Monday tips: Andy Stephens marks your card

Harry Derham has chalked up 49 winners at a strike rate of about 25 per cent in the past year, often transforming the fortunes of horses he has acquired from other yards. 

Copshill Lad is another new recruit for him, and it will be no surprise if the grey suddenly turns a corner. He’s without a win in nine starts over hurdles and ran poorly when last seen in action at Plumpton in late January, but that was then, and this is now. 

He has his first start for Derham in first-time cheekpieces, and having had a wind op his usual tongue-tie is removed. It is probably no coincidence, too, that he is belatedly returning to the scene of his debut success in a bumper 17 months ago. He won easily that day from rivals who now boast hurdle ratings of 121 and 124. 

Copshill Lad has arrived at Derham’s door with a mark of 105, with Alice Stevens (8 winners from just 25 rides for the stable) booked to ride. And I doubt fitness will be an issue. 

The Padraig Roche-trained eight-year-old should take some beating here provided he gets the good ground that serves him best. 

Outside The Door dug deep to win a handicap chase at Wexford last time (3m 1f) and has since been pushed up 6lb in the ratings to 123. 

He is back over hurdles here, though and his mark in this sphere is some 16lb lower. And with Peter Smithers, who has won on him in the past, taking off another 7lb, his claims become even more persuasive. 

It goes without saying that he’s a bit more effective over fences but he’s a dual winner over the smaller obstacles and was a good third the last time he ran over hurdles, at Sligo in July. 

He might well have won that day, too, had he jumped a bit cleaner, with the Raceiq data revealing he was easily worst at getting from A to B among the first four home. 

Game Breaker is ending the season with a flourish and she may well be able to complete a hat-trick of wins here. 

The three-year-old daughter of Soldiers Hollow won on the last of her four starts last year, when trained by Ralph Beckett, and was rated 81 at the start of the season, having joined Rebecca Menzies in the interim. 

Game Breaker’s first six starts for the yard were unmemorable but she’s got back in the groove on her past two starts, chalking up back-to-back wins at Hamilton. 

She was in control some way out last time and, even after a further 4lb rise, she is still 5lb lower than at the start of the campaign. 

Chepstow maiden winner Altmore, who represents William Haggas, is interesting but the type to be overbet. Emperor Caradoc, whose record at Pontefract reads 43212, is feared more.