Pertemps Network Handicap Chase

Off time: 17:55 | Winning time: 4m 42.1s

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Selected odds by:

Gardefort¹⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 12-5| J: Fergus Gregory⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 132

6/1

Has a better record over 2m than this sort of trip, but just about sees this out. Didn't enjoy the best of times last season, and more needed under top weight, despite being allowed to drop in class here.

Form: 4/0PUP2-

Western Miller^p,t²⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: James Davies| T: C E Longsdon| OR: 125| D

8/1

1-13 over fences. Responded well to his first experience of this headgear combination when beaten around 3L at Stratford (2m3½f, good) last month. Same mark here, and a repeat would see him very competitive.

Form: 553PP2-

Barton Knoll¹⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Sean Quinlan| T: J Mackie| OR: 125| BF| D

7/2

1-6 since going chasing, having scored in a small field novices' contest at Doncaster (2m3f, good) in December. Pulled up latest and also previously held from this mark, so improvement needed.

Form: 41332P-

Stamp Your Feet^t²⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: C Gethings| T: T R George| OR: 122| C

5/1

0-4 over fences. Well treated based on his first effort at Huntingdon (2m4f, good) in January, which came from 7lb higher, but much more needed than on his last two starts.

Form: 082B85-

Zaliapour²⁷

Age: 13| Weight: 11-9| J: W T Kennedy| T: A Whitehead| OR: 122| D

9/1

Hasn't won since doing so on the Flat in France in 2015. Respectable effort over fences when 2lb higher at Wincanton (2m4f, good) last month, but others make greater appeal.

Form: 31P5/43-

Northern Beau^p,t²³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Brendan Powell| T: M Scudamore| OR: 118

3/1

2-6 as a chaser, having scored on fast ground at Leicester (2m4f) and then on good when dropped back to 2m½f in a Class 2 mares' handicap chase at Cheltenham last time. Up 2lb for that, and looks a contender.

Form: 422121-

Never Up³⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 115

5/1

Dual winner over 2m4f at Carlisle, and best on ground slower than good. Didn't stay 3m at Wetherby last time, but has claims back over this trip from this mark, especially if conditions get slower.

Form: 2P4/516-

Non-Runners

Ollie Vaar²⁰

Weight: 10-13| Age: 7

T: R J Price J: L Heard

Forecasts

Northern Beau (3/1), Barton Knoll (7/2), Never Up (5/1), Stamp Your Feet (5/1), Gardefort (6/1), Western Miller (8/1), Zaliapour (9/1), Ollie Vaar (16/1)

Western Miller has claims after a good effort last time, which has seen him go up 3lb. However, NORTHERN BEAU goes well on a sound surface and is taken to defy a 2lb rise for her recent Cheltenham win and follow up. Never Up would come more firmly into the picture if the ground softens, but still can't be ruled out for all that.