ANTEPOST: @Ruby_Tuesday59 has 2 for the old Fixed Brush at Haydock

The dry ground at Cheltenham has diluted the quality of the cards for their Paddy Power Open Meeting this weekend, however looking ahead towards next week and Haydock's Betfair Chase meeting, there should be enough rain around for there to be no excuses for trainers to run their horses.

We will take a look at the old Fixed Brush Handicap Hurdle at Haydock, now renamed the Stayers Handicap Hurdle. I always enjoyed the Fixed Brush Handicap as it was different to basic hurdles and offered something else to figure out. Always a slog of a race which has thrown up some decent winners in the past including the Stayers Hurdle hero Paisley Park, and previous Ryanair Chase winner Dynaste.

20/11/21 - 2:25 Haydock - 3m½f (3m58y) Betfair Exchange Stayers' Handicap Hurdle

Only Betfair and Paddy Power have priced up the Stayers Handicap Hurdle, and there are 2 that catch the eye as value before the race cuts up on Monday with the 5 day declarations. Only 17 will run in this race, and with the weather looking like there's enough rain around to get the wet ground required to suit most horses then I'm hopeful this will be a decent race with some depth to it.

Soft ground brings in an obvious horse in the shape of the David Pipe trained BRINKLEY. David Pipe needs no introduction in this race having won it 3 times in the last 10 years with Main Fact being his latest winner, when coming out of the clouds to take this last year. Confirmed as his target, Brinkley was last seen finishing down the field in the Pertemps at the Festival in March. That was on decent spring ground which doesn't suit this horse. The softer, the better, for Brinkley and the wet conditions look set to suit next weekend. Rated 148, he is still a young and improving horse who will be fit and ready by his trainer to take a good pot of 56k before embarking on a chasing career. 16/1 looks fair given the race looks set to cut up especially as the market leaders don't look set to travel over.

The other horse worth a few quid as another each way angle is ORBYS LEGEND. The Philip Hobbs trained gelding won the Silver Trophy at Chepstow in October, and the form has been boosted with DIdtheyleaveuoutto finishing his race to finish 2nd at Newbury next time out, whilst Proschema (5th in the said race) finished 2nd in a Grade 2 at Wetherby next time out too. Orbys Legend was name checked as a probable contender for this race due to the size of the pot (56k) by his trainer, and there is a good chance this gelding will appreciate the step up in trip given his breeding (Milan x Bob Back - full brother to Morning Spirit who has won over 3 miles) and whilst he won't appreciate bottomless ground, the rain around suggests it will be soft rather than heavy conditions. Priced at 33/1 and his intended target assuming all is fine, that represents cracking each way value.

With the field set to be reduced to the maximum 17, and the fact that plenty in there will have other options, it makes sense to take the prices of the 2 above with 4 places on offer. Notable mentions go to If The Cap Fits, an intender runner and off the back of a decent performance by Aintree, whilst Bass Rock has the scope to improve off his current mark of 130.

Selections:

BRINKLEY - 1.5pts e/w @ 16/1 (Betfair, Paddy)

ORBYS LEGEND - 1.5pts e/w @ 33/1 (Betfair, Paddy)