Big Boy Bobby can win the Swinton Hurdle at Haydock

BIG Boy Bobby can secure victory in the Pertemps Network Swinton Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (1.35pm) on the only mixed Flat and National Hunt card in Britain at Haydock Park this afternoon.

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Alan King's seven-year-old can take the prestigious Jumps feature at the Merseyside track.

Big Boy Bobby has been a consistent performer over obstacles without winning that much. His only success in 12 starts over hurdles was at Huntingdon in December 2022, but he has been runner-up five times and third and fourth.

Big Boy Bobby was runner-up to the reopposing Ooh Betty in a two-mile handicap at Kempton over Christmas and filled the same berth at Newcastle in February.

Last month he was third to King William Rufus, beaten less than a length, over an extended two miles at Cheltenham. He is generally held up off the pace but is always doing his best work at the finish of his races.

He enjoys this sounder surface, having landed his only success on good ground and has generally done much of his best work on similar going.

This is his toughest assignment so far but he is almost guaranteed to be in the mix at the very least given everything appears to be in his favour.

Big Boy Bobby can finally put it all together and triumph.

It's another naturally competitive renewal of the Swinton Hurdle and there are several others likely to go well.

King stable-mate Helnwein second on his most recent start at Chepstow last month can go well along with the Evan Williams-trained course and distance winner Dr T J Eckleburg, Kerry Lee's Black Hawk Eagle and Our Champ, from the Chris Gordon stable.

Evan Williams may have already had a winner on Merseyside with Patriotik in the opener, the Pertemps Network Long Distance Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (1pm).

The six-year-old is another consistent performer who is rarely out of the first three in his starts.