Warwick Folk Festival Crudwell Cup Open Hunters' Chase

Off time: 17:30 | Winning time: 6m 36.7s

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Selected odds by:

Mr Mercurial^t¹⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 12-2| J: Mr William Biddick| T: Mrs S Crow| OR: 118

11/8

Winner of a hunter chase over 3m at Ludlow (soft) earlier this season. Subsequently finished eighth over a trip short of his best in a valuable race over the Grand National fences at Aintree and likely to run well in this.

Form: 0P/418U-

Bear's Affair¹⁸

Age: 11| Weight: 11-12| J: Alex Edwards⁽³⁾| T: P Rowley| OR: 127

5/6

Placed twice in this sphere this season most recently when 11L behind Wonderful Charm at Haydock (heavy) in a much better race than this in February. Had Mr Mercurial behind him when seventh at Aintree subsequently and likely to prove hard to beat here.

Form: B0/2371-

Helpston^t1²²

Age: 13| Weight: 11-12| J: Miss Gina Andrews| T: S Andrews| OR: 127

10/1

Returned from well over three years off the track to finish runner-up in a 12 runner point-to-point at Garthorpe in February. Filled the same position in a similar race at Fakneham earlier this month and an interesting runner in this contest.

Form: U8P/233-

Iron Chancellor¹⁵

Age: 12| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr L Drowne⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs Sue Popham| OR: 107

33/1

Successful in a soft ground point-to-point at Bishops Court last month and beaten by an odds-on favourite when runner-up at Cherrybrook subsequently. Stays well but would probably prefer softer ground than his forecast for this.

Form: PP6122-

The Ould Lad^p,t²¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr Ed Bailey⁽⁷⁾| T: G Slade-Jones| OR: 105

50/1

Failed to complete in three of his last four outings and beaten 103L in a four runner contest in the other. Pulled up at Ludlow over 2m4f (good-to-soft) in first time tongue tie and cheekpieces combination (both retained today) last time out and likely to struggle here.

Form: P7-FP3P

Non-Runners

Bound For Glory¹

Weight: 11-12| Age: 11

T: D Fitch-Peyton J: Miss Hannah Lewis

Distracted³²

Weight: 11-5| Age: 9

T: R Thomas J: Sean Houlihan

Forecasts

Bear's Affair (5/6), Mr Mercurial (11/8), Bound For Glory (5/1), Helpston (10/1), Distracted (25/1), Iron Chancellor (33/1), The Ould Lad (50/1)

BEAR'S AFFAIR has placed in two hunter chases already this season and can register his first success in this sphere by taking this concluding event. The selection steps up in trip here but won over this trip as a hurdler in 2015 and with the ground also likely to suit he can get the better of the top weight Mr Mercurial who finished behind the selection when the pair contested a prestigious event at Aintree earlier this month. Of their rivals Helpston has run well in two outings since returning from a long lay-off while Bound For Glory would also be of interest if making a quick re-appearance having run at Stratford on Sunday.