Monday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

This handicap hurdle looks to be between Shot Boii and CROSSING THE BAR (best priced at 5/2) with preference going to the latter at the weights. Shot Boii completed a hat-trick of wins for the David Pipe stable this season and improved from a mark of 91 to 102 but was well beaten last time off this mark at Ffos Las in a 0-105 handicap. In contrast, Crossing The Bar was well beaten on his two starts for Neil Mulholland this season before putting in a much improved performance last time despite being brought down at halfway at Doncaster last time. 

Crossing The Bar drops into a 0-110 handicap hurdle for the first time in his career and is now only 4lbs higher than his success at Ffos Las last year. Sam Ewing is a fascinating jockey booking for the yard (for the first time) and I expect him to prove hard to beat. 

Ben Haslam has a good record at rejuvenating JP McManus horses from other yards and I am hoping he can work his magic with DIDTHEYLEAVEUOUTTO (best priced at 9/1) in this race. The ten-year-old was a high class hurdler for Nick Gifford who achieved a rating of 139 following a victory over Thomas Darby at Ascot in 2018. He finished 3rd at Newbury in November in a Pertemps Qualifier before finishing well beaten on his next start at the same venue. 

Didtheyleaveuoutto has dropped down to a mark of 129 which makes him well handicapped on old form and he looks worth taking a chance under his preferred conditions now dropped in class into a 0-130 handicap.

Le Patron will no doubt prove popular on his second start for Gary Moore but preference instead goes to  PRINCE IMPERIAL (best priced at 2/1) who makes his handicap debut over hurdles in this race. The Richard Hughes trained six-year-old was a high class stayer on the flat for this yard rated 96 and has been eyecatching on his two runs over hurdles so far this year. 

Prince Imperial stayed on well over 2 miles last time to take 3rd late on and the handicapper has allocated him a lowly mark of 112 for his handicap debut over hurdles. This step up in trip to 2m4f should suit him well based on his flat form and I expect him to prove hard to beat with Brendan Powell taking over in the saddle.