NewtonAbbotRace On Twitter Novices' Handicap Chase

Off time: 20:30 | Winning time: 6m 34.1s

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Selected odds by:

Crawford^t⁷⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-13| J: Jack Tudor| T: M Bradstock| OR: 99

16/1

Runner-up on second start over hurdles in 2½m Uttoxeter maiden in November. However, he hasn't come close to matching that level of form in three subsequent appearances and improvement needed now switched to fences.

Form: 7/720P4-

Kennack Bay³⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: Luca Morgan⁽³⁾| T: B Pauling| OR: 97| BF

9/4

Improved when runner-up from the front on return in 23.2f handicap hurdle at Uttoxeter. Performed respectably, albeit without managing to build on that effort next time, and he's another who needs to raise game now tackling the larger obstacles.

Form: 7P/9F-24

My Lady Grey^p⁴¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-9| J: Brendan Powell| T: J Tizzard| OR: 95| CD

15/8

Hardly a winning machine, as evidenced by her strike rate (3-33), but she did the job well when opening her chase account over C&D last month, for all that she was suited by the way the race developed. Big player despite 8 lb rise.

Form: 52323-1

Belle Jour^v¹³

Age: 7| Weight: 10-13| J: Tom Cannon| T: C Gordon| OR: 85| BF| D

9/2

Made it third time lucky over fences in good style at Fontwell (3¼m, good) last month. Wasn't seen to best effort when last in a three-runner affair over the same C&D recently, but will be a threat if he puts his best foot forward here.

Form: 656-413

Shanroe Smooch^p²³

Age: 9| Weight: 10-2| J: Philip Armson⁽⁵⁾| T: Mrs R Ford| OR: 67

4/1

Successful between the flags, but he's 0-18 under Rules and was beaten 16 lengths when fourth in the Fontwell race won by Belle Jour last time. 7 lb 'wrong' at the weights.

Form: 75/32-P4

Non-Runners

Port O'clock²

Weight: 12-0| Age: 7

T: D Pipe J: T Scudamore

Forecasts

My Lady Grey (15/8), Kennack Bay (9/4), Shanroe Smooch (4/1), Port O'clock (4/1), Belle Jour (9/2), Crawford (16/1)

This race revolves around PORT O'CLOCK, who went close on debut for David Pipe at Worcester on Sunday and he'll surely prove hard to beat if allowed to take his chance off the same mark here. If he doesn't go to post, last month's C&D winner My Lady Grey will probably be the way to go. Belle Jour is best of the rest.