February 03 / 15.15 Taunton

15.15

Heavy

26 February Landlord’s Raceday Handicap Hurdle

  • Prize money: £5545.05
  • 2m 0f 104y
  • Class 4
  • 7 runners
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26 February Landlord’s Raceday Handicap Hurdle

Runners: 7 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Light rain

5/2 (Won)

  • Win: £3.75
  • Place: £1.60

Form: 936-32 CD

Last run: 49 days

W: 10st 11lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 103

Form & Verdict
Two good runs in blinkers this season, latterly when clear second of 13 at Wincanton (1m7f, soft; unraced on heavy) in December; nudged back up to his career-high mark since but still commands respect.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

9

16th Apr 2026

Good

2m 0f 53y

Class 4

19:00 Hereford

Phoenix Risen

11st 2lb

J: Chad Bament

T: Jeremy Scott

Fine on all ground; in a good run of form since the blinkers went on four starts back and this might not be quite so demanding as the Exeter race he contested last time; in the mix.

7/1

5th

9

6th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

2m 0f 161y

Class 4

15:10 Exeter

Phoenix Risen

11st 2lb

J: Chad Bament

T: Jeremy Scott

Only blinkered this season and the aids are working well, registering a fourth hurdle win under a positive ride at Wincanton (2m, heavy); 5lb rise sees him on a career-high mark but he has to be considered; good to soft is fine.

5/1

1st

5

3rd Feb 2026

Heavy

2m 0f 104y

Class 4

15:15 Taunton

Phoenix Risen

10st 11lb

J: Chad Bament

T: Jeremy Scott

Two good runs in blinkers this season, latterly when clear second of 13 at Wincanton (1m7f, soft; unraced on heavy) in December; nudged back up to his career-high mark since but still commands respect.

5/2

11/2

  • Place: £2.50

Form: 51P1-8 D

Last run: 31 days

W: 12st 0lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 120

Form & Verdict
Came good for Olly Murphy with two wins (both on good to soft) towards end of last season; finished last on last month's reappearance outing, having dropped out tamely in the straight, but might have needed that run and further progress remains possible if he copes with the ground here.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

1

3rd Feb 2026

Heavy

2m 0f 104y

Class 4

15:15 Taunton

Imaginarium

12st 0lb

J: Sean Bowen

T: Olly Murphy

Came good for Olly Murphy with two wins (both on good to soft) towards end of last season; finished last on last month's reappearance outing, having dropped out tamely in the straight, but might have needed that run and further progress remains possible if he copes with the ground here.

11/2

1st

7

24th Apr 2025

Good To Soft

2m 0f 47y

Class 4

17:05 Perth

Imaginarium

11st 10lb

J: Sean Bowen

T: Olly Murphy

prominent

9/1

1st

7

24th Apr 2025

Good To Soft

2m 0f 47y

Class 4

17:05 Perth

Imaginarium

11st 10lb

J: Sean Bowen

T: Olly Murphy

Debut hurdles winner over C&D for Lucinda Russell but he's proved rather hit and miss since for his current yard, scoring at Huntingdon in February before being pulled up at Exeter last month; others are preferred.

9/1

Form: 24313 CD

Last run: 20 days

W: 10st 5lb

4 yo Gelding

OR: 109

Form & Verdict
Fair Flat racer who opened hurdles account over C&D (good) in December, his fourth attempt, and might well have bettered that performance when close third at Newbury (2m, good to soft) last month; could still have more to offer but the slower ground here may not be ideal.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

6

(4)

18th May 2026

Good

1m 2f 0y

Class 5

14:20 Lingfield

Premier

9st 3lb

J: Finley Marsh

T: Warren Greatrex

Both wins, including one over hurdles, came in a hood, which is absent as he returns from wind surgery after three months off; had plenty of chances off this sort of mark last year.

4/1

OUR TIP

Form: 1/5P/7 D

Last run: 65 days

W: 11st 11lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 117

Form & Verdict
Very lightly raced 8yo who launched rules career with two novice hurdle wins in 2022-23 season but disappointed in both chases during following campaign and, after a long absence, was soundly beaten on handicap hurdle debut in November; current ability hard to gauge.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

2

3rd Feb 2026

Heavy

2m 0f 104y

Class 4

15:15 Taunton

Doyen Star

11st 11lb

J: Ben Jones

T: Evan Williams

Very lightly raced 8yo who launched rules career with two novice hurdle wins in 2022-23 season but disappointed in both chases during following campaign and, after a long absence, was soundly beaten on handicap hurdle debut in November; current ability hard to gauge.

12/1

0

1

23rd Dec 2023

Heavy

2m 0f 67y

Class 3

12:20 Haydock

Doyen Star

11st 8lb

J: Adam Wedge

T: Evan Williams

in rear throughout, not fluent 5th, jumped right 6th, lost touch 8th, pulled up before 3 out

2/1

Form: 625505 D

Last run: 19 days

W: 11st 1lb

6 yo Colt

OR: 107

Form & Verdict
Not disgraced when fifth at Wincanton (2m4f, soft) last month and continues to slip down the weights but has basically become a bit disappointing; needs to up his game.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

1

17th Apr 2026

Good To Firm

2m 7f 25y

Class 5

18:10 Exeter

Teorie

12st 0lb

J: Robbie David

T: Daisy Hitchins

Two-time winner over hurdles on good to soft, at around 2m (acts on a sound surface); stays 2m5f; some way below his best since last spring; well treated on form of almost a year ago if bouncing back but has that to prove.

10/1

6th

7

26th Mar 2026

Good

2m 7f 131y

Class 5

16:50 Chepstow

Teorie

11st 9lb

J: Harry Reed

T: Daisy Hitchins

Out of form on slow ground during the winter but his recent fifth at Wincanton (3m, good to soft) was a step back in the right direction, and he might be seen to better effect if the ground is genuinely good here.

20/1

5th

7

5th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

3m 0f 150y

Class 4

13:37 Wincanton

Teorie

11st 5lb

J: Robbie David

T: Daisy Hitchins

Well below best on soft/heavy ground in recent months and not yet proven beyond about 2m5f but now very well handicapped on last spring's good-ground form, and the drying conditions here offer renewed hope.

14/1

Form: 1-1523 D

Last run: 24 days

W: 11st 7lb

5 yo Colt

OR: 113

Form & Verdict
Fairly useful Flat racer with 2-6 strike-rate over hurdles; gave good account when third of eight at Kempton (2m, good) last month and is probably still on a workable mark but has something to prove on the much slower ground here.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

3

3rd Feb 2026

Heavy

2m 0f 104y

Class 4

15:15 Taunton

Courageous Strike

11st 7lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Paul Nicholls

Fairly useful Flat racer with 2-6 strike-rate over hurdles; gave good account when third of eight at Kempton (2m, good) last month and is probably still on a workable mark but has something to prove on the much slower ground here.

3/1

7

18th Oct 2025

Good To Soft

2m 0f 167y

Class 3

15:35 Newton Abbot

Courageous Strike

10st 13lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Paul Nicholls

Useful Flat racer who was 2-3 in novice/maiden hurdles for Paul Nicholls in the spring; tackles much stronger opposition on this handicap hurdle debut and his tendency to race too freely is a nagging concern but, nevertheless, he's still very unexposed over jumps.

5/2

1st

1

14th May 2025

Good

2m 0f 167y

Class 4

14:19 Newton Abbot

Courageous Strike

11st 3lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Paul Nicholls

Won Flat handicaps at about 1m1f (AW) and 1m4f (good; RPR 83) and he's found a new calling over hurdles judged by the way he won at Chepstow (dropped to 2m, good) recently; he shouldn't have a problem with this sharp 2m and is the one to beat.

2/9

20/1

Form: 111-P5 D

Last run: 26 days

W: 10st 2lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 88

Form & Verdict
Won four times over hurdles in 2024 (good-heavy) but finished tired after running well for a long way at Ffos Las (2m, heavy) last month and is effectively 4lb higher from out of the weights here.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

4

14th May 2026

Good

2m 1f 165y

Class 5

19:40 Fontwell

Daany

10st 9lb

J: Callum Pritchard

T: Joe Tickle

Turned his attention to chasing fairly late in life but made a solid start when second of six at Wincanton in April; didn't back that up when never travelling at Hereford (also 2m, good) nine days ago and has a question to answer after that.

16/1

4

5th May 2026

Good

2m 0f 8y

Class 5

20:17 Hereford

Daany

10st 13lb

J: Gavin Sheehan

T: Joe Tickle

Four-time hurdle winner, all at around 2m; made a belated switch to fences last month and shaped with plenty of encouragement when runner-up at Wincanton (2m, good), which also represented a return to some form; needs to back that up but he remains well treated and is one to consider.

6/1

2nd

4

12th Apr 2026

Good

1m 7f 149y

Class 5

15:27 Wincanton

Daany

10st 8lb

J: Bryan Carver

T: Joe Tickle

Three-time Flat winner and successful four times over hurdles; however, hasn't been running all that well under either code following a year on the sidelines and this is a belated first attempt at chasing.

16/1

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £13.60
Straight Forecast £12.54
Trifecta £41.80

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Phoenix Risen

TOPSPEED:

Premier

POSTDATA:

Courageous Strike

LAMBOURN:

Premier

The Times:

Premier

Daily Mail:

Premier

The Star:

Premier

Daily Mirror:

Courageous Strike

RP RATINGS:

Phoenix Risen

Telegraph:

Phoenix Risen

The Guardian:

Phoenix Risen

D Express:

Phoenix Risen

Daily Record:

Phoenix Risen