Timeform Radio Tips: Jumping the name of the game

David Cleary assesses today's National Hunt cards.

David Cleary reckons he's found two winners over the sticks on Wednesday...

There's a humdrum Flat fixture at Catterick this afternoon but the focus of the action is firmly on the jumps, with both Perth and Worcester staging competitive cards, the day's best race, the handicap hurdle at Worcester at 17.20 looking a cracker.

With quite a few confirmed front runners in the line-up, this two-and-a-half mile contest over the fixed brush hurdles looks sure to be a well-run affair and as such likely to play into the hands of the prolific On The Bridge. He carries a 7-lb penalty for a success here last week, that win coming over three furlongs further and in a slightly lower grade.

However, On The Bridge is equally effective over today's trip and won't be out of place in this better grade. The Rebecca Curtis pair Conellie and My Lad Percy head the dangers, though Conellie looks short in the market in the face of a rather stiffer task than when winning after a long absence at Ffos Las last month, while My Lad Percy has had Patrick Corbett claiming 7 lb on for his two wins and so faces more of a hike in the weights than looks the case at first glance, with a non-claiming rider on this afternoon. On The Bridge is taken to gain a seventh win from nine starts, all in less than eleven months, running today off a mark no less than 37 lb higher than for the first victory.

Just before that race, in the 17.10 at Perth, Outrageous Request looks to hold solid claims under optimum conditions in a two-mile handicap hurdle. He's not been seen since finishing second to Kruzhlinin over course and distance in May last year but lack of fitness shouldn't be a problem for a horse from a good yard that has been firing in the winners all summer. Of his opponents, Lisbon has gone up in the handicap for winning a maiden at Cartmel which was set up for him; Cool Baranca is well weighted but disappointed last time and would have benefited from more rain overnight; and Latest Trend is back over hurdles after flopping over fences. Early Applause is probably the main danger to Outrageous Request, but simply doesn't look quite so well handicapped.

Recommended Bets:
Back On The Bridge @ 5.59/2 in the 17.20 at Worcester
Back Outrageous Request @ 5.59/2 in the 17.10 at Perth