Service With A Smile Oncourse Bookmakers Novices' Hunters' Chase

Off time: 15:51 | Winning time: 5m 48.08s

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Selected odds by:

Homme D'Un Soir^p,t⁵⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 12-6| J: Mrs A Cox⁽⁷⁾| T: Francesca Poste| OR: 125

7/2

Pretty useful for Stuart Crawford, making a winning chase debut in a maiden at Roscommon (2m) in August. Remote third on his completed start in points for new connections but the one to beat if back to his Irish form.

Form: 38-61U3

Time Leader²⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 12-2| J: Mr Huw Edwards⁽⁷⁾| T: J J O'Shea| OR: 110

11/10

Winning pointer for this yard and he continued the good work when a smooth winner on hunter debut at Leicester (22.5f) 25 days ago. Another prominent showing is on the cards.

Form: 323151

Castle Trump¹⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr Charles Buckle⁽⁷⁾| T: Rob Cundy

16/5

Pulled up at Cheltenham last spring on his hunter debut but his point record (6 wins, incuding in January) suggests he ought to be up to making an impact in a race like this.

Form: 111-P15

I Often Wonder⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Tom Broughton⁽⁵⁾| T: M Osborne| OR: 100

50/1

Point winner but his Rules form was Ireland uninspiring and he fared no better in a Ffos Las hunter last month.

Form: 155P-PP

Marton Abbey¹⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Elliott England⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs Annabel England

7/1

Showed only minor promise in 2 hurdles for Kim Bailey in autumn 2021 but has recently won a maiden point for this stable ahead of his hunter debut.

Form: 2/5P-21

Sending Love^t²⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr James King| T: Miss D Ball| OR: 123

25/1

Fairly useful hurdler for Paul Nicholls but disappointed in 3 chase starts for that yard last season and he's pulled up in 2 points since joining current connections. Has plenty to prove at present.

Form: 1/6UP-PP

Forecasts

Time Leader (11/10), Castle Trump (16/5), Homme D'Un Soir (7/2), Marton Abbey (7/1), Sending Love (25/1), I Often Wonder (50/1)

HOMME D'UN SOIR was effectively having his first outing since August when a well-held third in a point in January so it's possible he'll strip fitter this time and he'll take a bit of stopping if he can recapture anything like the level he achieved under Rules in Ireland. Recent Leicester scorer Time Leader looks the obvious danger.