Monday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

Space Voyage holds strong claims of completing a hat-trick but I prefer the claims of GUY (best priced at 4/1) on his return to hurdling. The Nigel Twiston-Davies trained eight-year-old is a consistent 124 rated chaser who has placed twice this season off marks of 129.

Connections have decided to switch him back to hurdling for the first time since December 2019 where he finished 5th behind subsequent Grade 1 winner Sporting John. He only had three runs over hurdles so he is unexposed and he may well get a confidence booster before going back over fences.

This looks a competitive 0-140 handicap but with both Annsam and Bobhopeornohope likely to take each other on in front, preference goes to DIBBLE DECKER (best priced at 4/1) who is unbeaten since the application of cheekpieces. The Tom Lacey trained seven-year-old returned from an 89 day break to win at Huntington by ½ length in January off a mark of 118 before following up by a nose a month ago off a mark of 121.

Dibble Decker won his only PTP by two lengths so he should be well suited by this step up in trip to 3 miles as well as the strong pace likely to be set by the top two in the market. He steps up in class in this race but he is a progressive seven-year-old and hopefully he can make it 3/3 in cheekpieces.

There are a few interesting handicap debutants in this race but at the prices I prefer the chances of the Craig Lidster trained KATAR (best priced at 9/1) who has run well in two handicaps so far. The three-year-old outran odds of 33/1 to finish 2nd on his final start in novice company over this course and distance before finishing 4th on his handicap debut off a mark of 70. He finished 3rd beaten only 1 ¾ lengths last time at Southwell off a mark of 70 and the handicapper has been generous by dropping him 2lbs down to a mark of 68.

Katar now runs here in a first time visor following a gelding operation and I expect him to run well following a 67 day break with up to four places available.