FIRST CANDIDATE is expected to deliver a first career success on her fifth hurdle start. The Jack Hobbs mare ran a fine second to a subsequent winner at Ludlow, prior to a solid runner-up effort in handicap company at Kelso.

The return to a maiden is likely to help, and she has shown by far the best form in this moderate event.

AL QUAREEM is expected to deliver a reappearance win. The Karl Burke-trained runner has scored at Group Two level, as well as winning four times in Group Three company. This represents a suitable early-season target, over a distance he excels at.

The opposition have ground to make up with the selection on ratings, and he should be hard to catch.

PERSUASION looks to be lurking from a dangerous handicap mark of 86. The son of Acclamation is a pound lower than when last successful, which just happened to be in this race. He made dramatic improvement from a poor all-weather run, prior to that excellent display, and appears to have been campaigned identically this season.

I’m therefore not put off by his downfield run at Newcastle last month, which will have hopefully teed himself up nicely for this assignment.

In what appears to be a cracking veterans’ finale, FILANDERER is worth an each-way chance. The five-time chase winner arrives after a pulled-up effort at the Cheltenham festival, but that was a deep race.

This calmer event could mean that the Kayf Tara gelding bounces back to form - he had been in scintillating form previously - following an effortless success at Market Rasen in January. That race has worked out brilliantly, which bodes well for the selection.

BIG STORM BREWING has a pair of unexposed types ahead of him in the betting, but I’m not convinced that they should be more favoured. Brookside La looks a typical improver for Dan Skelton, yet does have to prove his effectiveness at this new trip, while Largy Go enters a handicap for the first time.

Big Storm Brewing is the rock-solid runner, arriving after back-to-back successes. He is up 6lb after a three-mile win at Musselburgh but appears a stayer on the rise.

POWERFUL is a dual hurdle winner, who has looked like a horse with potential for better than a handicapper. The J P McManus-owned Camelot gelding was raised 8lb for a two-length victory at Punchestown in January.

His trainer has noted that he probably prefers racing right-handed and he offers each-way claims, in a race which may set up nicely.