14:22 Worcester

Wednesday 15 October 2025

All14:2214:5715:2815:5816:2816:58

Happy Birthday Chris Handicap Chase

Off time: 14:22 | Winning time: 6m 2.45s

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Selected odds by:

Iris Des Issards¹⁶¹

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: Callum Pritchard⁽⁵⁾| T: K Woollacott| OR: 104

14/1

Newton Abbot handicap hurdle winner in April. Off since a lesser effort there in May. Makes chase debut minus the cheekpieces he's worn in recent hurdle starts.

Form: 40P41-6

Grillon De Monty⁴⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: Jamie Brace⁽⁵⁾| T: Stephen Allen| OR: 102| CD

11/2

Pair of C&D wins this summer and a further 7 lb rise shouldn't prevent him making another bold bid if in similar form.

Form: 4-26151

George Darling¹⁷⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Jack Andrews⁽³⁾| T: T Ellis| OR: 102| BF

5/2

Improver over hurdles in the spring, winning at Market Rasen (20.5f) and second at Carlisle (19f) in the spring. Point background provides hope that he'll take to chasing. Likely type if fully primed after 6 months off.

Form: 566612-

Butchers Bill^p⁹³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: Harriet Tucker⁽⁷⁾| T: A Day| OR: 100

25/1

Fair maiden hurdler in Ireland and ran to a similar level when third in a 3m Downpatrick maiden on his chase debut in July (final start for Gordon Elliott). Off 3 months ahead of yard debut.

Form: 6446-83

Galway Reel^p¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: C J Todd| T: Ian Williams| OR: 90

9/4

Struck at the third time of asking over fences in 3m Market Rasen handicap 18 days ago. A 3 lb nudge from the handicapper doesn't look severe given the first 2 were nicely clear.

Form: 2-26U31

Henry Box Brown^p1¹⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 10-10| J: Ellis Collier⁽⁵⁾| T: Evan Williams| OR: 86| C

10/1

Course winner. Also runner-up twice here in July but prone to mistakes and produced an error-strewn display when well behind Galway Reel at Market Rasen (3m) 18 days ago. Cheekpieces are reached for after that.

Form: 1-U22U8

Bravethewaves^p1,t²⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-7| J: Toby Wynne| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero| OR: 83

20/1

Pair of chase wins at the start of 2025 but ran poorly at Stratford on final start of last season and turned in another abysmal display on last month's Uttoxeter reappearance. Has first-time cheekpieces added to regular tongue tie now.

Form: F151P-7

Bebside Banter^p³⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 10-3| J: Freddie Mitchell⁽⁵⁾| T: M Comley| OR: 79

5/1

Three-time winner over fences for Chris Grant but has yet to really fire for current stable. Possibly best watched until showing more.

Form: 434-536

Hitthekettle¹⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 10-2| J: James Turner⁽⁵⁾| T: M Gates| OR: 75

50/1

Poor hurdler who was having his second start over fences when a tailed-off last of 3 in C&D novice 19 days ago. More realistic chance back in a handicap but others are still preferred.

Form: P6/6P-43

Non-Runners

Meranti⁵³⁸

Weight: 10-2| Age: 7

T: Sheila Lewis J: Sean Houlihan

Forecasts

Galway Reel (9/4), George Darling (5/2), Bebside Banter (5/1), Grillon De Monty (11/2), Henry Box Brown (10/1), Meranti (12/1), Iris Des Issards (14/1), Bravethewaves (20/1), Butchers Bill (25/1), Hitthekettle (50/1)

GRILLON DE MONTY might be able to defy the handicapper again and stretch his unbeaten C&D record to 3. Recent Market Rasen scorer Galway Reel rates an obvious danger, while George Darling was an improver in handicap hurdles in the spring and could also have a big say if taking to chasing back from a break.