Sky Bet First Race Special Handicap Chase

Off time: 13:55 | Winning time: 4m 4.23s

Settings

Selected odds by:

Upsilon Bleu⁴⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Henry Brooke| T: Miss P Robson| OR: 142

11/2

Has an impressive 25% strike rate at the track, including a C&D win last year. Weighted to be competitive once again, though has never won on a sound surface.

Form: 5154-86

Cloonacool²¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: Brendan Powell| T: S Edmunds| OR: 140

11/1

Relatively consistent campaigner, for whom two miles at a decent clip suits, though probably wants rain to increase his chance of a first win in over a year.

Form: 72133-F

Romain De Senam^h,t⁴⁸^{(ex 5)}

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 138

5/1

Romped home at 1/20 at Leicester earlier in the week (2m, good) and shoulders a 5lb penalty for that success, but now back in form he is entitled to plenty of respect in a bid for a quickfire double.

Form: 315752

Double W's⁶⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: B S Hughes| T: J M Jefferson| OR: 139

9/2

Had a fairly busy autumn, winning at both Carlisle and Wetherby on good ground before coming unstuck at Newbury. Patient connections have saved him for some better ground today and he can be forgiven for his latest reverse.

Form: 2210-21

Gardefort²⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-9| J: Aidan Coleman| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 139

5/1

Has won on good, though ideally wants two miles and some cut in the ground to be seen to best effect. Has been beaten several times off this mark and slightly higher and on balance looks likely to need the handicapper to release his grip before winning again.

Form: P132F-U

Cyrius Moriviere^t¹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: David Bass| T: B Pauling| OR: 139

4/1

Has failed to jumped around on his last three starts, though unlucky last time when he had issues with his tack. Connections drop him back to the minimum trip this time and good ground is no problem, though clearly he has a bit to prove.

Form: 1P1-09F

Un Beau Roman^h⁴⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-7| J: T J O'Brien| T: P Henderson| OR: 137

14/1

Won a competitive Cheltenham event over this trip in November from 9lb lower and went close to following up at the same track last month. Late in the day to be finding improvement, but clearly in good form and can't be ruled out.

Form: 7126P6-

Yorkist^t⁴⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-5| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 135

13/2

Former Micky Hammond-trained runner who was readied to win at the second time of asking for current connections in Wetherby's Castleford Chase over Christmas. Up 5lb for that, though the going is more of a concern today as all his wins have been with cut in the ground.

Form: 61344-2

Forecasts

Cyrius Moriviere (4/1), Double W's (9/2), Gardefort (5/1), Romain De Senam (5/1), Upsilon Bleu (11/2), Yorkist (13/2), Cloonacool (11/1), Un Beau Roman (14/1)

Some decent two-milers on show here for a good prize, although plenty of them are running on ground that is not ideal for them. Romain De Senam came good at Leicester in midweek and is entitled to go close as connections bid to strike twice in quick succession, though Double W's is preferred. Malcolm Jefferson placed this genuine sort to win twice in the autumn and perhaps it was the ground that went against him at Newbury. A break will have done him good and today's conditions can see him back on song. Yorkist may be next best. 1. Double W's 2. Romain De Senam 3. Yorkist