Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company Handicap Chase

Off time: 13:20 | Winning time: 6m 39.8s

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Selected odds by:

Sporting Ace^p²⁶⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: James Bowen| T: N B King| OR: 117

7/2

Stepped up on low-key chase debut when landing a Chepstow handicap (23.6f, heavy) last December. Runner-up on 2 of his 3 subsequent starts and likely to be on the premises if ready to roll following an 8-month absence.

Form: 4/71622-

My Gift To You^t²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Thomas Bellamy| T: James Owen| OR: 115| D

9/4

Enhanced good strike rate over fences (and fine overall record since joining this yard) when scoring at Sedgefield (26.3f, good to soft) last month. Shade more needed up 6 lb but he may well be equal to the task.

Form: 732341

Ajp Kingdom^p¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: Tom Broughton⁽⁵⁾| T: F O'Brien| OR: 115| C

7/4

Three-time hurdles winner who returned to form on second chase start when runner-up at Worcester (23f, good) in June. Let down by shoddy jumping next 3 runs but better in that department when chasing home subsequent Grand Sefton winner King Turgeon in first-time cheekpieces at Chepstow recently.

Form: P25342

Aquila Sky^t¹⁶¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-3| J: C J Todd| T: S Allwood| OR: 110

14/1

Fairly useful hurdler who produced his best effort to date over fences when a close third in a 26.3f Chepstow handicap during the spring. However, it was all rather laboured tried in cheekpieces (discarded here) at Bangor next time and he looks vulnerable from a win point of view.

Form: 86353-4

The Wrekin^p²⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: Alice Stevens⁽⁵⁾| T: H D Daly| OR: 109

13/2

Off the mark over fences at fourth attempt when taking 5-runner Market Rasen handicap (3m, good) in August of last year. Shaped as though ability remains intact on first run since when fourth here last month and that will have blown away the cobwebs. Cheekpieces refitted.

Form: 32/U21-4

Forecasts

Ajp Kingdom (7/4), My Gift To You (9/4), Sporting Ace (7/2), The Wrekin (13/2), Aquila Sky (14/1)

Granted an error-free round of jumping, AJP KINGDOM may well be the answer. He couldn't live with King Turgeon at Chepstow but that form looks all the better in light of the winner's subsequent success over the National fences at Aintree. There's no doubt that this 7-y-o is on a good mark and he is marginally preferred to the consistent My Gift To You. The Wrekin should come on for this recent comeback run and also merits respect, while Sporting Ace needs a second look, too.