Sky Bet UKs No.1 Betting App Novices' Handicap Chase (GBB Race)

Off time: 14:25 | Winning time: 6m 54.1s

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Selected odds by:

Taste The Fear^p³⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: Dr R D P Newland| OR: 114WS

15/2

Fairly useful hurdles winner who stepped up on previous chase efforts when second in an 8-runner Huntingdon handicap (23.6f) last month. Since undergone a wind op and while there's certainly room for improvement in the jumping department, he's a major player back up in trip here.

Form: 36-3432

Lyrical Genius^b⁵⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Lily Pinchin⁽³⁾| T: C E Longsdon| OR: 110| C

7/1

Winner of sole outing between the flags and followed up in a Warwick bumper/21f novice hurdle here on first 2 starts under Rules in 2021. However, little impact since and he was safely held in first-time blinkers (retained) on chase debut/first run following a wind op at Hereford.

Form: 1153-44

Midnight Glance^v1⁴⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-6| J: Thomas Bellamy| T: A King| OR: 108| BF

7/2

Opened chase account at the fourth attempt with cheekpieces enlisted at Exeter (3m) in November. Wasn't in the same form when brushed aside by Certainly Red at Wincanton (25f) since but that form was given a boost by the winner on Saturday and definite chance down 2 lb here in a first-time visor.

Form: 1-62312

Court At Slip^p¹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: Mr William Easterby⁽⁵⁾| T: T D Easterby| OR: 105

9/2

Lightly-raced 6-y-o who was successful over hurdles last term and made a winning start in this sphere at Wetherby (24.2f) on Boxing Day. Almost certainly would've finished second had the eventual runner-up not all but fell at the second-last but it was an encouraging start over fences all the same.

Form: 014-431

The Questioner^p⁵³

Age: 7| Weight: 10-9| J: Craig Nichol| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero| OR: 97

7/4

Different proposition since handicapping with cheekpieces enlisted, winning 3 times and runner-up twice from half-a-dozen starts in handicap hurdles. Latest Ascot success represented a career-best and he will be a danger to all if his jumping passes the test now switched to fences.

Form: 11-5221

Finalshot^h⁴⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 10-7| J: Alex Edwards⁽³⁾| T: Mrs M Rowley| OR: 95

9/1

Bagged a 2m handicap hurdle at Uttoxeter in September but overall profile is more miss than hit and he's 0-7 in this sphere.

Form: 4U1538

Non-Runners

Grange Road⁵¹

Weight: 12-0| Age: 8

T: G Hanmer J: K Brogan

Ballaquane⁵⁸

Weight: 11-5| Age: 8

T: O Sherwood J: J J Burke

Forecasts

The Questioner (7/4), Midnight Glance (7/2), Ballaquane (4/1), Court At Slip (9/2), Lyrical Genius (7/1), Taste The Fear (15/2), Finalshot (9/1), Grange Road (14/1)

Though he's the only one of these without experience over fences, progressive hurdler THE QUESTIONER appeals as the type who will excel in this sphere. He took another step forward when scoring at Ascot last time and he gets the nod ahead of Taste The Fear, who is pretty well-handicapped based on his hurdles form and will be a big threat if able to build on his latest effort at Huntingdon. Midnight Glance and Court At Slip are others with solid enough claims.