We’re looking to follow up last week’s excellent Greatwood Hurdle win with Iberico Lord (7/1), this time in Haydock’s Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle.

There’s £125,000 in the prize find for what will be a testing race over the extended three-mile trip. 16 runners are set to take on 12 hurdles of Haydock’s track, this being the fifth of seven races on Betfair Chase Day.

From 2010 to 2018, six out of 8 winners of this race were aged just five. The last five renewals however have been won by 6 to 8-year-olds. There has been an even split on winning weights over the years, with the betting giving just a small insight.

The last five winners were 3rd to 10th in the betting, with those horses coming always from the top 40% or so of the market which helps just a little.

Main Contenders

Crambo

Fergal O’Brien trains this six-year-old, a gelding with a record of four wins from 6 hurdle races to date. During that hurdling career he has not stopped improving, with the betting suggesting he will take another step forward in this event.

Having won a Premier Handicap back in March at Sandown and a nice race at Ascot 27 days ago there are no class worries. He also handles rain-softened ground very well.

The only doubt about him is the trip. Crambo has done all his best work over 2½ miles so far and this race will feel very different.

Dubrovnik Harry 

Harry Fry’s yard is going along nicely which was important to keep in mind as regards Dubrovnik Harry.

Though this seven-year-old has only won once in his seven hurdle starts, he has been showing signs of coming back to the form he showed on his second hurdle run last January which at these weights could see him win.

He took a couple of backward steps for whatever reason going towards January 2023. He was a little better when 6th at Chepstow in February, then loosened up nicely for the season at Cheltenham four weeks ago when fourth of 20 in a three-mile handicap.

He should be spot-on now and will be fit enough to run to his best. He stays the trip well, has good experience and is now down to a mark of just 125.

Howlingmadmurdock

Though a big price at the time of writing, this horse should not be underestimated for Stan Sheppard and the Tom Lacey team.

After winning a bumper for Anthony Honeyball, Howlingmadmurdock has gone 2-4 in his hurdle races for Lacey with wins over 2m and 2m4f.

He improved again when sent over three miles in April when he was 5th in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle, but he has been hit with a mark of 140 for that which will not be easy to overcome.

Lord Snootie 

Lord Snootie will be fit and ready to go now having had one spin already this season, though he was beaten 18 lengths at Galway.

He finished last year with a 5th at the Punchestown Festival and before that, he was second at Uttoxeter. His last win came almost a year ago at Warwick but he retains plenty of potential in this sphere.

Santos Blue 

Ben Sutton usually partners Dan Skelton’s Santos Blue, so having judged the form we make no extra allowances for the 7lb claim.

Sutton won three times in a row on Santos Blue last season and the pair were second to Crambo on their seasonal reappearance four weeks ago at Aintree.

With that run under his belt this horse should go very well, given that he has the form to go close and he remains only 3lbs higher than when a narrow third as favourite for a race at Cheltenham in April.

Slate Lane 

This is the horse for money. Slate Late is trained by Emmet Mullins, is a five-year-old with lots of improvement to come and who is now 3-3 for this trainer.

He’s been kept busy enough, his three runs for Mullins coming between June and September, and while he will be very dangerous to write off his mark of 127 is a big enough hike from his last win and this is a better level of opposition.

Summary

As the oldest horse on our shortlist of six, DUBROVNIK HARRY has some good life experience that he can put to use in what is a hot race.

There’s nothing wrong with the chances of Crambo here either, but Dubrovnik Harry has plenty to recommend him at a much bigger price and so he is definitely the value call.