Shallow River tops our ratings at 130 for this 24f test at Hexham, and on good ground he gets the nod, though only narrowly ahead of Lihyan on 129. That one-pound gap is slim, so Lihyan is the chief danger, with Imperial Merlin on 127 close enough to take advantage if our pick fails to run up to his rating. Medieval Gold, on 121, looks a step further back, while Rebel Tribesman and Heather Honey have more to find on our figures. It is far from a certainty, but Shallow River's rating is the best in a compact six-runner field, so he is our selection.