The Pertemps Network Long Distance Handicap Hurdle at Haydock

I'm usually in hibernation mode at this time of year but I've just seen Sam Twiston-Davies on TV - in a suit - posing with winning connections after East India Dock won the Chester Cup earlier today; and the opener on tomorrow's mixed card at Haydock, the Pertemps Network Long Distance Handicap Hurdle (1.00), has somehow delayed my rostered summer slumbers...

In last year's renewal Zain Nights (125) beat My Bobby Dazzler (121) a head with Harbour Lake (129) three and a quarter lengths adrift in third.

The trio do battle once again, having contested the Safran Landing Systems Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham 24 days ago. 

On that occasion Long Draw (128) beat Harbour Lake (137) two lengths with My Bobby Dazzler (119) over 12 lengths further behind in fourth and Zain Nights (132) another eight lengths adrift in fifth.

Adjusted ratings for those runners in tomorrow's renewal are:

Long Draw (134) +6

Harbour Lake (140) +3

My Bobby Dazzler (117) -2

Zain Nights (132) -

Winner Long Draw hit a couple of flat spots in that race at Cheltenham - at one point his chance looked to have gone completely - but he stayed on stoutly up the hill to claim the spoils; I can't help but feel a repeat of that performance on this flat track is likely to prove problematic.

Topgun Simmy won a three mile handicap hurdle at Down Royal off 129 on Monday - Paddy Hanlon claiming seven. He goes off 136 but will need to be a hardy sort to show his best in this better race; to date most of his form has been on right-handed tracks.

Tiny Tetley (132) bids to complete a four-timer, having started the sequence off on a mark of 114 at Exeter in March. This one beat Thank You Ma'am over course and distance three weeks ago; all his wins have come in races with less than nine runners.

This time last year Lihyan beat Porter In The Park at Market Rasen. 

Lihyan stays this trip but stable form is a concern while handler Emma Lavelle said of Porter In The Park [RP Weekender 29.01-02.02.25]:

"She's as hard as nails but not overly big and and is much better running in a better race with less weight. I'm not sure she genuinely stays 3m and her ideal trip is probably a good gallop over 2m 6f."    

Rated 80 on the Flat, Mostly Sunny appears well handicapped on 117 but he ran twice in the final week of the jumps season as trainer Dan Skelton valiantly tried to retain his dwindling lead in the jump trainers' title. Prior to that he was well beaten by Porter In The Park at Ludlow; he tries a trip beyond 2m 5f for the first time.  

Escapologist finished behind Mostly Sunny at Plumpton and tries a trip beyond an extended two and a half miles for the first time.

On the one occasion Patriotik raced on good ground, Evan Williams' charge finished well beaten behind Altobelli over a shorter trip at Ascot. On his penultimate start he showed a liking for drying ground, beating Kamsinas off 121 at Doncaster, and has been raised two pounds for his third behind Red Risk at Uttoxeter last time; in addition Isabel Williams no longer claims three so he's effectively five pounds higher here.  

Ki Woo (121) looks unexposed on his first run in a handicap. Beaten by Mailcash over a shorter trip in a maiden hurdle at Carlisle in February, he reversed the form with Donald McCain's charge over 2m 7f at Bangor four weeks ago.

On the longlist: Harbour Lake, Patriotik, Zain Nights, Ki Woo and My Bobby Dazzler.

The handicapper hasn't done Harbour Lake any favours, raising Alan King's charge to a career high of 140 after the Cheltenham run. 

Last year's winner Zain Nights remains on a career high mark; Lucy Wadham said of her charge [RP Weekender 19-23.03.25]:

"... I think he might just be a spring horse. He hasn't quite fired this season but he's been training really well. He ran in the Pertemps last week but didn't go a tap (pulled up behind Doddiethegreat at the Cheltenham Festival). Like so many he didn't get a very good start at Cheltenham and never got into the race. That can happen there. He's entered at Newbury on Friday and I think he'll run. He might find himself with a visor on."

The visor did the trick at Newbury where he beat Welcom To Cartries four and a quarter lengths. He ran better at Cheltenham behind Long Draw, leading after two out before weakening on the run-in.

I'm not certain Patriotik will show his best on good ground while Ki Woo isn't easy to assess. 

At ten years of age My Bobby Dazzler is certainly the veteran in the field but he ran well on his first run after wind surgery at Cheltenham and is now on a mark four pounds lower than last year when beaten a head by Zain Nights.

At the time of writing Zain Nights is generally a 9/1 shot while My Bobby Dazzler is 14/1; however bet365 stand out offering 20/1 about the latter.

My Bobby Dazzler is the each-way suggestion, 20/1 with bet365 paying four places. 

Whatever happens, come 1.15 I'm definitely going to engage hibernation mode. Honest.

A brief review of the 2024/25 jumps season

Champion jockey: Sean Bowen

Champion trainer: Willie Mullins

Winning owner: J P McManus

Champion conditional jockey: Freddie Gingell

Dan Skelton went into Aintree's Grand National meeting at the beginning of April with a commanding lead in the jumps trainers' championship - some £790,000 ahead of Paul Nicholls, £854,000 ahead of Nicky Henderson and over £1.3m clear of Willie Mullins in fourth place.

On the first day of the meeting Mr Mullins sent out the winners of the first four races on the card - all Grade 1 events: Impaire Et Passe (9/4), Manifesto Novices' Chase; Murcia (11/4), Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle; Gaelic Warrior (11/4), Aintree Bowl; and Lossiemouth (5/4f), Aintree Hurdle.

Incredibly, on Saturday he then sent out the first three home in the Grand National - Nick Rockett (33/1), I Am Maximus (7/1), and Grangeclare West (33/1) - and, for good measure, claimed fifth with Meetingofthewaters (20/1) and seventh with Minella Cocooner (18/1).

Skelton, pipped by Mullins for the title last year, must have been consumed by a sense of déjà vu. Somehow there just seemed an air of inevitability about it all. 

A week later Captain Cody (9/1) and Klarc Kent (14/1) filled the first two places in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr and by the time Sandown's final fixture came around, Mullins was priced up a 1/12 chance to collect his second British trainers' championship.

Gaelic Warrior (5/6f), Il Etait Temps (9/2) and Jump Allen (5/1) obliged for the Irish maestro but the Olly Murphy trained Resplendent Grey - champion jockey Sean Bowen up - struck a note of defiance for the home team, denying Lombron and Rachael Blackmore in the feature bet365 Gold Cup.

The final totals showed that Willie Mullins had won just shy of £200,000 more than Dan Skelton over the course of the season.

Once again Willie Mullins was crowned leading trainer at the Cheltenham Festival with ten winners.

Four of those winners came on the final day, including 100/1 shot Poniros in the Triumph Hurdle, but in the Gold Cup 8/13f Galopin Des Champs wasn't as slick at the fences as we've seen in the past and he was comprehensively beaten by Inothewayurthinkin, vindicating the decision of winning connections to supplement at a cost of £25,000.

The Champion Hurdle on Tuesday proved one of the most dramatic in recent memory with 1/2f Constitution Hill falling four from home. State Man (8/1), five lengths clear approaching the last and with the race at his mercy, clipped the top of the flight and came to grief, allowing the mare Golden Ace to claim the spoils and her trainer Jeremy Scott the adulation of the massed ranks of mellifluous supporters who had installed themselves on the terracing behind the winner's enclosure.

On Wednesday a bad mistake by Jonbon in the Champion Chase effectively put paid to his chance; in the circumstances he did well to finish second but Marine Nationale's deserved victory was an emotional affair. 

The horse had won the 2023 renewal of the Supreme with Michael O'Sullivan in the plate; on 6th February 2025 Michael was severely injured when falling from Wee Charlie at the final fence in a handicap chase at Thurles and he died from the injuries sustained ten days later.

On Thursday Fact To File produced an eye-catching performance in the Ryanair while Bob Olinger denied favourite Teahupoo in the Stayers' Hurdle.

The first three days of this year's Festival were plagued by false starts and attendances over the four days were down by more than 10,000 compared to 2024 - plenty to ponder on for Cheltenham's new chief executive Guy Lavender.

Back in the autumn Minella Drama won the Old Roan, The Real Whacker the Charlie Hall, and King Turgeon the Grand Sefton, the last-named on the same day the 2022 Grand Sefton winner, Al Dancer, rolled back the years to come home ten lengths clear in the 63rd renewal of Wincanton's Badger Beer Handicap Chase. 

At the Cheltenham Open meeting Freddie Gingell rode Il Ridoto to victory in the Paddy Power Gold Cup and the following day Harry Cobden made all on Burdett Road to pick up the Greatwood for James Owen and the Gredley family.

Haydock specialist Royal Pagaille saw off Grey Dawning and Bravemansgame in the Betfair Chase while a week later Kandoo Kid claimed the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury. 

On the same day the precocious Sir Gino won the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle and subsequently, on his first start over fences, beat Ballyburn in the Wayward Lad at Kempton before picking up an injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season.

Having won the Schloer Chase at Cheltenham, Jonbon added the Tingle Creek at Sandown and the Clarence House at Ascot before that mistake in the Champion Chase. 

Nicky Henderson's charge then went on to claim a second consecutive victory in the Melling Chase at Aintree but, returning to Sandown on the final day of the season, had no answer to the turn of foot shown by Il Etait Temps in the Celebration Chase.

Mr Vango had quite the exceptional season. 

Sara Bradstock's charge won the London National at Sandown, the Peter Marsh at Haydock and then the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter. Unfortunately, when the weights for the Aintree Grand National were framed in February, his rating of 143 wasn't high enough to ensure a place in the final field of 34 runners. Now rated 152, Mr Vango will be aimed at the 2026 Aintree spectacular.

Just before Christmas Crambo won the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot for a second time while at Kempton on Boxing Day Constitution Hill beat Lossiemouth in the Christmas Hurdle, Banbridge ran down the front-running Il Est Francais in the King George, and The Jukebox Man, owned by Harry Redknapp, won the Kauto Star comfortably. 

Unfortunately Harry's pride and joy picked up an injury and missed his intended engagement at Cheltenham - the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase - but connections are already talking about the 2026 Gold Cup for their charge, for which he is generally quoted at 25/1 chance.

The Mel Rowley trained Val Dancer emerged from the Chepstow fog in the lead in the Welsh Grand National but, despite subsequently finishing third behind Famous Bridge in Haydock's Grand National Trial, was another runner to miss the cut for the Aintree showpiece.

L'Homme Presse, third behind Banbridge in the King George, looked good winning the Cotswold Chase at the end of January but next time out was run off his feet behind Pic D'Orhy in the Ascot Chase over two miles five furlongs.

At that same Ascot meeting The Changing Man, having finished second in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle, the Howden Silver Cup at Ascot, and the Great Yorkshire at Doncaster, strolled home in the Reynoldstown after favourite Jingko Blue fell at the third. 

The owners of Jingko Blue had better luck with Jango Baie; although their horse was beaten a short-head by Handstands in the Scilly Isles at Sandown, he went on to win the Arkle at Cheltenham.

Grey mare Joyeuse won Newbury's competitive William Hill Hurdle eight lengths but couldn't live with Lossiemouth in the Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham.

A fortnight later Knockanore won the Eider at Newcastle 16 lengths but couldn't build on that while Moroder bounced back to form, winning the Grimthorpe at Doncaster at the beginning of March at odds of 33/1.

And on the Saturday before the Cheltenham Festival Go Dante won a second Imperial Cup for Sean Bowen and Olly Murphy in what proved a breakthrough season for both jockey and trainer. 

Sean Bowen rode 180 winners to claim the jockeys' title, 38 more than nearest rival Harry Cobden while Olly Murphy sent out 141 winners, posting a 25% win strike-rate over the course of the season.

Finally Harry Skelton was crowned the inaugural winner of the David Power Jockeys' Cup. 

Jockeys gained points for finishing in the top four places of races televised by ITV Racing between 15th November 2024 and 4th April 2025; with 420 points, Harry Skelton finished 90 points clear of nearest rival Harry Cobden. 

Harry (Skelton) collected a cool £500,000 for his efforts, with principal trainer (and brother) Dan receiving £50,000, and a further £50,000 being shared among stable staff.