Simon Rogan Handicap Chase

Off time: 16:16 | Winning time: 5m 16.1s

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Selected odds by:

Sigurd³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Brendan Powell| T: Miss J E Foster| OR: 112| D

20/1

Did manage to win a handicap hurdle when with Jonjo O'Neill off a higher mark than this but his two chases so far have been modest form and no more. Made his chase debut over C&D (jumped fine) but looked a little laboured last time out.

Form: 81/0-935

Cash Again¹³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-9| J: R P McLernon| T: B Haslam| OR: 109

7/1

Just the one effort over fences that stands out like a beacon from all the rest that being his Sedgefield win in January taking advantage of a drop in the weights. Has offered very little over fences since then and still above that last winning mark.

Form: 6P137-5

Bambi Du Noyer^b²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: Grant Cockburn⁽³⁾| T: J Hodge| OR: 106| C

11/4

Blinkers back on and into a handicap for the first time over fences (first run for yard) he returned to form from out of the blue over C&D last time. Previously well beaten in hunter chases it remains to be seen if he can repeat the dose here.

Form: 456-541

Sleep In First²⁷

Age: 12| Weight: 11-5| J: B S Hughes| T: J Ewart| OR: 105| C

4/1

Always likely to go well at Hexham and he improved 4/6 course record there on his penultimate outing although he made hard work of doing so in a weak race. The 5lb rise for that win appeared to nail him back at Hexham last time; same mark here.

Form: 259-212

Bentons Lad^p³¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Miss E Todd⁽⁵⁾| T: M Walford| OR: 100

7/4

Point-to-point winner who has been in good form over hurdles of late winning twice and now goes back over fences having disappointed in this sphere before. Given that he's in better form now he's worth another try over fences in a modest contest.

Form: P41-215

Stormbay Bomber³⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 10-9| J: Nathan Moscrop⁽⁵⁾| T: R Menzies| OR: 95

16/1

Started well for this yard having dropped below his last winning mark but his old problem of inconsistency soon resurfaced with his last two runs being below-par. Had to trust even here and not that persuasive.

Form: P7P-2P0

Ripstick⁵²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-3| J: Finian O'Toole⁽³⁾| T: J Walton| OR: 89

12/1

Did win a point-to-point but that came in a match when he finished alone and his two chasing starts under Rules have shown little so far. Well beaten in novice company over C&D last time; switch to handicaps at least give him some chance.

Form: P59-2P4

Our Uncle Pat^h,t¹³

Age: 7| Weight: 10-0| J: Alison Clarke⁽⁷⁾| T: Kenny Johnson| OR: 86

40/1

Failed to complete in Irish point-to-points and has so far looked very limited under Rules over both hurdles and fences. Makes very little appeal here.

Form: P-7603F

Forecasts

Bentons Lad (7/4), Bambi Du Noyer (11/4), Sleep In First (4/1), Cash Again (7/1), Ripstick (12/1), Stormbay Bomber (16/1), Sigurd (20/1), Our Uncle Pat (40/1)

This is a very modest contest and it won’t take much winning but all the main players come into this with some sort of question mark hanging over them. Sleep In First can’t be discounted and has won here but reserves his best form for Hexham and this mark looks quite stiff for him now while Bambi Du Noyer has to show that he can compete off a higher mark and over a longer trip. BENTONS LAD isn’t bombproof by any means but he’s in better form now than when last sent chasing and looks as though he might take advantage of a 5lb lower chase mark. Most of the others are hard to fancy although Sigurd is well weighted on his old form and Cash Again would have a chance on one piece of form.