No Ordinary Joe can land Swinton Hurdle at Haydock

NO Ordinary Joe can secure victory in the Pertemps Network Swinton Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (1.15pm) at Haydock Park today.

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‘The Faye Bramley-trained 10-year-old can triumph in the two-mile feature at the Merseyside track on the only mixed Jumps and Flat meeting in Britain.

No Ordinary Joe, formerly trained by Nicky Henderson and owned by JP McManus, joined Bramley in October 2025 having been bought by The Cheeky Pups syndicate.

No Ordinary Joe was once rated 143 but has dropped down the handicap and hadn’t won for over three-and-a-half years until scoring at Sandown last month.

He had hinted at a return to winning ways when a good seventh to the reopposing Laafi in the Debenhams Handicap Hurdle at last month's Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse.

Off his lowest ever handicap mark of 120, he scored in good style in the 2m3½f bet365 Handicap Hurdle on the final day of the Jumps season at Sandown. He beat Gnomon by two-and-a-quarter lengths, staying on well to win.

He is up 4lb for that success but with the drop back in trip to two miles likely to suit, No Ordinary Joe can land back-to-back victories for the first time since his novice hurdling days.

‘There are plenty of dangers including the aforementioned William Durkan-trained Laafi, who lost his Aintree win having been disqualified days after the success due to jockey Patrick O'Brien's overuse of the whip. He carries top weight but will go close to making up for losing that race at Haydock’s sister Merseyside track. Dan Skelton’s Made U Blush and the Anthony Honeyball-trained Dance And Glance are other inform hurdlers who could go well.