Hot to Trot: Whillans going great guns with his hurdlers

Flat trainer: Charles Hills

Before racing begins on Friday, Charles Hills has saddled six winners from his last ten runners, with a double on Wednesday at Chepstow (both ridden by Silvestre de Sousa) adding to an across-the-card treble at Leicester, Ripon and Wolverhampton on Tuesday. One of his more interesting entries next week could be Serradura, who looks set to be suited by the return to six furlongs after racing too freely to do herself justice last time over a mile. That was the third disappointing run that she has put in so far this season, but it is worth remembering the promising start she made when winning on debut at Newbury last season, and granted a strong pace or perhaps even a hood to help her settle better, she could bounce back now dropped in class. Nayyar looked badly in need of experience when upped in grade in the Molecomb at Goodwood last month (also took a keen hold to post) and is worth another chance to build on his debut win at Chepstow prior to that. The class 4 nursery that he is entered in at Newbury on Tuesday will be a more realistic target. Next weekend’s feature group race, the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood, may well come into consideration for Dutch Connection, who put up a career best over seven furlongs in the Lennox Stakes at the track last month before probably finding the six and a half furlongs in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville a bit sharp last time.

Jumps trainer: Graeme McPherson

After taking out a license in 2009, Graeme McPherson has been steadily increasing his number of winners per season. He saddled eight in 2012/13, twelve in 2013/14, fifteen in 2014/15, and ended last season with seventeen winners on the board. This season could be his best yet, with eleven winners already under his belt within the first four months of the new jumps season. Things have really taken off for McPherson in July and August, and he boasts a 33% win-rate from his last fifteen runners, while only five of those fifteen have finished out of the places. McPherson has the unexposed Beneficial Joe – owned by Paul and Clare Rooney – entered over 23f at Worcester in a conditional jockeys maiden on Monday. The booking of Ryan Hatch looks positive, and Beneficial Joe, who has a fairly appealing jumps pedigree (by Beneficial and out of an unraced half sister to top-class chaser Racing Demon) looks an interesting runner upped in trip. Stynes looks set to be suited by the drop back to two miles at Stratford on Wednesday, having seemingly been stretched by a well-run race over two and a half miles at Bangor last time. He had proven better than ever on his first start for the yard when a game winner at Newton Abbot before that, and could still be on a workable mark.

Under the radar: Alistair Whillans

Dual-purpose trainer Alistair Whillans is having an excellent August, saddling four winners from his first twelve runners across both codes. He is set to have a few runners at Perth on Saturday, and is also represented at Carlisle, Musselburgh and Sedgefield next week. Three of Whillans’ nine Flat winners have come in August, which bodes well for his runners in that sphere next week, but his record over jumps this season is perhaps even more significant. Whillans is currently operating at a 25% strike-rate over jumps (six winners from 24 runners) and is already well on the way to bettering his 2015/16 total (saddled eleven winners last season). He has an interesting runner at Sedgefield on Thursday next week in the form of Amirli, who was a €26,000 purchase for the Rooneys in 2014. Amirli has yet to have a start over jumps for Whillans, but has been gradually turned around this season on the Flat after leaving Donald McCain in poor form. Now he is back in form, Amirli could be on a feasible handicap mark back over jumps (only showed poor form in that sphere for McCain) and is an interesting contender for a yard going great guns with their hurdlers this season.