Leicestershire And Derbyshire Yeomanry Open Hunters' Chase

Off time: 16:50 | Winning time: 4m 19.95s

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Selected odds by:

Cap Du Mathan^t⁵⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 12-6| J: Miss Olive Nicholls⁽⁵⁾| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 128| D

11/10

Back-to-back winner over fences as a novice last season and encouraging start this time round when fourth in a strong Ascot handicap in November. Pulled up both starts since but obvious chance now trying his hand in a hunter chase.

Form: 22P-4PP

Firak^p,t²⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 12-6| J: Mr Sean P O'Connor⁽⁷⁾| T: D Skelton| OR: 118

3/1

Fairly useful hurdler who was successful in hunters at Warwick and Hexham last spring. Never looked justifying support back in this sphere at Haydock last time, though, and may have to settle for minor honours here.

Form: 1121-4P

Tap Tap Boom⁵⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 12-6| J: Miss Pippa Brown⁽⁷⁾| T: J A Swinbank| OR: 113| D

28/1

Won twice on the bounce over fences at Plumpton/Ludlow in November 2022 but well below that level since. Pulled up in a point in January and probably best watched on this hunter debut.

Form: U635-7P

The Big Lense^p,t²⁶

Age: 11| Weight: 12-6| J: Alex Chadwick⁽³⁾| T: James Owen| OR: 128| D

7/2

Winner of an Aintree handicap chase last summer and while he ran no sort of a race on hunter debut back from a break at Taunton in January, his subsequent success between the flags suggests that all is well. Major player.

Form: 4-341P1

Boughtbeforelunch^p⁴⁴⁴

Age: 11| Weight: 12-2| J: Mr J Stevenson⁽⁷⁾| T: P Taylor| OR: 108| C

40/1

Three-time chase winner for Paul Webber but was pulled up at Ludlow on latest start in December 2022. Probably best watched starting out for new yard on hunter debut, over a trip he is likely to find inadequate.

Form: 153/25P-

Drakes Well⁶⁹⁰

Age: 11| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr T Hutsby⁽⁷⁾| T: F Hutsby| OR: 108

12/1

Fair and consistent hurdler/chaser for David Bridgwater who got off the mark for present yard in a novices' hunter at Stratford in March 2022. However, below par next time and entitled to come on for this following an absence just short of 2 years.

Form: 53U132/

Cooldine Bog²¹

Age: 11| Weight: 11-12| J: Miss Amber Jackson-Fennell⁽⁷⁾| T: Miss A Jackson-fennell| OR: 107

25/1

Not the force of old and while he wasn't disgraced on debut for this yard in a Fakenham hunter last month, another minor role is probably the best his connections can hope for.

Form: 43P-P33

Forecasts

Cap Du Mathan (11/10), Firak (3/1), The Big Lense (7/2), Drakes Well (12/1), Cooldine Bog (25/1), Tap Tap Boom (28/1), Boughtbeforelunch (40/1)

This switch to a hunter could be just the tonic for CAP DU MATHAN, who hasn't covered himself in glory the last twice but a reproduction of his reappearance effort in a strong Ascot handicap chase would make him very hard to beat. The Big Lense appeals most for forecast purposes ahead of Firak.