YOU can look at the William Hill Hurdle through sepia- or rose-tinted glasses if you want. You can watch Make A Stand winning the race in 1997, when it was the Tote Gold Trophy, under a 4lb penalty for winning the Lanzarote Hurdle three weeks earlier, back when the Lanzarote Hurdle was run over two miles, and think, what brand of certainty was he off a mark of 140?

Or you can point to Persian War’s win in 1968, when it was the Schweppes, under 11st 13lb and taking on 30 rivals, and to his win in the Champion Hurdle a month later, and 13 months later, and 25 months later. No William Hill Hurdle winner has carried more than 11st 8lb since.

Some people still call it the Schweppes, although their number is dwindling. Some still call it the Tote Gold Trophy, and a few - though not many and, in truth, there never were that many - call it the Totesport Trophy. More call it the Betfair Hurdle.

Some say that you can tell a person’s age by the name by which they refer to the William Hill Hurdle.

It is unlikely that there is a Champion Hurdle winner lurking among the 16 potentials for this afternoon’s renewal. Indeed, the only horse with a Grade 1 entry at Cheltenham is Let It Rain, who is in the Mares’ Hurdle. She is well-named for the micro times through which we are living these days, but that is probably not why she tops the market for this afternoon’s contest.

Winner of her two bumpers two seasons ago, Dan Skelton’s mare ran just twice last season over hurdles, finishing second to the now 146-rated French Ship at Chepstow, the pair of them clear of Rebecca Curtis’ progressive chaser Newton Tornado, and then running out an impressive winner of her maiden at Wetherby at long odds-on.

She didn’t race again after that last season, but she shaped encouragingly on her debut this season in a handicap hurdle at Ascot’s Long Walk Hurdle meeting in December.

She travelled well into the home straight that day and, challenging on the outside, she looked a likely winner on the run to the second last flight. She didn’t find as much as it looked like she might find on the run-in and, in the end, she had to settle for third place behind Dance And Glance, and All In You, who flashed home on the far side, but she wasn’t beaten far. It is probable that lack of a recent run just told in the end.

The handicapper raised her by 4lb to a mark of 124 for that run, and that was more than fair. She could come on appreciably for it, her seasonal return, her first run in over 12 months, just her third run ever over hurdles and her handicap debut.

The ground was soft too at Ascot, so she could be okay in today’s conditions, for all that they will be even softer. But all of that is factored into the market.

All In You is a player too. He stepped forward from that Ascot run and won at Sandown last time, exacting his revenge on Dance And Glance, racing off a 4lb higher mark.

But he has been raised by another 5lb for the Sandown win, he is 9lb higher now that he was at Ascot and, while he is progressive, he is 5lb worse off with Let It Rain from their running at Ascot, and she has bags of potential to progress too.

Under-rated

Lanesborough also has the potential to progress again, and it may be that he has been a little under-rated by the market. Progressive last spring, Ben Pauling’s horse was a seriously impressive winner of a handicap hurdle at Doncaster in December on his debut this season.

Nicely backed for that race, he travelled like the most likely winner from a long way out.

He made good progress along the inside on the run into the home straight, moved easily into the lead at the second last flight, and cleared away over the last and up the run-in to win by eight and a half lengths.

The runner-up that day was Williethebuilder, who won his next two and is now rated 15lb higher than he was then.

The handicapper raised Lanesborough by 14lb for that win, which was not insignificant, but he was still sent off at a short enough price for the Lanzarote Hurdle next time off his new mark of 130.

It never looked likely to happen for him at Kempton. He never really travelled, he was being squeezed along on the turn into the home straight first time.

He raced in mid-division and along the inside, in traffic, in a race that was not run at a strong pace, on ground that was probably faster than ideal for him. Moved towards the outside in the home straight, in the circumstances, he did well to keep on as well as he did to finish fifth.

It wasn’t his running though, for whatever reason. It was his second run back after a long break, so there is a chance the bounce factor was at play.

He has had a four-week break since then, and he is back down to two miles today and onto softer ground again. His Doncaster win was achieved on good to soft ground, but he won at Warwick last February on soft ground, and he was only just beaten at Chepstow on heavy, when it looked like it was the distance of almost two and a half miles more than the ground that proved to be his undoing. A well-run race on soft or heavy ground over two miles, which he should get today, should suit him well.

Handicap Hurdle

Earlier in the day, Below The Radar could go well in the William Hill Each Way Extra Handicap Hurdle qualifier.

Paul Nicholls’ horse ran a big race at Haydock last time, when he did well to come from back in the field and finish second behind Judicial Deference.

The winner raced prominently from early that day. Actually, five of the first six horses home occupied five of the first six places with six furlongs to run. Beyond The Radar was 12th at that point. He was the only one who was able to get into it from back in the field.

He gave the winner a real race too, he challenged at the final flight and kept on all the way to the line. Out of a full-sister to Bennys King, who won the Sir Peter O’Sullevan Handicap Chase at Newbury over two miles and six and a half furlongs, he has won over two miles and five and a half furlongs, and he could improve again now for the step back up to an extended three miles. He handles soft ground and he has won on heavy, and a 3lb hike for his Haydock run was not harsh.

Recommended:

Below The Radar, 1.35 Newbury, 4/1 (generally), 1 point win

Lanesborough, 3.20 Newbury, 8/1 (generally), 1 point each-way