The National Hunt season continues at Hereford on Wednesday with a competitive six-race meeting offering for punters heading to the track.
The card kicks off at 2.30pm as a field of nine take on the class five handicap chase before coming to a close at 5.05pm with a bumper over the two-mile trip.
Read below for a full rundown of the Hereford card courtesy of the racing experts at grandnational.org.uk
Up first is a two and a half mile handicap chase in class five (2.30) on the Hereford card. A winner of back-to-back handicap chases this season, including over course and distance, Lelant is the selection in the opener having been freshened up following being pulled up last time out at Fontwell on tough ground. Chief Black Robe is the next best here, returned to chasing having bombed out over hurdles last time out and that should suit.
Race two of the afternoon (3.00) can go the way of Blackijo Dagrostis for the Matt Sheppard team. The seven-year-old is still a maiden but this looks a good chance to shed that tag, third at Taunton last time out when a last-fence blunder cost him a likely win and despite being up in the weights now, can shoulder that and belatedly get off the mark.
A field of ten runners will head to post for the two mile and three furlong maiden hurdle in class four, race three on the card (3.30). Isabella Islay looks the way to go here for the Clive Boultbee-Brooks team, who took a big step forward when finishing third in a juvenile contest here last month and could go a couple of spots better with this step up in trip likely to play into her hands.
Race four on the Hereford card (4.00) looks a great chance for Best Night to make it back-to-back wins having landed the spoils at Huntingdon last time out and was also a winner back at Newton Abbot in September. Despite a 4lb rise in the weights for that success, the David Pipe-trained runner still has a strong chance of winning for a second straight race.
A field of eight will tackle the two mile and three furlong handicap hurdle for the penultimate contest of the day on Wednesday (4.30) in class five. The Neil Mulholland-trained Miss Carbo looks the way to go here, a runner up on debut for the trainer but has failed to fire since, though being sent handicapping should help off what looks a lenient mark. Reel Orange is the main danger here, yet to win for trainer Joe Tizzard but found only one runner too good last time out at Exeter.
Finally, the card comes to a close at 5.05 with the two-mile bumper and there are nine runners set to take it on. Preference in the finale heads the way of One Knight for the Emma Lavelle yard, a bumper winner at Southwell when last seen in December 2024 so will have to overcome a 15-month absence but the manner of that win was comfortable so plenty more is expected on return to the track.
Hereford selections – Wednesday
2.30 – Lelant
3.00 – Blackijo Dagrostis
3.30 – Isabella Islay
4.00 – Best Night
4.30 – Miss Carbo
5.05 – One Knight
