Hereford 3.20 A Class 3 trip of 3 and a quarter miles, the Going will be on the soft side and some interesting comparisons here. UHLAN BUTE comes here off the back of a win last time, is likely to run prominently again and should face competition for the lead from THEDRINKYMEISTER who I would have tipped but for the likely pace battle up front. Thedrinkymeister ran well on seasonal debut, nice handicap mark here, but just a doubt in my mind that the 2 named set it up for a closer.

 

Bramble Brook has ability but think needs a bit shorter and a bit of leeway from the handicapper, Salananzar is VERY intriguing, first Chase run since 2015, not sure if Alan King has a plan here or just trying the horse in a genre it struggled to cope with in sole attempt in 2015. IF it took to these Fences a VERY WELL handicapped horse but I can only think would have been over Fences a lot sooner than this is showing any aptitude schooling them. The other one to fear is ROCKLANDER a definite lowering of sights and very capable horse on its day, the candle seems to be flickering though a bit and it has become very sloppy at Fences in past 12-18 months and always found a trip of 3 miles + a bit of a struggle, but Class could take it a long way if getting in to a rhythm.

 

The process of elimination therefore leads to ARTHURS GIFT; an unexposed chaser, fit after a run over an inadequate trip, steps back to right trip, on nice marl based on Hurdles form, Yard coming back to form (suspect they got flu jabs done between Christmas and early January) and looks the type to hunt up UHLAN BUTE and THEDRINKYMEISTER and deliver a run late, as it has done over Hurdles.