Stayers' hero has his work cut out against specialist hurdler Roksana

2.45 Wetherby
bet365 Hurdle (Grade 2) | 3m ! 4yo+ | ITV4/RTV

There has been a tendency for punters to be lulled into thinking the staying hurdle division is full of failed chasers in recent seasons but, in reality, the great majority of Stayers’ Hurdle winners this century were actually specialist hurdlers. Take away Big Buck’s, and Lisnagar Oscar was actually bucking the trend when winning last season after a failed spell chasing.

It may be that the staying hurdle division is more of a specialist discipline than most people think and proven form in hurdles over 3m-plus could prove the key in this Grade 2 contest.

Lisnagar Oscar has the best recent effort in this discipline courtesy of that Stayers’ Hurdle victory in March, but Roksana recorded a Racing Post Rating of 156 when second behind If The Cap Fits in last year’s Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree.

That is 6lb short of the figure Lisnagar Oscar achieved at Cheltenham, but she gets 13lb from the champion stayer and that could give her the edge if she is able to repeat that form another 18 months on.

An even bigger question mark stands over Next Destination and whether he can repeat his best form a long time after his last run.

It’s the best part of three years since he beat Delta Work in a 3m Grade 1 novice hurdle at the Punchestown festival for Willie Mullins. That was good enough for an RPR of 152 and he will probably need a career best to land this race on his return from such a long absence. It’s a big task on his first outing for Paul Nicholls.

There are a few chasers in this line-up, but none of them could be called failed chasers.

Copperhead looked a star in the making over fences when running away with the Reynoldstown at Ascot in February and this return to hurdling smacks as a prep run for the Ladbrokes Trophy entry.

Tizzard rarely has his string fully tuned up in October and has saddled just one winner from 32 runners in the last fortnight. Copperhead might need this.

The Ladbrokes Trophy might also be the main objective for the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned pair of Wholestone and Kildisart.

They both have entries in the Newbury feature and are probably using this as a prep, while the other chaser in the line-up, The Dutchman, is at his best on proper winter ground and is likely to find this a bit too lively.
Analysis by Graeme Rodway

Oscar win so sweet for Trembath

Lisnagar Oscar is owned by the Racing For Fun syndicate, which is appropriate given that is just what those involved had after his shock 50-1 success in the Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Bristol-based part-owner Chris Trembath experienced the thrills of the festival when Naiad Du Misselot won the Coral Cup in 2008 and he was also involved in Lisnagar Oscar's former Rebecca Curtis-trained stablemate O'Faolains Boy, who struck in the 2014 RSA.

Lisnagar Oscar: shock winner at CheltenhamCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

He rates March as his sweetest moment in racing and said: "It was fantastic. We went there with some hope because he ran such a good race in the Cleeve and, while we had a few pounds from Paisley Park in that, we were only beaten four and a half lengths.

"I reckon he went into the festival pretty underrated and we all backed him ante-post at 25-1 and 33-1, so to go off at 50-1 on the day was a bit of a surprise. I know he surprised everyone, but we didn't go there without hope."

The 59-year-old, who will be watching his pride and joy on television, added: "He's had a good summer and has been ready to run for two or three weeks. Becky wanted to give him a run before Newbury's Long Distance Hurdle and he's so well she thought we'd go here. We're very hopeful of a good run. He's got every right to continue improving."

Trembath, involved in the further education sector, went on: "I got my financial adviser Roy Hyde into racing and he bought the horse off Becky and pulled a syndicate together, which loosely connects our work.

"Along with Martin Hill and Tony Outhart we've been involved in three Cheltenham winners and Lisnagar was nice because it was such a shock and there were more of us involved, so the celebrations were better!"

What they say

Colin Tizzard, trainer of Copperhead
We used this race with Native River who then went and won the Hennessy, which is Copperhead's first ambition, so we're going here as a prep race. We have horses who win first time out, but we've done this before and it worked brilliantly, so we're doing it again. He's fit and could easily have gone and won a chase, but if we'd done that we might have put our handicap mark up. We're trusting the old route.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Next Destination
He's been off a long time. Whatever he does at Wetherby he'll improve for the run.

Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of Wholestone
He's back over hurdles and on ratings shouldn't be far away. He doesn't get any penalties.

Dan Skelton, trainer of Roksana
We've had this race in mind for some time. Last year she had a Class 1 penalty which cost her victory in the Relkeel, but now she gets 13lb off the Stayers' Hurdle winner. I give her a big chance.

Jamie Snowden, trainer of Chapmanshype
He's won seven of his 13, so knows how to win and he's progressed through handicaps. His pedigree suggests he wants to go up a little in trip like this, while his win at Kelso was in a good time with a big weight. He deserves a chance at this sort of race, but wouldn't want too much rain. He's got to step forward to trouble the main ones, but we might have a fitness edge.
Reporting by James Burn

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