Hughes Chases Fifth Perth Feature-Race Triumph

Brian Hughes bids to continue his remarkable association with Perth when he goes in search of a fifth victory in the £25,000 feature race.

The three-time champion jockey, who is now just two winners short of becoming only the fourth jump rider after Tony McCoy, Richard Johnson and Ruby Walsh to reach the landmark of 2,000 career winners, partners The Last Cloud in the Scone Estates Stone Of Destiny Handicap Hurdle.

The joint top-weight is trained by Patrick Neville, who boasts an outstanding recent record in the two-mile contest having landed each of the last two renewals with Here Comes Georgie.

There is no shortage of competition, however, with fellow top-weight Filibustering arriving in red-hot form for Harry Derham. He is chasing a four-timer following victories at Newcastle, Hexham and Cartmel, a winning spree which has seen his handicap rating soar by 18lbs.

Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore fly the flag for Scotland with Scriabin, who returns to familiar surroundings after registering a breakthrough success over hurdles in a course-and-distance maiden 44 days ago.

Hughes will certainly be kept busy as he is in action in all but two of the seven races on the card, with Neville supplying each of his five mounts.

The pair could get off to a flying start with Try Them in the opening Visit Perth Museum Maiden Hurdle. The Yorkshire raider shaped with plenty of promise when finishing just three-quarters of a length behind Scriabin over course and distance last time, on his first appearance since leaving Irish trainer Emmet Mullins.

Another with an impressive record at the track is Lisa Harrison-trained Dalileo, who knows his way to the Perth winner's enclosure better than most.

He goes in search of a sixth victory at his favourite venue when lining up under Callum Bewley in the Malcolm Group Handicap Hurdle.

The Cumbrian raider is thriving at present and arrives chasing a hat-trick after completing back-to-back course-and-distance victories last month.