Lower Hope Mares' Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:30 | Winning time: 5m 23.7s

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Selected odds by:

Overawed²²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Lee Edwards| T: J Groucott| OR: 98

7/2

Form this year very patchy, two good efforts here at Hereford and at Chepstow interspersed with lesser ones at Wetherby and Southwell. Clearly has a chance if she's got out of bed the right side, and conditions no problem. Not discounted.

Form: 5-52425

Lerichi Belle¹²⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: T J O'Brien| T: Ian Williams| OR: 98WS

9/4

First start for this yard (formerly Martin Keighley), has shown little this season and although the change of scenery might do her good, she's too risky a proposition after a break. Best watched unless market says otherwise.

Form: 2P-26P0

Ask Catkin³⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: James Nixon⁽⁵⁾| T: T Symonds| OR: 90WS

13/2

Decent first efforts over hurdles this season when a close third at Uttoxeter but she's not backed that up in three subsequent runs. However, has dropped a chunk in the handicap and step back in trip may help, so better could be expected here.

Form: 50-3670

Bennys Girl⁷¹

Age: 11| Weight: 10-13| J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.⁽⁵⁾| T: D L Williams| OR: 85| CD

11/2

Rattled off the wins last spring but has found life harder this time around, although her third in a much better race than this here in December would give her hope if she can reproduce it. Ground might be plenty quick enough for her, however.

Form: 111-437

Eastern Lady²²³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-5| J: Benjamin Poste| T: R J Price| OR: 77

7/1

Yet to win in 20 starts, an obvious enough concern, let alone the fact she's not been seen out since last August and her overall form leaves plenty to be desired. Not hard to pass over here.

Form: 654F79

Rule The Ocean^t⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 10-0| J: C J Todd⁽⁷⁾| T: M Sheppard| OR: 72

5/1

0-15 but has ability, twice a runner-up this winter at Warwick and Uttoxeter (where she looked the winner, caught late on). This ground a bit of an unknown and no saying how she'll get on returned to fences, but hard to rule out completely.

Form: 602205

Monet Moor⁸

Age: 10| Weight: 10-0| J: W T Kennedy| T: J D Frost| OR: 65

16/1

Tried to make all at Lingfield in January but was easily enough brushed aside in the end. Seems to prefer softer ground too, and hard to see her making it 14th time lucky in a effort to break her duck.

Form: 63-PP36

Non-Runners

Tigeralley³

Weight: 12-2| Age: 10

T: D Skelton J: Conor Shoemark

Forecasts

Tigeralley (6/5), Lerichi Belle (9/4), Overawed (7/2), Rule The Ocean (5/1), Bennys Girl (11/2), Ask Catkin (13/2), Eastern Lady (7/1), Monet Moor (16/1)

Nothing has a solid profile coming into this and some caution is advised. Overawed would probably take the beating if she could repeat her Chepstow second but there are too many moderate efforts in between the good ones to make her a solid selection here. Tigeralley has a chance if she can put a clear round in as well, especially as this trip will suit her much better than Bangor's two miles on Saturday, and Rule The Ocean has enough good efforts under her belt to give her a chance, but ASK CATKIN looks dangerously well handicapped and under what should be ideal conditions, is worth a try after a wind operation.