14:05 Doncaster

Saturday 14 December 2024

All11:5512:2512:5513:3014:0514:4015:15

bet365 Handicap Chase (GBB Race)

Off time: 14:06 | Winning time: 6m 0.0s

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Selected odds by:

Elvis Mail^t⁴⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 12-0| J: Bruce Lynn| T: N W Alexander| OR: 149| D

33/1

Rather hit-and-miss last term but still managed to win twice and continued his love affair with Kelso (yet to finish out of the frame in 14 visits to the track) when making a successful reappearance in typically game fashion there (26.2f, good to soft) in October. 3 lb rise fair but this is tougher.

Form: 7371P-1

Does He Know^p²⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 12-0| J: C Gethings| T: K Bailey & M Nicholls| OR: 149| C| D

15/2

Smart chaser who returned to form when landing the Grimthorpe in first-time cheekpieces here during the spring. Respectable efforts in valuable Cheltenham handicaps both starts this season and he has to enter calculations for the yard responsible for the winner of this in both 2020 and 2021.

Form: 451P-44

Kinondo Kwetu^t¹⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: Jonathan England| T: S England| OR: 140| D

20/1

Back on-song when bagging handicaps at Uttoxeter and Worcester during the summer. Followed that brace with a solid second at Perth in September and by no means disgraced in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle (23.4f, good) recently. However, a clear career-best will be needed if he's to take this.

Form: P112P5

Chasing Fire^p1⁴⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: B S Hughes| T: O Murphy| OR: 139| D

11/1

Notched second success over fences when accounting for 5 rivals in 23.8f Perth handicap on final run of last season. Effort proved short-lived on return at Cheltenham in October but that spin will have blown away the cobwebs and perhaps the addition of cheekpieces here will help give him a lift.

Form: 4U421-7

Forward Plan^t³⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: Ben Godfrey| T: A J Honeyball| OR: 137| CD

11/2

Progressive chaser who landed this race off 12 lb lower last year on the back of a pipe-opener in the Badger Beer at Wincanton. Follows the exact same route this time round and another very bold show could be on the way.

Form: 61213-4

Sail Away^t³⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-1| J: Fergus Gillard| T: D Skelton| OR: 136| D

16/1

Dual winner on good ground in 2022/23 and shaped well on several occasions in defeat last term. However, ran poorly on return at Chepstow in October and, though yet to be asked for this effort when falling 4 out at Newbury since, this 8-y-o now has a bit to prove.

Form: 449-PPF

Pull Again Green^t³¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: Jack Hogan⁽³⁾| T: F O'Brien| OR: 135| D

20/1

Just the one success over fences so far, namely a Bangor handicap back in 2023, but it's hard to fault his string of place efforts since returning from a short break in August. Probably doesn't hold any secrets from the handicapper but he's a solid each-way candidate nonetheless.

Form: 703322

Straw Fan Jack^p²⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 10-13| J: Sean Houlihan| T: Sheila Lewis| OR: 134

20/1

Smart form as a novice and standout effort of an otherwise low-key campaign last season was his fine third in the 20.6f Plate at the Cheltenham Festival. Ran about as well as could've been expected when 6 lb 'wrong' on return in the Paddy Power there last month. Stamina to prove now upped to 3m.

Form: 23036-8

Erne River^b1³¹

Age: 9| Weight: 10-11| J: Tom Broughton⁽⁵⁾| T: N Kent| OR: 132| CD

14/1

Responded well to the first-time cheekpieces when scoring over C&D last December before finishing fifth of 18 in the Great Yorkshire Handicap back here the following month. Pulled up all 3 starts since but it'll be interesting to see if the new headgear (first-time blinkers) has the desired effect.

Form: P15P-PP

Whistleinthedark¹⁶⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 10-9| J: Harry Reed| T: L Morgan| OR: 130

20/1

Winner of 4 of his 11 starts in this sphere and wasn't beaten at all far when fourth to Forward Plan off a 12 lb higher mark in this race last year. Dangerous to discount on that basis but it's been a struggle for the most part since.

Form: 4809-98

Gaboriot^p³⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 10-7| J: Henry Brooke| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero| OR: 128| CD

5/2

Superb strike rate in recent times, scoring 5 times since October 2023 (3 hunters and a couple of open handicaps). Nothing wrong with his reappearance third of 13 in the Grand Sefton at Aintree (21f, good) last month and it's not at all hard to envisage this C&D winner playing a leading role.

Form: 31U-113

Ballycoose^t²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-6| J: S W Flanagan| T: S R B Crawford| OR: 127

16/1

Successful start over fences at Ayr in January and runner-up on 2 of his next 3 starts, notably second in a pretty valuable handicap when returned to Ayr for the Scottish National meeting. However, he didn't show much spark on his seasonal reappearance at Punchestown.

Form: 21242-7

Docpickedme^p,t²⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 10-6| J: Callum Pritchard⁽⁷⁾| T: R Hobson| OR: 127| CD

16/1

Successful over fences at Wetherby in January but disappointing all 3 subsequent starts in this sphere. Left low-key reappearance run behind when third in a handicap hurdle at Uttoxeter last time but whether he'll be in the same form back chasing remains to be seen.

Form: 1PP-663

Charlie Uberalles³⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 10-2| J: Danny McMenamin| T: Mrs Dianne Sayer| OR: 120| D

8/1

Fairly useful chaser who was as good as ever when scoring at Cartmel in June. Best effort since when finding just one too good at Kelso (21.6f, good to soft) last time but he will need to produce a bigger and better effort in order to take this from 3 lb out of the handicap.

Form: 217542

Non-Runners

Kitty's Light²¹

Weight: 11-2| Age: 8

T: Christian Williams J: R Patrick

Forecasts

Gaboriot (5/2), Forward Plan (11/2), Does He Know (15/2), Charlie Uberalles (8/1), Chasing Fire (11/1), Erne River (14/1), Docpickedme (16/1), Sail Away (16/1), Kitty's Light (16/1), Ballycoose (16/1), Kinondo Kwetu (20/1), Pull Again Green (20/1), Straw Fan Jack (20/1), Whistleinthedark (20/1), Elvis Mail (33/1)

GABORIOT looks set for another productive campaign judged on his solid reappearance third in the Grand Sefton at Aintree where he shaped as though the return to this trip was very much in order. He is marginally preferred to last year's winner Forward Plan, who is greatly respected given his broadly progressive profile and despite the fact that he is 12 lb higher in the weights this time. Does He Know is also high on the shortlist and don't be surprised to see Erne River go well at a price.