KABEER - 1:40 Southwell - Lay at 2.5 or less

Southwell probably produces more specialists than any other track these days and Kabeer has found the surface to his liking late in life. He's won his last two, both over todays trip, scoring by twelve lengths last time. However, that last win came in a weak five runner event and he's now 9lbs higher than for the first success - he's also been drawn in stall 1 today and that's rarely the best place to be over 7F or 1M at Southwell, with the inside rail generally the slowest part of the track. Add in a big weight to carry, always a concern on this surface, and he looks vulnerable this time, up against a more competitive field.

ASHKAZAR - 2:40 Chepstow - Back at 2.6 or more

No juvenile hurdler has made a greater impression on me than Ashkazar, who won on debut at Wincanton with ridiculous ease, crusing clear from two out as if he'd joined in at the home turn. He's bred to be a high class horse on the flat and came close to achieving that in Group races over 1m 4f earlier this year, including a sixth at Royal Ascot behind Boscobel. There's no shortage of stamina in his pedigree, to go with the speed he showed at Wincanton and he's likely to be able to outpace Franchoek, who confirmed at Cheltenham last time that he's basically one paced. There are several others here with decent form, but nothing that has demonstrated the sort of class that Ashkazar showed last time and I'm hoping his current price for the Triumph Hurdle will look generous by 3 p.m.