Dick Saunders Novices' Hunters' Chase

Off time: 16:30 | Winning time: 6m 36.7s

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Selected odds by:

Hazel Hill²⁷⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 12-0| J: Alex Edwards| T: P Rowley

2/11

Arrives with an enviable point-to-point record, having won 10 in succession since 2015 with five of the last six being in open company. Appears to handle any ground and his latest comfortable success has prompted a rules debut. Claims.

Form: 1/1111-1

Path To Freedom³²

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: J M Andrews⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs C Coward

6/1

Won an open at Witton Castle, plus two other point-to-points last season and ran well to be 7L second to subsequent hunter chase winner Grandturgeon at Sheriff Hutton last time. Has it to prove on soft ground, but not ruled out.

Form: R211-12

Sybarite³⁹

Age: 12| Weight: 12-0| J: Miss Leanda Tickle⁽⁷⁾| T: Miss V Collins| OR: 111

12/1

Once rated 135 over hurdles when with Nigel Twiston-Davies and gained first win since with him in 2014 when winning an open point-to-point (soft) last March. Out of sorts in both recent runs, however, so comes here with a bit to prove.

Form: 14-25P0

Third Of The Third^p1²⁷⁷

Age: 11| Weight: 12-0| J: Miss E Todd⁽³⁾| T: Miss S Whitehead

50/1

Has won a couple of point-to-points since scoring on his bumper debut at Hereford was back in 2012. Has won when fresh, but was disappointing in all four starts last year and looks up against it on his reappearance.

Form: 8P743-4

Non-Runners

Trafalgar Rock¹⁸

Weight: 12-0| Age: 7

T: Alexandra Dunn J: Mr J Smith-Maxwell

Forecasts

Hazel Hill (2/11), Trafalgar Rock (5/1), Path To Freedom (6/1), Sybarite (12/1), Third Of The Third (50/1)

The two that stand out off the page here are HAZEL HILL and Trafalgar Rock and, while it is never easy to translate point-to-point form to rules, the former has had one or two yardsticks comfortably beaten in the past year, so he could prove up to the task on his rules debut. Trafalgar Rock did well when stepped up to an extreme trip last time, but didn't quite get home and he could be a danger now dropped back a mile. Path To Freedom is another to consider after the winner of his most recent race between the flags went on to win a Warwick hunter chase.