Who will come out on top in the battle of the progressive staying hurdlers?

Monday: 4.00 Worcester
Cazoo Handicap Hurdle | 2m7f | 4yo+ | Sky

The jumps season will start cranking up over the next couple of months and this staying hurdle is a cracking contest that features several progressive runners at the top of their form.

Thunderstruck recorded a career-best Racing Post Rating when landing a 3m2f novice handicap hurdle at Fontwell in May but connections felt the need for wind surgery after it.

Emma Lavelle has a good record with those having their first start after an op. Since the start of 2016, she has five winners from 20 such runners, for a profit of £7.50 to £1 level stakes.

Some Detail also comes here after a career best and that came over two and a half miles on soft ground at Perth. Both the trip and ground might not have been ideal that day because Some Detail had previously looked good when winning over 2m7f on good at Market Rasen.

The return to that trip and ground combination may bring further progress from Some Detail.

Drumlee Watar is another progressive runner. He has won three of his last four and equalled his career-high RPR when beaten at Bangor last time. That third came under Gavin Sheehan and Caoilin Quinn, who was on for a course-and-distance win in July, is back claiming 7lb.

At this time last year Fergus Gillard was also claiming 7lb, but he had a fantastic season last campaign and now has only a 3lb allowance. It won’t be long before he is a fully fledged professional and he gets on well with Story Of Friends, who is another back after a wind op.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

What they say

Warren Greatrex, trainer of Drumlee Watar
He's in good form. I didn't run him last Monday at Newton Abbot as the ground was too quick. He's a course-and-distance winner and we're expecting a big run. A more galloping track like this suits him and we haven't reached our limit with him yet.

Emma Lavelle, trainer of Thunderstruck
Touch wood he goes there in great shape. We've done a nice amount with him at home to get him going again and he should run well. He's had a wind op since his last run and should be able to come on for this.

David Pipe, trainer of Story Of Friends
He's had his wind op and seems to be in good form coming out of it. He was running well at this track to a certain point last time before his wind caught him out. Hopefully, the operation will have done him a world of good.

Nigel Hawke, trainer of Some Detail
He's in great form. He's been quite consistent over the summer, he returns off a bit of break having not run since Perth in July and heads there with a real solid chance. He's done better on a sounder surface and back over hurdles, which has brought his confidence back.
Reporting by Matt Rennie

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