2024 Scottish County Handicap Hurdle Tips

Rare Middleton is a horse who heads the betting market for the Scottish County Handicap Hurdle, with the five-year-old not being the highest-rated runner in the field although the bookies think that the charge has been favourably handicapped. Paul Nicholls saddles a runner who fended off thirteen rivals on his previous outing.

Benson landed a victory last time out after consecutive fourth-placed finishes, with Sandy Thomson training a horse that obliged at Musselburgh Racecourse when fending off six other rivals. That was over two miles and four furlongs, with the bookies installing this runner among the favourites and there’s some juice in the price from an each-way perspective.

Afadil is another five-year-old who is among the favourites and it provides trainer Paul Nicholls with another dart for a runner who has posted back-to-back third placed finishes recently. The latter performance saw the horse trail Benson home after previously running a credible race at Taunton Racecourse.

Lily Du Berlais returns to the track after nearly a year away and it will be interesting to see how the horse measures up after such a long absence. Back in April, the runner was pulled up and perhaps we will see Hypotenus demonstrate progression instead. The Gavin Cromwell-trained runner could go well despite carrying plenty of weight.

2023 Scottish County Handicap Hurdle Tips

Grivetana is a five-year-old who has recorded back-to-back runner-up spots this season before finishing sixth last time out. She was well down the pecking order in a Mares’ Hurdle after being sent off as the 11/10 favourite, although it appears as though the horse needs better ground than the soft going at Newbury on 31 December, with trainer Paul Nicholls having previously seen some strong runs.

Grivetana seems to have a favourable weight allowance and has previously run well at Newbury on two occasions, although some might instead favour the chances of Lebowski. The Michael Scudamore-trained runner has only had one outing this season and he was in the winners’ enclosure when winning a handicap hurdle at Wetherby Racecourse on 3 December.

Washington is trained by Olly Murphy and there was a solid enough showing from the seven-year-old when finishing second in the Pertemps Network Leicestershire Bronze Fox Handicap Hurdle on heavy ground. Perhaps the runner might benefit from a firmer surface this time around and he has plenty of experience due to his age.

Nayati has won on three of his five outings this season and the nine-year-old was victorious at Musselburgh Racecourse on New Year’s Day, with the horse claiming the spoils at Fitzdares Hogmaneigh Handicap Hurdle. That makes him an exciting prospect in our eyes and we think that each-way punters will be looking to secure extra places.