1.10pm Uttoxeter Tips & Betting Preview 22/12/2017

Tip: HADFIELD at 4/1

IN SUMMARY: Not the easiest race to call but HADFIELD (4/1) has looked as if he is crying out for a try at this sort of trip having found himself outpaced recently over shorter. Even then, his form stands out in this field despite top-weight and if he does improve for a test of stamina then he can come home in front this afternoon for trainer Neil Mulholland.

1 HADFIELD – Third in both starts over hurdles this season, the first at Worcester and the latest at Lingfield, only beaten seven lengths and then four and a quarter lengths, hard ridden on both occasions. He does look talented if difficult to win with but has scored twice over considerably shorter and Tom Scudamore looks the sort of jockey needed to coax the very best out of him stepped up to this sort of trip for the first time.

2 CATCHING ON – Fully exposed at the age of nine but he has won over further both as a hurdler and a chaser and won’t be found lacking for stamina. Dropped another two pounds after a decent enough fourth over far too short here at Uttoxeter he will be happier upped to this trip and has only a pound more than his last win at Warwick as recent as February this year and cannot be written off despite the presence of some potentially better-handicapped rivals.

3 MALAPIE – Ran a blinder when fourth in a hot looking contest last time out over course and distance and a very good chance he will find this company easier to deal with. Not especially well-handicapped but very lightly raced with just the eight starts (plus a point-to-point) for a nine-year-old and may yet have a bit more to offer.

4 ONE FORTY SEVEN – Trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies and the subject of market support in both runs this season when fourteenth in a hot Cheltenham handicap and then fifth here over two and a half miles on heavy ground. Upped in trip today and down two pounds it will be interesting to see if he is backed again, and he may well be lot better than we have seen recently.

5 MAGUIRE’S GLEN – Hacked up by an easy thirteen lengths over shorter at Newton Abbot in early October but suffered an additional ten pounds from the handicapper and suffered in his next two races, pulling up at Exeter before a twenty-three length seventh at Cheltenham. He did put in a much better effort in third last time out at Towcester but tries this trip for the first time and needs a career best to take a hand.

6 KING UTHER – A first-time visor may well bring some improvement from Chris Gordon’s gelding who ran well enough on his handicap debut when fourth at Exeter to suggest he has a race or two in him. Only dropped a pound but that was his first run in eight months and he is fully entitled to strip fitter now, Looks a major player if the visor brings improvement.

7 CEAN SIBHEAL – Not as effective when tried over fences at Ffos Las and Stratford and has to carry eleven pounds more than his last win over hurdles in March 2016. Warren Greatrex stable are in great form with a 24% strike rate in the last two weeks but he does look in the grip of the handicapper barring some serious improvement.