King Of The Lake is officially 11lb well in - but can anyone stop him from landing the hat-trick?

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The hat-trick-seeking King Of The Lake is the standout contender for this Class 4 handicap hurdle, as he carries no penalty for his runaway success at Newbury in a conditional jockeys' event last time, so he's a massive 11lb well-in.

Things might not be as straightforward as they seem, however, as Jeremy Scott's seven-year-old has been winning at 2m4f-2m5f, and there's evidence in the formbook that he gets as far as 3m, so this drop back to just a little over 2m is going to be something of a shock to the system.

Although winning easily at Newbury, he did need to be rousted along early in the straight, and it remains to be seen if he's as effective at this trip.

With Olly Murphy still churning out winners at an impressive rate, it will be no surprise if Imaginarium, who returned from a three-month break with a smooth win at Huntingdon last month, provides the main danger.

With 112 winners on the board already, Murphy is ten ahead of last season's personal best, and he's had 11 winners in the last fortnight.

Topweight Paso Doble should not be overlooked, as he's run two fair races over 2m3f since returning from three years off, and juvenile form suggests a bare 2m will suit him better, as will drying ground.

Cornish Storm, who ran well on the all-weather in January before getting off the mark over hurdles last month, and Thistle Be The One, running in his first handicap after a couple of fine efforts in novice company, are others who could make life difficult for the favourite if the trip turns out to be an issue.
Analysis by Paul Kealy

Going update

The ground was good to soft, good in places yesterday. Clerk of the course Jason Loosemore said: "We're due a little rain on Friday morning, but it'll only be 1-2mm. It's lovely ground; it's amazing how much it's dried up in the last week."

What they say

Stuart Kittow, trainer of Cornish Storm
This is a step up in grade, but he's got some good form and ability. He's got a fair handicap mark to start off with, so we'll learn a lot more about him. Exeter is a bit of an unknown, but he'd stay further than this trip.

Olly Murphy, trainer of Imaginarium
It's not ideal taking on the Jeremy Scott horse [King Of The Lake], but we won well last time and he has to go right-handed. I think the track will suit him well. Hopefully he's still feasibly treated on his Flat form, so he should have a good each-way chance.

Jeremy Scott, trainer of King Of The Lake
He's been in great form, but we're going up in the weights. He should be well in, but we're dropping back to two miles and on quicker ground. However, he should be competitive. He's been a revelation since having wind surgery for the second time. He's run well at the track.
Reporting by James Stevens

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