sam Coltherd

T: Stuart Coltherd

midfield on outer

14/1

Form: 22/1/5

Last run: 16 days

W: 12st 0lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 103

Form & Verdict
Off the mark when making all in a conditions chase in France in May 2022 (2m2f, good to soft), but not seen again until beaten a long way into last of five on stable debut in a Plumpton hurdle (2m5f, soft; 20-1) 16 days ago; may have needed it but still has enough to prove.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

5

14th Feb 2026

Heavy

2m 4f 35y

Class 4

15:20 Wincanton

Jeu dOpale

11st 6lb

J: Charlie Deutsch

T: Venetia Williams

Won 2m2f chase in France in 2022 but missed 2023 and 2024; best effort for current was a second back over fences at Lingfield (2m, good to soft) in December and it wasn't his fault when he fell early on at Leicester (got hampered) last month; conditions should be fine here and he's in the mix off a dangerous mark.

6/1

OUR TIP

Form: 0-3354

Last run: 19 days

W: 11st 13lb

6 yo Filly

OR: 102

Form & Verdict
In the frame in three of her four starts over hurdles including when fourth of 11 on handicap debut here (2m1f, soft) this month; still to prove she wants this far, though.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

8

23rd May 2026

Good

2m 3f 123y

Class 4

15:00 Bangor-on-Dee

The Secret Pearl

11st 6lb

J: Bryan Carver

T: Alex Hales

Won a mares' maiden at Market Rasen (2m, good) last April; runner-up in first two handicaps during the winter but she's been disappointing in last two runs; bit to prove but mark is sliding and she's had wind surgery since her latest effort at Fontwell last month; not ruled out.

14/1

4th

5

8th Apr 2026

Good To Soft

2m 3f 29y

Class 4

15:05 Fontwell

The Secret Pearl

11st 9lb

J: Toby McCain-Mitchell

T: Alex Hales

Absent since slightly disappointing run at Aintree on Boxing Day but returned from break with two good seconds over 2m4f in the autumn (good/soft) and has good claims if back at that level here.

6/1

1

15th May 2025

Good

2m 1f 162y

Class 4

17:35 Fontwell

The Secret Pearl

11st 7lb

J: Harry Bannister

T: Alex Hales

Creditable sixth of 15 in Grade 2 novices' handicap at Newbury (2m4f, good) in March and rallied well to snatch narrow win in Market Rasen maiden (2m, good) last month; leading contender.

13/8

Form: 52-P24

Last run: 32 days

W: 11st 8lb

6 yo Filly

OR: 97

Form & Verdict
Caught the eye when second of ten on her return from seven months off in a first-time tongue-tie at Leicester (2m, heavy; first start since wind surgery) in December, but didn't back it up at Uttoxeter (2m4f, good to soft) last month; needs to bounce back, though the stable's current form makes her hard to dismiss.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

3

8th May 2025

Good

2m 0f 213y

Class 5

19:35 Stratford

Twyfords Diamond

11st 6lb

J: David Noonan

T: Max Young

Placed over hurdles for Ben Pauling last year but ultimately became disappointing for him; changed hands after 40l defeat in first-time blinkers in March; goes without headgear on this stable/chase debut.

16/1

4th

3

8th May 2025

Good

2m 0f 213y

Class 5

19:35 Stratford

Twyfords Diamond

11st 6lb

J: David Noonan

T: Max Young

Placed over hurdles for Ben Pauling last year but ultimately became disappointing for him; changed hands after 40l defeat in first-time blinkers in March; goes without headgear on this stable/chase debut.

16/1

6th

5

26th Mar 2025

Good

2m 0f 53y

Class 5

16:07 Hereford

Twyfords Diamond

11st 4lb

J: Callum Pritchard

T: Ben Pauling

Better efforts have been on soft ground and if the rain stays away this will be only her second start on a sound surface; each-way player based on her best form but needs to be much better than her last two starts; tongue-tie removed and blinkers now go on.

7/1

Form: 5-5F4P C

Last run: 39 days

W: 11st 6lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 95

Form & Verdict
Dual winner over fences last winter and is on a good mark based on those performances now returned to hurdles, but he was pulled up last time so needs to prove his wellbeing.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

12th

8

25th Mar 2025

Good

2m 0f 104y

Class 5

15:35 Taunton

Force De Frap

11st 6lb

J: James Best

T: Emma-Jane Bishop

held up in rear, no impression from 4 out

20/1

6

26th Feb 2025

Heavy

2m 3f 123y

Class 5

16:35 Bangor-on-Dee

Force De Frap

11st 6lb

J: James Best

T: Emma-Jane Bishop

prominent, weakened after 2 out (usual 3 out), pulled up before last

25/1

5

18th Jan 2025

Good To Soft

2m 0f 12y

Class 4

14:40 Taunton

Force De Frap

11st 7lb

J: James Best

T: Emma-Jane Bishop

jumped left throughout, always behind, bad mistake 2nd, pulled up after 4 out

5/1

Non-runners

CEst Different, Leading The Way

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £12.30
Straight Forecast £14.99
Tricast £79.72
Trifecta £84.30

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

C'Est Different

The Times:

Rock Hurley

RP RATINGS:

C'Est Different

POSTDATA:

C'Est Different

Telegraph:

C'Est Different

The Guardian:

C'Est Different

Daily Mail:

C'Est Different

D Express:

C'Est Different

Daily Mirror:

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The Sun:

C'Est Different

The Star:

C'Est Different

Daily Record:

C'Est Different