14:10 Market Rasen

Tuesday 4 February 2025

All13:1013:4014:1014:4015:1015:4516:20

TrustATrader You Can Trust Our Traders Novices' Handicap Chase

Off time: 14:12 | Winning time: 6m 29.4s

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Selected odds by:

Dark Mix¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: C J Todd| T: Mrs P Sly| OR: 100| C

18/1

Course bumper winner who didn't shape badly on hurdles debut here in November. Backward step both subsequent starts but could make a chaser and worth a second look upped in trip for debut in this sphere (also first run in handicap company).

Form: 16-5P4

Socialiser^t³⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-13| J: G Sheehan| T: Jamie Snowden| OR: 99| D

9/1

From a good family (that of Simonsig and Dusart) and this point winner finished second in 3m Fakenham hunter chase on Rules debut back in May 2022. No great shakes in couple of runs over hurdles since returning from a lengthy absence but this 9-y-o is of interest now pitched into a handicap chase.

Form: 5312/55

Soldier Dan²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: Harry Reed| T: L Morgan| OR: 92

33/1

Placed a couple of times in points but failed to complete in 3 of his 5 starts in that sphere and no impact in a trio of appearances in 2m maiden/novice hurdles this winter. Big step forward needed now switched to fences and upped in trip for this handicap debut.

Form: P3F/870

Check The Score^p1⁵⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: Jack Hogan⁽³⁾| T: F O'Brien| OR: 91| D

11/2

Successful on second of 2 starts in Irish points and made a winning Rules debut in a 17-runner Warwick bumper in April 2023. Hasn't set the world alight in handful of runs over hurdles but he's another who may well be seen in a better light now handicapping/tackling fences. Cheekpieces applied.

Form: P11/4-38

Asa^p⁴⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Joe Williamson⁽³⁾| T: P A Kirby| OR: 90| CD

6/1

Off the mark in a Cartmel handicap hurdle last summer and made it third time lucky over fences when striking over C&D on Boxing Day. Looked rather fortunate that day (probably would've finished second had the eventual runner-up not made a bad mistake 2 out) but 5 lb rise fair and she's a player.

Form: 1245P1

An Cailin Ciuin^t⁴⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Tom Cannon| T: Miss H C Knight| OR: 90

14/1

Placed both starts between the flags and has shown ability over hurdles, albeit without really threatening. Not beyond the realms of possibility this switch to the larger obstacles will have a positive effect (this stiffer test may also help), so she's not dismissed.

Form: 3-44649

Emotional Roller¹³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: Danny McMenamin| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 89

11/8

Winless following half-a-dozen runs between the flags and 0-9 over hurdles but off the mark at fourth attempt in this sphere when seeing off 10 rivals at Catterick (25.2f, good) recently. 5 lb rise not the end of the world and likely to give another good account.

Form: 922P51

Gavroche D'allier³⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 10-10| J: S Bowen| T: O Murphy| OR: 82| BF

15/2

Yet to win a race of any description and while he shaped with encouragement on chase/yard debut following 20 months off at Leicester, he went backwards when a well-held fourth at the same course next time. Needs to get back on track.

Form: 64P4/34

Lady Pacifico^p,t1⁴⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 10-2| J: Tabitha Worsley⁽³⁾| T: Georgie Howell| OR: 73

33/1

Flat/hurdles winner who made a decent start for this stable when third at Leicester on chase bow in November 2023. Not so good since, though, and she was beaten a long way in the C&D handicap won by Asa during the Christmas period. Tongue strap added.

Form: 83765-5

Halfway House Lad^t³⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-2| J: Charlie Price⁽³⁾| T: M A Barnes| OR: 70

16/1

Poor chaser who was a most fortuitous winner after 6 months off in 4-runner handicap chase at Newcastle (23.4f, good) in November, nearly 50 lengths down when left alone 2 out. Tailed of at Catterick over Christmas and he's 4 lb 'wrong' at the weights.

Form: P-26159

Forecasts

Emotional Roller (11/8), Check The Score (11/2), Asa (6/1), Gavroche D'allier (15/2), Socialiser (9/1), An Cailin Ciuin (14/1), Halfway House Lad (16/1), Dark Mix (18/1), Soldier Dan (33/1), Lady Pacifico (33/1)

A plausible scenario is that SOCIALISER will leave his hurdles form a long way behind now going handicapping over fences, a theory given weight by his encouraging Rules debut second in a maiden hunter. Admittedly that was back in 2022 and he's been seen out just twice since but it's surely significant that connections are persevering. Emotional Roller and Asa both opened their chase accounts last time and are feared most in that order of preference, while Dark Mix is also of interest.