19:50 Cheltenham

Friday 4 May 2018

All16:5517:3018:0518:4019:1519:5020:25

Cheltenham Club Open Hunters' Chase

Off time: 19:51 | Winning time: 8m 24.9s

Settings

Selected odds by:

Al Co^b⁴³

Age: 13| Weight: 11-13| J: Mr Peter Bryan⁽⁵⁾| T: M Bowen| OR: 126| D

7/2

Mixed form in hunter chases recently and well behind Battle Dust at Chepstow last time out, and just 1lb better off at the weights now. Needs to bounce back from that.

Form: P0/7145-

Battle Dust^p⁴³

Age: 9| Weight: 11-13| J: Alex Edwards| T: P Rowley| OR: 113

2/1

Almost always hits the frame at least and got back to winning ways at Chepstow last time out. Acts on the likely ground and should run his usual good race.

Form: P/12121-

Mon Parrain^p,t²²

Age: 12| Weight: 11-13| J: Page Fuller| T: Mrs K Smyly| OR: 122| C

20/1

Hasn't won for over a year (and has joined this yard from Paul Nicholls in that time). Revival needed having been pulled-up at Aintree last time out.

Form: 82323P-

Supreme Danehill^p¹³

Age: 10| Weight: 11-13| J: Jack Andrews⁽⁵⁾| T: A Hill| OR: 100

6/1

Usually thereabouts and though he seems more at home in point-to-points than hunter chases, he did win in this sphere as recently as February last year.

Form: 131331-

Blazing Buck^t1¹³

Age: 12| Weight: 11-10| J: Miss Hannah Lewis⁽⁵⁾| T: Gareth Moore

33/1

Yet to race over fences under rules (but has been seen over hurdles and on the Flat). Improvement to find based on recent point-to-point form.

Form: 12P/332-

Excitable Island²⁰

Age: 11| Weight: 11-10| J: Miss Gina Andrews| T: N Padfield| OR: 92

7/1

Just the two starts in point-to-points in the past year, both of them recently and both of them victories. Has something to find with Supreme Danehill from his last start under rules, though.

Form: 11/2211-

Farmer Matt^p,t¹⁹

Age: 12| Weight: 11-10| J: Mr T Murray⁽⁷⁾| T: Thomas Murray| OR: 106

33/1

Only win in a chase under rules came in March 2014. Beaten just a head in a point-to-point last time out but this looks much tougher.

Form: 6/13492-

Hard Station^t1⁷²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: Mr Martin McIntyre⁽³⁾| T: R Bandey| OR: 116

14/1

Limitation exposed when pulled-up in Doncaster hunter chase last time and has plenty of improvement to find on that form in order to make his mark here.

Form: 6P111/P-

Kilmacallogue Bay^b1¹⁹

Age: 12| Weight: 11-10| J: Miss Emma Yardley⁽⁷⁾| T: R Potter

66/1

Inexperienced under rules but has improved markedly in point-to-points over the past year or so. Interesting he is now returning to regulation fences.

Form: 2321/23-

Mr Michanda²⁶

Age: 12| Weight: 11-10| J: Miss Leanda Tickle⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs S Tickle

100/1

Comes up short more often than not in point-to-points and tough to see him getting involved in this on hunter chase debut.

Form: 4P4/0P3-

Richmond^p²⁶

Age: 13| Weight: 11-10| J: Miss Lucy Turner⁽⁷⁾| T: P P Turner| OR: 102

25/1

Took a step in the right direction when second in a point-to-point last time but hadn't been at his best prior to that and isn't getting any younger.

Form: 130/U42-

U Me And Them^p⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: Mr M A S Comley⁽⁷⁾| T: Miss Hannah Taylor| OR: 85

50/1

Fair effort when second of four in a point-to-point last time out, but difficult to build a case for based on recent form under rules.

Form: P-PPP22

Vincitore^t¹³

Age: 12| Weight: 11-10| J: Miss S Rippon⁽⁷⁾| T: Miss S Rippon| OR: 98

66/1

Has been mixing it with the best in his recent starts in hunter chases, but still needs to improve on those tame efforts in order to play a part in this.

Form: 62UU44-

You Too Pet²⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 11-10| J: Mr D Peters⁽⁷⁾| T: D Peters| OR: 81

8/1

This looks more competitive than the three point-to-points he's won on his last three starts, but he certainly arrives here in good form and should run well despite an uninspiring rules record.

Form: 30/2111-

Result Amended

Al Co - Original Position 4th. Amended Position 3rd.

Battle Dust - Original Position 1st. Amended Position 8th.

Mon Parrain - Original Position 3rd. Amended Position 2nd.

Blazing Buck - Original Position 7th. Amended Position 6th.

Excitable Island - Original Position 2nd. Amended Position 1st.

Richmond - Original Position 5th. Amended Position 4th.

Vincitore - Original Position 8th. Amended Position 7th.

You Too Pet - Original Position 6th. Amended Position 5th.

Forecasts

Battle Dust (2/1), Al Co (7/2), Supreme Danehill (6/1), Excitable Island (7/1), You Too Pet (8/1), Hard Station (14/1), Mon Parrain (20/1), Richmond (25/1), Blazing Buck (33/1), Farmer Matt (33/1), U Me And Them (50/1), Vincitore (66/1), Kilmacallogue Bay (66/1), Mr Michanda (100/1)

Battle Dust commands respect here based on his victory at Chepstow last time when he comprehensively accounted for Al Co, who himself has some good recent form in this sphere but clearly has something to find with that reopposing rival. Meanwhile, YOU TOO PET doesn't have a great record when racing under rules but has seemed to improve with his recent winning run in point-to-points, and can make a better impression now returning to hunter chasing.