May 31 / 19.30 Stratford

19.30

Good

Cortaflex For horses, Dogs & People Handicap Hurdle

  • Prize money: £6680.46
  • 3m 2f 83y
  • Class 3
  • 6 runners
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Cortaflex For horses, Dogs & People Handicap Hurdle

Runners: 6 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Light rain

9/4 (Won)

  • Win: £4.00
  • Place: £1.40

Form: 2012-2

Last run: 22 days

W: 11st 2lb

7 yo Mare

OR: 122

Form & Verdict
Returned from wind op with small-field 3m win in March and bettered that form when close second on both outings last month (2m4f/2m7f, also on good ground); major player if this new trip suits.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8th

5

19th Apr 2026

Good

3m 0f 217y

Class 2

15:27 Plumpton

Bethpage

11st 7lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Emma Lavelle

Fairly useful mare who has Listed form but was never going well en route to a modest third at Ascot (2m5f) when back from a layoff last time; will need to travel better in this competitive affair.

20/1

3rd

2

29th Mar 2026

Good

2m 5f 146y

Class 3

17:25 Ascot

Bethpage

11st 12lb

J: Sean Bowen

T: Emma Lavelle

Progressive last spring, including 3m/3m2f wins, and good second in Kempton Listed race (2m5f) in November; nearly always races on officially good ground nowadays, so good to soft may excuse a heavy defeat in December when last seen; needs to resume her progress, though, given the career-high mark.

6/1

1st

5

31st May 2025

Good

3m 2f 83y

Class 3

19:30 Stratford

Bethpage

11st 2lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Emma Lavelle

Returned from wind op with small-field 3m win in March and bettered that form when close second on both outings last month (2m4f/2m7f, also on good ground); major player if this new trip suits.

9/4

OUR TIP

7/2

  • Place: £1.60

Form: 2156-4

Last run: 5 days

W: 11st 6lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 126

Form & Verdict
Largely consistent 9yo who makes a quick reappearance after finishing well to take close fourth from a long way off the pace at Cartmel (3m1f, good to soft) on Monday; may not be ideally suited by the faster ground here.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

2

31st May 2025

Good

3m 2f 83y

Class 3

19:30 Stratford

Up For Parol

11st 6lb

J: Gavin Sheehan

T: Jamie Snowden

Largely consistent 9yo who makes a quick reappearance after finishing well to take close fourth from a long way off the pace at Cartmel (3m1f, good to soft) on Monday; may not be ideally suited by the faster ground here.

7/2

2nd

2

31st May 2025

Good

3m 2f 83y

Class 3

19:30 Stratford

Up For Parol

11st 6lb

J: Gavin Sheehan

T: Jamie Snowden

Largely consistent 9yo who makes a quick reappearance after finishing well to take close fourth from a long way off the pace at Cartmel (3m1f, good to soft) on Monday; may not be ideally suited by the faster ground here.

7/2

5

26th May 2025

Good

3m 1f 83y

Class 2

15:30 Cartmel

Up For Parol

11st 5lb

J: Gavin Sheehan

T: Jamie Snowden

Ended a long losing run at Ffos Las (3m) in January and not disgraced when sixth of 17 in 2m7f Uttoxeter handicap last time; possibilities eased 1lb.

14/1

Form: 302-81

Last run: 11 days

W: 11st 5lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 125

Form & Verdict
Has very good 6-24 strike-rate over hurdles, the latest win gained in four-runner race at Huntingdon (3m1f, good) 11 days ago; still on workable mark after recent 2lb nudge; probably won't be far away.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

4

16th May 2026

Good

2m 7f 70y

Class 2

18:50 Uttoxeter

Lihyan

11st 4lb

J: William Maggs

T: Rebecca Menzies

Two wins last season, the first a four-runner Huntingdon handicap in May (3m1f, good), the second a six-runner handicap at Newbury (3m, good to soft) in March; far from disgraced in a competitive race at Aintree last time and not without a chance despite career-high mark.

13/2

7th

22

11th Apr 2026

Good To Soft

3m 0f 149y

Class 1

13:20 Aintree

Lihyan

10st 9lb

J: William Maggs

T: Rebecca Menzies

Ridden last ten starts by William Maggs; seventh hurdle win when seeing off five rivals at Newbury (3m, good to soft) three weeks ago but even a 2lb nudge seems likely to stop him in this much more competitive scenario.

25/1

1st

5

20th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

3m 0f 57y

Class 3

15:32 Newbury

Lihyan

11st 2lb

J: William Maggs

T: Rebecca Menzies

Ridden last nine starts by William Maggs; rarely seen on soft ground; six-time winner, most recently last May; good placed efforts at about 3m four times in a row in October-December, before he failed to show in a Pertemps qualifier at Musselburgh (10-1) nearly seven weeks ago; best form this term was over C&D, so he's not entirely ruled out.

11/2

Form: 52317-

Last run: 50 days

W: 11st 5lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 125

Form & Verdict
Reverted to hurdling with win at Haydock (3m, good) in March and was not beaten far at last month's Scottish National meeting at Ayr (3m, good to soft); may not have much margin for error off current mark but still considered.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

1

17th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

3m 0f 26y

Class 4

16:22 Wetherby

Imperial Merlin

12st 0lb

J: Sean Quinlan

T: John & Sean Quinn

Pulled up at Warwick in January last time but was in pretty good heart towards the end of last year and he's now 1lb lower than when winning at Haydock (3m, good) last March; also handles soft; capable of going well.

12/1

1

23rd Jan 2026

Good To Soft

3m 1f 5y

Class 4

14:37 Warwick

Imperial Merlin

12st 2lb

J: Harry Skelton

T: John & Sean Quinn

Only 1lb higher than for his Haydock win over a similar trip last March; does have a lot of weight though and was only fifth at Haydock last time, finishing just behind Gwennie May Star.

8/1

2

5th Sep 2025

Good

2m 7f 32y

Class 3

16:45 Bangor-on-Dee

Imperial Merlin

11st 10lb

J: James Bowen

T: John & Sean Quinn

Not well handicapped but arrives here after a 3l second of eight at Uttoxeter when tried in cheekpieces (2m7f, good); no reason why he won't be involved once more.

6/1

Form: 8P121/ D

Last run: 489 days

W: 11st 2lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 122

Form & Verdict
In excellent form when last in action in January 2024, making all to win readily by over 7l at Doncaster (3m, good), but returns from long absence on a 7lb higher mark and with usual headgear missing.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6

27th Jul 2025

Good

2m 7f 70y

Class 2

15:37 Uttoxeter

Jaytee

10st 6lb

J: Brian Hughes

T: Ian Williams

Won twice at Doncaster (3m, good/good to soft) during 2023-24 season but returned from long layoff with two disappointing runs this term, the latter in C&D race won by Saint Bibiana last month; others have much less to prove.

25/1

9

29th Jun 2025

Good

2m 7f 70y

Class 2

13:30 Uttoxeter

Jaytee

10st 12lb

J: Brian Hughes

T: Ian Williams

In excellent form with varied headgear for most of the 2023-2024 season, but then had a long absence and he was tailed off on return four weeks ago; needs to be at his peak and some headgear (absent last time) returns.

12/1

5th

6

31st May 2025

Good

3m 2f 83y

Class 3

19:30 Stratford

Jaytee

11st 2lb

J: Brian Hughes

T: Ian Williams

In excellent form when last in action in January 2024, making all to win readily by over 7l at Doncaster (3m, good), but returns from long absence on a 7lb higher mark and with usual headgear missing.

6/1

Form: 451-44 D

Last run: 14 days

W: 11st 10lb

12 yo Gelding

OR: 130

Form & Verdict
Veteran who responded well to refitted cheekpieces when scoring at Wetherby (2m3f, soft) in February, his tenth hurdling success; both runs at Uttoxeter this month (2m4f/2m7f) were respectable and this longer trip should also suit but he'd appeal much more on slower ground.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5

14th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

2m 3f 207y

Class 3

13:50 Uttoxeter

West To The Bridge

11st 9lb

J: Harry Skelton

T: Dan Skelton

Grand servant to the yard with 11 hurdles wins; did what he's been doing for years by bouncing back to exploit a falling mark on his favoured testing ground at Chepstow (2m3f, soft) in January; most tenacious and impossible to dismiss off 3lb higher.

10/1

1st

1

27th Jan 2026

Soft

2m 3f 100y

Class 3

14:02 Chepstow

West To The Bridge

12st 0lb

J: Harry Skelton

T: Dan Skelton

Long in the tooth now and not the force of old but was nudged up only 1lb for last month's clear second in refitted cheekpieces at Ludlow (2m5f, good to soft) and ought to be better suited by this slower ground.

10/1

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £8.90
Straight Forecast £9.04
Trifecta £28.40

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Bethpage

RP RATINGS:

Up For Parol

The Times:

Bethpage

Telegraph:

Bethpage

D Express:

Bethpage

The Sun:

Bethpage

The Star:

Bethpage

Daily Record:

Bethpage

TOPSPEED:

Up For Parol

POSTDATA:

Up For Parol

The Guardian:

Up For Parol

Daily Mail:

Up For Parol

Daily Mirror:

Up For Parol