Grade Two Ascot Hurdle Guide

Laurina has moved from Willie Mullins to Paul Nicholls this season as she has become one of a number of horses switched by owner Jared Sullivan over to England from Ireland for good.

Laurina entered the national hunt racing scene as a superstar, landing all six of her races over hurdles, including the Grade Two Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival and her first Grade One at Fairyhouse.

On course for the Champion Hurdle in 2019 she landed her first two races before running a stinker in the Grade One event and since that day she has never been the same horse.

Having been sent chasing she landed her first ever attempt over the bigger obstacles, seeing off RSA second Minella Indo, but since then has flopped over fences and hurdles and now Nicholls is looking to rebuild her career and find that form of old.

Nicholls now believes that the extended two-mile-three-furlong test at Ascot on Saturday is an ideal starting point for the mare and he is optimistic of a big run.

Call Me Lord finished second in the race on seasonal debut last term, he has a huge chance to go one better this year heading into the event off the back of a run.

The seven year old old has been a consistent horse for the Seven Barrows yard since joining from from France a few years ago and last term was magnificent in the early part of the season.

He started his campaign off in this race in November finishing second to If The Cap Fits who went on to land the race for two consecutive years.

He then headed to Cheltenham for his second start in the Grade Two International Hurdle and he stayed on best of the rest up the hill to take the race.

The gelding, after a superb win went to Sandown as a final run before the Champion Hurdle at the festival and finished second behind Grade One winner Quel Destin.

The Champion Hurdle was just too much for the gelding, being outclassed in a race that did not suit him and it saw him finish near the back of the field.

He was 3/1 in the week which looked huge value against hurdlers who have something to prove and now being fit after his first run of the season, he could be the winner of this race.

Trainer Tom Symonds does not have many superstars and this five year old could well and truly turn out to be just that having landed the Grade Two Kingwell Hurdle on his final start of last term.

Last season the gelding was a model of consistency winning at Fontwell on debut before finishing a decent third behind Mack The Man and Protektorat in a strong handicap hurdle.

He stepped up to a Grade Three event at Ascot where he was a length behind Supreme Novices' Hurdle second Thomas Darby and he used that experience to win at Kempton.

He has a solid form line and could be the value in the race if improving this season.