Sky Bet Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:15 | Winning time: 6m 38.7s

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Selected odds by:

Allo Allo³⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: C Gethings| T: S Edmunds| OR: 115| C| D

3/1

Won 2 of his 3 starts over hurdles (both here) last term and scored at Bangor (20.3f, good to firm) on second of his two completed starts in this sphere. Reappearance effort can be overlooked (found to have been suffering from heat stress) and, assuming all is well, he should have a part to play.

Form: 412U1-P

Jony Max^t¹⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-11| J: Ellis Collier⁽⁷⁾| T: Christian Williams| OR: 112| D

16/1

Winless last season, but went close on a couple of occasions, including over 29f here during the spring. However, he needs to bounce back following a couple of poor efforts and the percentage call is to look elsewhere.

Form: 2B237P

Edison Kent^p⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: Lily Pinchin⁽³⁾| T: James Owen| OR: 110

13/2

Runner-up twice over hurdles at Worcester in September, but dropped away pretty tamely back in this sphere at Huntingdon recently and his overall profile is far from convincing.

Form: P42244

The Vollan^v³⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 11-8| J: Lewis Dobb⁽⁷⁾| T: L Morgan| OR: 109| D

15/2

Hasn't tasted success since landing a small-field Kelso handicap chase (23.4f, good to firm) last October, now 14 lb below that winning mark and his latest effort suggested that he's working his way back to form. Major player.

Form: 7P-P433

Kadex^p²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Bryony Frost| T: L Wadham| OR: 104

11/8

Won twice over hurdles in France and, though more miss than hit overall for present connections, he left his chase debut well behind when landing a 4-runner Plumpton handicap (25.7f, good to soft) 3 weeks ago. 4 lb rise by no means the end of world and definite chance if able to back that effort up.

Form: 27PP-71

Le Tueur^p,t²⁰⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 10-9| J: Jay Tidball⁽⁵⁾| T: Mrs S J Humphrey| OR: 96| C| D

6/1

Runnner-up here on first 2 starts of last term prior to opening chase account back from a break at Huntingdon (3m, good to soft) in March. Duly followed up over a marathon trip here next time and, though below par when last seen at Bangor in April, he clearly goes well fresh/at this course.

Form: 221148-

Forecasts

Kadex (11/8), Allo Allo (3/1), Le Tueur (6/1), Edison Kent (13/2), The Vollan (15/2), Jony Max (16/1)

There was enough in THE VOLLAN's effort at Kelso last month to suggest that he could soon capitalise on the handicapper's mercy (now 14 lb below last winning mark), and the 9-y-o is taken to confirm that impression by striking here. Kadex will be a serious threat if able to at least match the form of his recent Plumpton success, while Le Tueur, whose form figures here read 211, and Allo Allo are also live contenders.