Betfred Merry Christmas Handicap Hurdle

Pos	No.	Dr	Horse	Form	Jockey / Trainer	Age	Wgt	Best decimal odds
1st	1	—	Super Survivor (G) FAV P A dual 3m winner last term who resumed from 7 months off with a good second of 5 in handicap hurdle at Windsor (24f, good to soft) 27 days ago. Must enter calculations despite a 2 lb rise.	09/2118-	G Sheehan Jamie Snowden	9	76.7kg	4.33 10/3
8th	2	—	Idem (G) Not seen to ideal effect when a staying-on fifth of 7 in handicap hurdle at Aintree (24.7f, good) 42 days ago, needing stronger gallop. One to consider off the same mark.	0-25825	P W Wadge L Russell & M Scudamore	7	75.3kg	8 7/1
9th	3	—	Secret Trix (G) T C&D winner who arrives in better form than his recent form figures suggest, set a lot to do when eighth of 11 in handicap hurdle at Taunton (19f, good) 9 days ago. Merits serious consideration now st…	9723-32	Aidan Weaver O Murphy	8	73.9kg	15 14/1
6th	4	—	Ernest Gray (G) P Much improved on the back of a wind op this term and landed 12-runner handicap hurdle at Aintree (24.7f, good) in October. Up 4 lb but that form has been franked so he's a likely player.	152166-	Tom Cannon A King	8	73.5kg	6 5/1
7th	5	—	Saint Palais (G) Lightly raced in recent seasons and he went backwards from his reappearance when last of 5 in handicap hurdle at Windsor (24f, good to soft) 27 days ago. Needs to bounce back.	56-U577	J M Quinlan R Bandey	8	73kg	19 18/1
5th	6	—	Imperial Merlin (G) C&D winner who posted a creditable fourth of 9 in handicap hurdle at Wetherby (21.2f, soft) 35 days ago. Not ruled out off the same mark.	42745P	B S Hughes J & S Quinn	8	73kg	6 5/1
2nd	7	—	Caughtinyourtrance (G) PT Showed a good attitude when landing a double over 2m6f at Cartmel in the summer. Shaped as if in need of the run after 4 months off when last of 6 in handicap at Carlisle (25f, soft) 6 days ago and c…	23P-221	Charlotte Jones James Moffatt	6	72.1kg	34 33/1
—	8	—	Jalisco Star (M) T Well below par in a couple of runs over fences last month but she bounced back to form reverted to hurdles with emphatic success in 5-runner handicap at Uttoxeter (23.3f, heavy) 11 days ago. Up 7 lb …	P12214	Benjamin Macey L Horsfall	7	68.9kg	9 8/1
3rd	9	—	Gege Ville (G) Opened his hurdles account here last December but off the track since posting a good second of 8 in handicap hurdle at Ayr (20.4f, heavy) 9 months ago. Yard is going well though so can't be ruled out…	36/12-35	Danny McMenamin N G Richards	9	67.1kg	8 7/1
4th	10	—	Gwennie May Star (G) P Failed to go on over fences for Dan Skelton but made a winning start for new yard back hurdling in 9-runner handicap at Warwick (25f, soft) 31 days ago, getting up on line. Usual cheekpieces go back …	141P34-	Lewis Saunders O Murphy	5	66.7kg	5 4/1

Betting forecast: Super Survivor (10/3), Gwennie May Star (4/1), Imperial Merlin (5/1), Ernest Gray (5/1), Gege Ville (7/1), Idem (7/1), Jalisco Star (8/1), Secret Trix (14/1), Saint Palais (18/1), Caughtinyourtrance (33/1)