4.15pm Worcester Tips & Betting Preview 03/09/2017

Two and a half miles the trip in front of them in this handicap hurdle with more than £6,300 on offer to the winner. Our expert tip and runner by runner preview are below.

IN SUMMARY: WYNFORD has improved hugely for the fitting of a tongue strap and joining Dan Skelton. He is only four pounds higher than for his most recent win which looks on the lenient side. He is only a four year old so with the anticipation of much more in the locker, he gets the vote. Foxy Act has been in great form in novice events. This is trickier on her handicap debut in a bigger field but the opening mark given to her by the handicapper looks fair enough. Destiny’s Gold is no easy horse to win with but he is a model of consistency. If the change of headgear works on him, he should be in the frame once more.

1 FOXY ACT – Has made an excellent start to the season, winning three of her four starts in novice events. She has struck up a great partnership with Paige Fuller, running fields into the ground from the front. This is her handicap debut, given a rating that looks fair enough on what she has done this season. This is a deeper and slightly bigger field than she has run against so far so she needs to continue her progression, but that is entirely possible .

2 MATCHAWAY – Three times a winner, most recently from the same mark as this back in January, He was in first time blinkers on that occasion, a first time tongue strap and cheekpieces now replaces that headgear, so it will be interesting to see if the swap has the desired effect. His winning form has all come on softer ground which is the main concern here, seeing how he copes with a much quicker surface.

3 DESTINY’S GOLD – Remarkably consistent, he has finished in the first three in fifteen of his twenty-five starts. He won over this trip at Uttoxeter earlier in the season, now having first time blinkers replacing the cheekpieces he has consistently worn for the last year. He looks a shade high in the weights to get his head in front unless the new headgear produces a step forward, but as always he will be in the mix for the places.

4 DEAUVILLE DANCER – Beaten from eight pounds lower the last time he was seen over hurdles in October. He has enjoyed a successful spell over fences since, including a pair of wins over two miles. He is yet to convince that he wants this far and this looks a stiff task from an inflated mark back over the smaller obstacles.

5 WYNFORD – Much improved for a tongue strap being fitted, winning twice, runner-up on the other try. No surprise that he has been sent off favourite on all three runs for he Dan Skelton yard, with just a four pound rise for his most recent win looking on the lenient side. He still looked a little bit green under pressure there, giving the impression that there is plenty more to come from this four-year-old.

6 BARIZAN – Formerly very smart, he was a Grade 1 winner in his novice season as well as twice a runner-up at the highest level including the Triumph at the Cheltenham Festival. He has been an ever diminishing shadow of that horse in recent seasons, unable to get his head in front since a Haydock win in May 2013. He is on a career low mark but finished last of five at Fontwell last time and appears to be regressing far quicker than the handicapper can drop him.

7 COURTLANDS PRINCE – A winner at this track over two miles last summer, he is yet to prove his stamina for this far. He will have the ground in his favour and was placed from four pounds higher last season He should come on for his seasonal return here last time but will need to step forward considerably on that to get close in this contest.

9 LONDONIA – Good ground suits him well, winner of a pair of small handicaps in May. He came back a little sore on very quick ground on the flat at Bath, running his worse race for a considerable length of time at Stratford. Tailed off at Newton Abbot on Saturday, he is not sure to come here so soon, especially over a trip that he has yet to try.

NON RUNNERS

8 BEALLANDENDALL – Was never the most consistent in the pointing field, he has continued that under rules. A winner just the once in sixteen starts in this discipline, that came over two miles on soft ground. He has no issues with quicker ground, nor with this trip but he has looked regressive since re-joining the Deborah Faulkner yard from Matt Sheppard.