La Vecchia Scuola

Progressive youngster La Vecchia Scuola faces her stiffest task to date in the totepool Swinton Handicap Hurdle at Haydock.

Jim Goldie's filly will be seeking a hat-trick in the valuable two-miler after winning twice in under 24 hours at Ayr last month.

"She's obviously won her last two but the handicapper has had his say. It'll be interesting to see how she performs off her new mark, but she won easy enough the last day so hopefully the handicapper is right," explained Goldie.

"She's in good form and we're looking forward to it. It's a good race but her form is good. I thought it was a fair performance for her to win the first day at Ayr as she was a four-year-old giving weight away to everything - and that takes a bit of doing.

"The handicapper has obviously taken a dim view of those two wins and put her up accordingly, but hopefully she can perform to her new mark. There's no reason to say she shouldn't, but it is very competitive and it'll be interesting. We'll know where we're going with her next year after this anyway."

In a typically wide-open renewal, La Vecchia Scuola will face stern opposition from the likes of Scottish Champion Hurdle winner Border Castle, Tony Martin's Leg Spinner and Punchestown Festival scorer I Hear A Symphony.