Bruce Towers & Sons Mechanical Engineers Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:42 | Winning time: 6m 11.98s

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Selected odds by:

Conceroe¹⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 12-0| J: G Sheehan| T: B I Case| OR: 99| C

4/1

Off the mark over fences at the second attempt when landing a weak 5-runner event over 21f here in November 2022. Off 15 months subsequently and proved all the better for return when second of 4 in handicap chase at this course (29.1f, good to soft) 17 days ago. Respected off same mark.

Form: 65/31-42

Steal My Sunshine^p⁸⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-13| J: Tristan Durrell⁽³⁾| T: D Skelton| OR: 98WS

9/2

Has improved since the cheekpieces went on, building on Uttoxeter breakthrough success in May when following up at Worcester (2½m, soft) on return. Failed to kick on after and now goes chasing.

Form: 0-11444

Call Off The Dogs^b¹⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-9| J: James Best| T: G & J Moore| OR: 94

40/1

Career best when winning 5-runner handicap chase at Plumpton (25.7f, good, 6/5) but showed nothing both starts this season after 2 years off. Blinkered first time.

Form: PU21/PP

Conceal^p²⁰⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 10-12| J: Lily Pinchin| T: Billy Aprahamian| OR: 83

14/1

Won at Uttoxeter in autumn 2022 but more lows than highs since, remote fourth of 8 at Southwell when last seen in September.

Form: 6UP-344

Cloudy Wednesday^p⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 10-8| J: Lewis Stones⁽³⁾| T: C Fryer| OR: 79| C| D

5/2

Generally held his form well during a busy period in first half of last year, bagging handicap chases here (21.2f) and Huntingdon. Below form first 2 starts after a break but back to form when going close at latter course last week. Big shout off same mark.

Form: 5137P2

Via Dante^b⁶²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-3| J: C O'Farrell| T: D Pipe| OR: 74

7/2

Little impact in varied events over hurdles but surely would have won but for departing late (in control when falling 2 out) at Newton Abbot last spring. Failed to perform to the same level on return at Market Rasen (23.9f, good to soft) and took little interest at Chepstow (heavy) since.

Form: 77FF-4P

Noah's Light^p1,t³³

Age: 7| Weight: 10-2| J: Dylan Whelan⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs R Ford| OR: 66

9/1

Hasn't shown much in 9 runs in this sphere so easy to look elsewhere from out of the handicap.

Form: 67P47P

Non-Runners

Vetoncall¹¹

Weight: 10-2| Age: 12

T: A E Jones J: B S Hughes

Forecasts

Cloudy Wednesday (5/2), Via Dante (7/2), Conceroe (4/1), Steal My Sunshine (9/2), Vetoncall (6/1), Noah's Light (9/1), Conceal (14/1), Call Off The Dogs (40/1)

CLOUDY WEDNESDAY looked back to his best when edged out only by an unexposed sort at Huntingdon last week so can resume winning ways off the same mark. Low-mileage veteran Vetoncall stepped up on his return when fourth at Chepstow and rates the main threat back on his winning mark, with Conceroe best of the others.