Bakers Waste Open Hunters' Chase

Off time: 16:00 | Winning time: 4m 3.7s

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Selected odds by:

Ballotin^p²⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 12-6| J: Mr D Maxwell| T: P Hobbs & J White| OR: 137| D

8/13

May have paid the price for going toe-to-toe with Road To Rome for a long way at Haydock last time, finishing tired. Entitled to be fitter now and, down in trip, should hold strong claims.

Form: 31520-4

Numbercruncher²⁷³

Age: 13| Weight: 12-6| J: Mr David O'Brien⁽⁷⁾| T: David O'Brien| OR: 105| BF

25/1

Fontwell winner (2m2f, good) in May last, though hasn't been sighted since being pulled up a month later at Stratford (2m1f, good). Teenager now and others make more appeal.

Form: P2U-71P

Argot^b²⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 12-2| J: Mr Rory Bevin⁽⁷⁾| T: J R Barlow| OR: 116| CD

14/1

Won this race 12 months ago, defying starting price of 33-1 to do so. Efforts since, including a recent point-to-point run, don't suggest a repeat is on the cards.

Form: 54-14PP

Double Ross⁴⁶

Age: 13| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr Zac Baker| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 125

7/1

Fair handicap chaser on his day, now a teenager and backed out of things rapidly on hunter chase bow at Warwick (3m, good to soft) in January. Leaves him with plenty to prove.

Form: 4P-5FP0

Eastlake^t¹²⁷

Age: 13| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr Derek O'Connor| T: J & A O'Neill| OR: 128| DWS

3/1

Topham Chase winner at Aintree in 2016 (tailed off in same race last spring) and a very decent handicapper over fences. Well beaten at Stratford in November, wind op subsequently and top amateur jockey booked for hunter chase debut, eye catching.

Form: P/000-47

Non-Runners

Full Trottle¹⁸

Weight: 12-6| Age: 10

T: Miss L Thomas J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Ballotin (8/13), Eastlake (3/1), Full Trottle (6/1), Double Ross (7/1), Argot (14/1), Numbercruncher (25/1)

Ballotin should be all the better for his reappearance at Haydock, where he finished tired having matched Road To Rome for a long way. He is much-respected down in trip now but it is hard not be drawn to EASTLAKE. Jonjo O'Neill's former Topham winner has undergone a wind operation and the presence of Derek O'Connor for his first foray in this sphere suggests he's expected to go well. Double Ross drops in distance after a tame run at Warwick and should not be discounted while the consistent Full Throttle is on the shortlist despite a worry over the shorter journey for him.