YOU can understand why Mucho Mas has been put in as favourite for the cavani.co.uk Challenger Staying Chase Series Final at Haydock today. He is a progressive young staying chaser who goes into the race on an upward curve.

He finished second in his first two chases, then won his next two, putting up a career-best performance last time to win a three-mile handicap chase at Sandown.

He travelled like the most likely winner from a fair way out that day, and he kept on well to win nicely. A 4lb hike is not harsh, he is only seven and he has raced just four times over fences in his life, so there could be a fair bit more to come.

That said, Feivel is available at twice Mucho Mas’ price, and that is probably too big. Stuart Edmunds’ horse was beaten just a length by Mucho Mas at Sandown last time, and he is 2lb better off with him today.

More than weights and measures, however, is the fact that today’s contest should present a greater test of stamina – almost three and a quarter miles at Haydock, as opposed to exactly three miles at Sandown – and that should be in Feivel’s favour.

He did well to get as close to Mucho Mas at Sandown last time as he did. He was being squeezed along from a little way out, and he didn’t have a lot of room on the run around the home turn.

Pulled out more

Yet he was able to extricate himself from the pack and get out after Mucho Mas. It looked like the winner pulled out a little more on the run to the line, and he could have had even more left to give, but there was a lot to like about the manner in which Feivel stayed on all the way to the line, with the pair of them pulling nicely clear of their rivals.

Feivel is eight years old now, but he has raced just six times over fences, and he is nicely progressive now since he joined his current trainer. He won easily at Wetherby in February on his first run for Stuart Edmunds, over three miles on good ground, but he shapes as if the step up in trip today will suit him well.

He ran well over hurdles on his one run at Haydock to date, and Haydock is not dissimilar in terms of configuration to Wetherby, where he put up one of the best performances of his chasing career in February.

A 2lb hike for his Sandown run was not harsh, he was travelling well when he unseated last time at Wetherby, and the fitting of cheekpieces today could elicit further improvement. His chance has probably been at least a little under-rated by the market.

Hurdle Series Final

The Changing Man’s chance in the Hurdle Series Final 35 minutes later has probably also been a little under-rated too.

Off the mark over hurdles on his final run last season, Joe Tizzard’s horse won his first two races this season, and finished second in his next three, including in Pertemps qualifiers at Wincanton and Haydock.

That was probably a career-best in Haydock’s Pertemps qualifier in February, when he stayed on well to take second place behind a progressive horse in Johnson’s Blue, who hasn’t run since, with the first two finishing well clear of Mill Green, who ran a massive race to finish third in the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham last time.

The Changing Man was only eighth in the Pertemps Final, but he was beaten a total of just five lengths, and less than two lengths for second, in a race in which he didn’t have things go his way.

He is only six, like five of the last six winners of this race, there should be more to come from him, and he should be seen to better effect now back at Haydock, back over the course and distance over which he put up the best performance of his career in February.

Recommended:

Feivel, 2.40 Haydock, 9/1 (generally), 1 point win,

The Changing Man, 3.15 Haydock, 8/1 (generally), 1 point each-way,