Can Grade 1 performers add a touch of class to a competitive handicap hurdle?

Wednesday: 2.00 Newbury
Bank A Winner With MansionBet Handicap Hurdle | 2m4½f | 4yo+ | ITV4/RTV

Dashel Drasher adds a bit of quality to this handicap as last season's Ascot Chase winner returns to hurdles off a mark 10lb lower than his chase rating after competing in a Grade 2 last time.

That came over fences in the 1965 Chase at Ascot when he was beaten 16 lengths into third behind Lostintranslation and it's certainly not a common path into a handicap hurdle like this.

Since the start of 2018, there have been just 14 horses compete in a handicap hurdle in Britain and Ireland after finishing in the first three in a Grade 1 or 2 non-handicap chase on their previous start and only one was successful. A £1 bet on each would have yielded a loss of £8.

Dickie Diver also comes here after competing in a Graded non-handicap chase last time. He was last seen finishing fourth behind Monkfish in the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at Cheltenham in March, but isn't any better treated over hurdles than he is in chases.

That's probably because his last hurdles run also came in a Grade 1, when he was beaten just 11 lengths into fourth behind Minella Indo in the Albert Bartlett at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival. A reproduction would make him hard to beat, but it's a long time since that run now.

Maybe Beauport holds the key piece of form. He finished second at Sandown last month, splitting Jesuitique and Champagne Court, who have both gone on to victory since.

Beauport's trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies won this race in 2012 with African Gold and has had only three runners in the last ten seasons. It looks like Beauport has been targeted at it.

The final word goes to Enemy Coast Ahead and Paddy Brennan, who has a win, a third and a fourth from just five rides for Olly Murphy. That looks a significant jockey booking.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

What they say

Jeremy Scott, trainer of Dashel Drasher
The original plan was to run him in the King George but it didn't look like they were going to get the rain they eventually got at Kempton, so we took him out. This is very much plan B to get a run into him before his next main target, which is the Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton next month.

Nicky Henderson, trainer of Monte Cristo, Dickie Diver and Lust For Glory
Two and a half miles on soft ground should suit Monte Cristo on his return and he's been in good form at home. Dickie Diver is not the easiest to train so we're getting him going over hurdles with a view to going back to fences. Lust For Glory is going to stud in the new year but we're giving her one last chance to make amends for not jumping off in her races.

Philip Hobbs, trainer of Master's Legacy
He ran a very good race to be second over course and distance in November and he should be fine on the soft ground. He goes there with a strong each-way chance.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Red Risk
He's been a bit disappointing over fences so we're hoping to sharpen him up back over hurdles. He wouldn't want too much more rain.

Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of Beauport
We think he needed the run last time and would like to think he would come forward a good bit for it.

Tom Lacey, trainer of Pounding Poet
He seems really well. He's up in the weights after finishing second at Aintree, but is improving with every run. He's got a good chance and the rain has come just in time.

Olly Murphy, trainer of Enemy Coast Ahead
He's a horse who's had a lot of problems but he has a low weight and goes there with a small each-way chance.
Reporting by David Milnes

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