A typically wide open renewal with a whole host of horses strongly fancied, but the one that appeals as a lively outsider at 66-1 is Gloucester.
Michael Scudamore's eight-year-old ran ablinder in the race last year when finishing sixth to Thousand Stars.
He came there cruising two from home and only faded out of contention on the run-in on ground that was probably softer than the official description of good.
The quicker the going the better for him, and today's current conditions should be right up his street.
There is certainly no way that he should be 66s on his run in the Galway Hurdle where he finished four places behind Dirar in seventh.
Gordon Elliott's horse, who heads the market at around 7-1, beat him just over 11 lengths that day but Gloucester is 9lb better off this afternoon and there should not be much between them.
Gloucester has also shown his well being with a recent win on the all-weather, and with Conor O'Farrell taking another 5lb off his back he is certainly at the right end of the handicap.
In my eyes he shouldn't be nearly 10 times bigger in the betting than Dirar, and with bookies paying 1/4 odds 1,2,3,4,5 he has to be the each-way play.
Recommended bet: 2pts each-way Gloucester (66-1 generally available, 1/4 odds 1,2,3,4,5)
