Barristers Boy will prefer this longer trip

Barristers Boy - representing the in-form stable of Jim Old - is both proven on the surface and said to be likely to appreciate…

Barristers Boy - representing the in-form stable of Jim Old - is both proven on the surface and said to be likely to appreciate the step up in trip to the two miles and five furlongs of the Canterbury Handicap Chase at Folkestone today.

Lightly-raced for an eight-year-old, Barristers Boy disappointed last time out at Plumpton when at the head of the market - but the trainer attributed that performance to the two-mile trip not placing enough of an emphasis upon his stamina.

His previous run - over a more suitable two and a half-mile trip - showed him to better effect in running Dancetillyoudrop to a neck.

And this contest should not take a lot of winning, featuring plenty of disappointing sorts, some with little chance of ever appearing in the winner's enclosure again.

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The biggest danger to the selection could be Ragamuff, but he may have been flattered by his most recent run when second in a poor three-runner event.

Nick Gaselee specialises in patiently handling well-bred slow-maturing chasing types and Flippance, still improving and an imposing stamp of a horse is no exception.

Flippance has seemed to thrive on a good test of stamina as he showed when only beaten a short-head by hardy old stager Over The Deel in a marathon slog on soft going around Warwick on his seasonal debut and is tipped to land the Kent Handicap Chase in similar conditions.