13:50 Cheltenham

Saturday 27 January 2018

All12:4013:1513:5014:2515:0015:3516:10

Crest Nicholson Handicap Chase (Grade 3)

Off time: 13:50 | Winning time: 5m 30.5s

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Selected odds by:

Frodon^t³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Bryony Frost⁽⁵⁾| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 154| CD

13/2

Won six times last year including two Grade 2 victories and a course and distance succsss. Has held his form well without getting his head in front on last three starts but not much room off this mark one would think.

Form: 15-3232

Shantou Flyer^p,t²⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-11| J: James Bowen⁽³⁾| T: R Hobson| OR: 153| CD

10/1

Grade 3 winner here last year but hasn't won since, despite an excellent effort in defeat when runner-up here last time out. Excellent 3lb conditional should help negate the small rise in the weights and capable of going well again.

Form: 2P-5PP2

O O Seven³⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson| OR: 152| C

7/1

Ran a respectable race in defeat behind a stablemate at Ascot last time and dropped 1lb for that effort. Very consistent sort and drop back in trip no inconvenience but there's a suspicion he'll find a couple too good again off this mark.

Form: 3154-34

Ultragold^t⁴⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-0| J: H Cobden| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 142| D

33/1

Won twice last season including a shock 50/1 win in the Grade 3 Topham at Aintree. Looks like a player on that form but has four unplaced efforts to his name around here and needs to prove he can be as effective at this course.

Form: 791-392

King's Odyssey⁴²

Age: 9| Weight: 10-11| J: B J Geraghty| T: Evan Williams| OR: 139| CD

7/1

Course and distance winner at this meeting two years ago but not seen much racing since. Respectable third here last time out was encouraging and would like conditions as testing as possible. Back on his last winning mark and folly to ignore.

Form: 3F30-33

Ballyhill²⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 10-10| J: Jamie Bargary⁽³⁾| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 138| CD

10/1

Landed a Grade 3 here last time out over course and distance, travelling well and getting the better of Shantou Flyer. 5lb higher mark now but could confirm that form with more improvement possible and clearly enjoys it around here.

Form: 0-235F1

Casse Tete³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-9| J: Joshua Moore| T: G & J Moore| OR: 137| D

25/1

Record a facile success at Sandown in March, winning by 20L but jumped worryingly poorly at Ascot on return and hard to fancy off the back of that effort, particularly around here.

Form: 1F431-7

Pressurize²¹

Age: 12| Weight: 10-8| J: Charlie Deutsch⁽³⁾| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 136

20/1

Easy winner on seasonal return at Chepstow and clearly loves heavy ground having record all four wins in similar conditions. Ground not forecast to be as deep here and has a 7lb rise in the weights to deal with.

Form: 151/4P-1

Coo Star Sivola⁴²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: Lizzie Kelly⁽³⁾| T: Nick Williams| OR: 135| C

3/1

Listed hurdle winner here last year and has made an encouraging start to life over fences. Good second in small field event last time out and opening handicap mark looks workable.

Form: 614-532

Bally Longford^t⁶⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 10-6| J: B J Cooper| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 134

16/1

Losing run goes back to 2015 and still 6lb above that winning mark, with his consistency probably working against him as far as his handicap mark is concerned. Has run well here before and can do so again but probably better on quicker ground.

Form: 6336-43

Drumlee Sunset⁵⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 10-6| J: T Scudamore| T: T R George| OR: 134| BF

33/1

Winner on chase debut and unlucky not to have won since with four seconds from five starts. didn't do himself any favours by over-racing at Doncaster on reappearance but expected to strip fitter for that.

Form: 1222P-2

Potters Legend^p²⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 10-5| J: David Noonan| T: L Wadham| OR: 133| BF

10/1

Won back-to-back races in 2016 but not won since and jumping can often let him down, including last time when pulled up at Newbury. That has to be a concern here.

Form: 44-747P

Arctic Gold²⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 10-4| J: Tom Humphries⁽⁷⁾| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 132| BF

9/1

Not won since 2016 and yet to score over fences. Running well in defeat this year but he hasn't always looked a natural chaser and this is a deeper contest than many he's faced. Second-string on jockey bookings.

Form: 3-722F2

Dream Bolt³⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 10-3| J: P J Brennan| T: D A Rees| OR: 131| D

33/1

Has won three of his last six starts but this is a deeper race than any of those and possibly looked held by the handicapper at Ascot last time. More needed.

Form: 11P413

Forecasts

Coo Star Sivola (3/1), Frodon (13/2), King's Odyssey (7/1), O O Seven (7/1), Arctic Gold (9/1), Shantou Flyer (10/1), Potters Legend (10/1), Ballyhill (10/1), Bally Longford (16/1), Pressurize (20/1), Casse Tete (25/1), Drumlee Sunset (33/1), Ultragold (33/1), Dream Bolt (33/1)

Nigel Twiston-Davies and Jamie Bargary won this contest last year and can do so again with BALLYHILL who recorded a course and distance sucecess last time out. The seven-year-old should be effective off a 5lb higher mark with more improvement to come. Coo Star Sivola jumped well here last time out and may be able to exploit a workable mark while Drumlee Sunset should strip fitter for his most recent run and can gain some prize money.