14:30 Hexham

Wednesday 20 November 2019

All12:5013:2514:0014:3015:0015:30

Hexham Long Distance Handicap Chase

Off time: 14:31 | Winning time: 9m 39.4s

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Selected odds by:

Misfits^t³⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Blair Campbell⁽³⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 112| BF| C

15/2

Hexham regular; 10lb higher than when finishing a short-head second to Weststreet over C&D (heavy) in March; big weight, but ticks plenty of boxes after a rallying second to Classical Milano here (3m, soft) six weeks ago.

Form: 9722-52

Total Assets¹¹

Age: 11| Weight: 11-11| J: Callum Bewley| T: S Waugh| OR: 111| CD

6/1

Won on her first attempt at this marathon trip in this race 12 months ago, coming from well off the pace to beat Crank Em Up by 7L; 5lb lower than when fifth to Weststreet (Misfits second) over C&D in March.

Form: 1455-33

Nakadam²⁰⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-9| J: Lorcan Murtagh⁽³⁾| T: F P Murtagh| OR: 109

8/1

2lb higher than when last successful at Carlisle (3m2f, soft); absent since finishing just under 11L third to Weststreet (Misfits second) in the Highland National at Perth (3m6½f, good to soft) 208-days ago.

Form: 4618P3-

Classical Milano^b1²⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-8| J: Jonathon Bewley⁽³⁾| T: G Bewley| OR: 108| C

9/1

Front-runner who simply adores this track (all four wins have come here over 3m); rallied gamely to fend off Misfits on his penultimate start; 3lb higher and sports blinkers for his first attempt at 4m; stamina a concern on heavy.

Form: 6-14415

For Jim^v²⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Sean Quinlan| T: J Candlish| OR: 104| BF| C

7/1

Ridden clear from the omitted final fence when winning a 3m novices' handicap chase here (good) in May; also successful at Perth (3m hurdle) in July; fresh from a couple of spins over hurdles; more needed off this mark over 4m.

Form: 521923

Graystown¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 10-11| J: Sam Coltherd⁽³⁾| T: W Coltherd| OR: 97

8/1

An infrequent winner - sole success came at Ayr (2m4½f, good to soft) in February; wasn't fluent when a distant third to Knockoura at that same venue 18 days ago; easing in the weights for first attempt at 4m; stamina?

Form: 6132-63

Finaghy Ayr^p²³

Age: 11| Weight: 10-9| J: D R Fox| T: I A Duncan| OR: 95

14/1

A thorough stayer (C&D form figures read F23); races from the same mark as when a keeping on third (beaten 3½L) to Weststreet and Misfits (March); things haven't clicked into place since (PP), but can't be discounted back here.

Form: 7/0P3P-P

Lowanbehold¹⁵⁸

Age: 12| Weight: 10-9| J: Thomas Willmott⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss S E Forster| OR: 95| CD

4/1

Dour stayer who ploughed through the mud when winning this race by 6L in 2017 (beat Moorlands Mist); back to the same mark for the first time since; finished a very modest third here (3m) in June; absent since.

Form: 233-443

Dontdelay¹²

Age: 9| Weight: 10-0| J: Emma Smith-Chaston⁽⁷⁾| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 85| C

7/1

Both hurdle wins have come at this track (3m, heavy); lacks experience over fences (just the single start); on paper this looks to be a tricky assignment in the circumstances with an inexperienced 7lb claimer aboard.

Form: 14216-7

Arizona Bound¹²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-0| J: S Mulqueen⁽³⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 78| BF

12/1

Difficult to win with (1-15 over fences) but has often saved his better efforts for this track - three-time runner-up (over 3m), including when an 18L second to Square Viviani 12 days ago; sits outside of the handicap proper; opposed.

Form: 50-5852

Forecasts

Lowanbehold (4/1), Total Assets (6/1), Dontdelay (7/1), For Jim (7/1), Misfits (15/2), Nakadam (8/1), Graystown (8/1), Classical Milano (9/1), Arizona Bound (12/1), Finaghy Ayr (14/1)

Stopwatches at the ready this marathon contest won't be for the faint-hearted with a run time of fast-approaching 10 minutes. Most of those declared are Hexham regulars with Lowanbehold (2017) and Total Assets (2018) both previous winners of this race. Meanwhile the top-weight Misfits was nailed close home by Weststreet (FINAGHY AYR third) in the other four-miler at this track in March, and the front-running Classical Milano is also a standing-dish here (over 3m). Although the Lucinda Russell-trained runner has kept rock-solid form of late a welter-burden (11st 12lb) is a concern, so shekels are thrust in the direction of the Ian Duncan-trained veteran.