| NUMBER |
FORM |
NAME |
AGE |
WEIGHT |
TRAINER |
JOCKEY |
RATING |
|
| 1 |
F121-1 |
Saphir Du Rheu |
6 |
11-3 |
Paul Nicholls |
Sam Twiston-Davies |
163 |
A 6-year-old grey gelding trained by Paul Nicholls.
A really good consistent, progressive sort and winner of last season’s Grade 1 Mildmay novices chase at Aintree.
That was a fantastic run over 3 miles and 1 furlong. A month prior to that he ran at the Festival in the Ladbroke world hurdle and he ran extremely well coming second to the very impressive Cole Harden.
A very good horse and certainly one going the right way. His first run this season was back in November in an intermediate chase at Carlisle. This was only a 3 runner event but he completely blasted his field and was hardly asked a question. That would seem like the perfect prep for this race. Strongly fancied and probably will go off favorite.
8 wins from 17 starts (3 from 5 in chases) on ground ranging from good through to heavy and up to a distance of 3 miles and 1 furlong.
|
| 2 |
751F-6 |
The Druids Nephew |
8 |
10-10 |
Neil Mulholland |
Noel Fehily |
156 |
An 8-year-old Bay gelding trained by Neil Mulholland.
A nice horse who did well in point to points and was taken well to under rules chasing.
He was a very good winner of a handicap chase (grade 3) at the Cheltenham Festival and then went on to contest the Grand National. He run really well in the race and looked to be going well with the leading pack when he fell 6 from home.
1run so far this season in a grade 2 hurdle race where he finished well down the field but it could have been a good prep for this one. Will have to find more improvement, an interesting runner.
4 wins from 20 starts (3 from 14 in chases) on ground ranging from good through to soft and up to a distance of 3 miles and 1 furlong.
|
| 3 |
754P-F |
The Giant Bolster |
10 |
10-10 |
David Bridgwater |
Tom Scudamore |
156 |
A 10-year-old Bay gelding trained by David Bridgewater.
A really nice long distance horse who seems to keep his best performances for Cheltenham.
I think he surprised everybody apart from his trainer when he was second in the 2012 Cheltenham gold cup at massive odds. He seemed to trundle along the season after until another great run in the Gold cup where he finished 4th behind Bobs Worth. In January last year he had his first win for almost 2 years when he won the grade 2 Argento chase.
He seems to be a little frustrating because he can run very well or very ordinary. Seems to be something of a Cheltenham specialist so is no guarantee that he'd like this park course.
5 wins from 35 starts (4 from 25 in chases) on ground ranging from good through to heavy and up to a distance of 3 miles and 1 1/2 furlongs.
|
| 4 |
220F-9 |
Houblon Des Obeaux |
8 |
10-10 |
Venetia Williams |
Aidan Coleman |
156 |
An 8-year-old Bay gelding trained by Venetia Williams.
A nice young horse who seemed to keep on improving last season and took his chance in the Cheltenham Gold cup. He finished 11th of 16 that day and was a long way behind the winner.
He looks to be plenty high enough in the handicap and this looks like it could be a difficult task however he does like soft going and excels in this sort of ground. Should the rain come and the ground turned to heavy that will increases chances however this is a well contested race and he might find 1or 2 lower in a handicap to improve beyond him.
7 wins from 40 starts (4 from 22 in chases) on ground ranging from good to soft through to heavy and up to a distance of 3 miles.
|
| 5 |
5284-1 |
Smad Place |
8 |
10-9 |
Alan King |
Wayne Hutchinson |
155 |
An 8-year-old grey gelding trained by Alan King.
A good hurdler who is turning out to be as good chaser. He is obviously well thought of as he run in some really good quality races last year. In the 2014 Cheltenham Festival he was second in the RSA chase last season he stepped up to the gold cup after a really good second in the grade 2 Betbright chase at Cheltenham's January meeting. In the gold cup he finished 8h he ran really well throughout the race band stayed on. He should improve this season and maybe one to catch when he is right. He was very clever in his only start so far this season where he won a graduation chase at Kempton beating the smart Fingal Bay by 8 lengths receiving only 3 pounds. He surely is one that will continue to improve this season and has a good chance of making the frame.
6 wins from 25 starts (3 from 9 in chases) on ground ranging from good through to heavy and up to a distance of 3 miles.
|
| 6 |
8P0-1 |
Bobs Worth |
10 |
10-7 |
Nicky Henderson |
Nico de Boinville |
153 |
A 10-year-old Bay gelding trained by Nicky Henderson.
An absolutely top-class long distance chaser and past winner of the Cheltenham gold cup.
He was beaten in his first-ever race and national hunt flat event at Kempton and quickly put that behind him finishing first on the following 6 occasions
beat in some really good horses. Over 2 miles he beat Sire de Gurgy by 9 lengths in a novice hurdle he beat Rock on Ruby by 2 1/2 lengths in a grade 2 novice
steeplechase he beat Cue Card he then when on to be a winner at the Cheltenham Festival winning the RSA chase in 2012. In 2013 he won the Hennessy and the gold cup.
He seemed to be almost unbeatable and then suddenly when he came back in November 2013 he simply did not look like the same horse being beaten 40 lengths by Cue Card, we now know is a very smart chaser. Connections sent him to Ireland contest the Lexus Chase where he beat the smart field and looked to be coming back to form however he was only
given one more race at the Cheltenham gold cup where he finished fifth and never looked like actually winning. Last season was even more disappointing where
he finished 8th of 9 in the Lexus Chase was pulled up in the gold cup and was 11th of 20 at Sandown. He has of course gone down in the handicap because of these
performances but started this season at Aintree winning over 2 1/2 miles in a hurdle race with the very smart Simonsig and Commissioned in behind. Although this was a
hurdle race the old Bobs Worth certainly looked back he made every inch of the race, increased his lead and stayed on extremely well, as you would expect but look to be on great
form and really enjoying the game again. If back to his best none of these would be any problem whatsoever and he could be bet with confidence. What he has also in his favor today
is that he is receiving weight from horses that 2 seasons ago he would have been giving weight to and of course he does not have to give so much away to the horses underneath him. Looks
a really good interesting prospect and let's hope he's back to his best. Another who was strongly fancied.
11 wins from 19 starts (5 from 12 in chases) on ground ranging from good through to soft and up to a distance of 3 miles 2 1/2 furlongs.
|
| 7 |
2U8-33 |
Fox Appeal |
8 |
10-6 |
Emma Lavelle |
Gavin Sheehan |
152 |
An 8-year-old Bay gelding trained by Emma Lavell.
A nice progressive force who's form looks a little below his opponents today and actually seems high enough up the handicap to have a difficult task here today. Would be a surprise winner.
6 wins from 26 starts (2 from 15 in chases) on ground ranging from good to soft through to soft and up to a distance of 3 miles.
|
| 8 |
11d17-2 |
The Young Master |
6 |
10-4 |
Neil Mulholland |
Mr S Waley-Cohen |
150 |
A 6-year-old Bay gelding trained by Neil Mulholland.
This young horse seemed to be an average hurdler but suddenly seemed to get things to click into place and set up a sequence of good runs which started in November 2013 in a handicap hurdle at Southwell. Something obviously clicked and he has not really looked back. He is a true long distance chaser and has won 3 times in chases at 3 miles and above.
He was a little disappointing in the RSA chase last year at the Cheltenham Festival he finished last of the 7 finishers. Possibly although he has won a Cheltenham it may not be his type of course as he seems to run better on this type of Park course. He could do really well today.
His only run this season was in an intermediate chase at Carlisle where today's likely favorite Saphir Du Rheu had him 7 lengths behind and giving him 4 pounds. Today he receives almost a stone from the winner and that should put him much closer today. It would not be a surprise to see him fighting out the finish as he surely, at only 6 years old still has much improvement to come.
8 wins from 25 starts (3 from 6 in chases) on ground ranging from good through to heavy and up to a distance of 3 miles and 1 furlong.
|
| 9 |
P7P-77 |
Splash Of Ginge |
7 |
10-3 |
Nigel Twiston-Davies |
Jamie Bargary. |
149 |
A 7-year-old Bay gelding trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies.
A likeable young chaser who perhaps the handicapper has well in hand.
He was 7th of 8 in the Cheltenham Festival in a Grade 1 novice chase last season and will have to improve on that to take part in the finish today.
Only 1 run so far he was tried in the Paddy Power gold cup chase where he finished 7th.
Looks to have it all to do in this race today.
4 wins from 22 starts (2 from 9 in chases) on ground ranging from good to soft through to heavy and up to a distance of 2 miles and 5 furlongs.
|
| 10 |
2115P- |
If In Doubt |
7 |
10-3 |
Philip Hobbs |
Barry Geraghty |
149 |
A 7-year-old Bay gelding trained by Philip Hobbs.
A nice horse this. A winner of last season’s great Yorkshire Chase, a listed race over 3 miles. He looked really good that day and stayed on well. He was next run in the Cheltenham Festival in the RSA chase when he finished fifth. He did not seem to be able to keep quite up with the pace and he can make a few silly mistakes. But he was staying on well towards the end of the race albeit too late.
He then went on to contest the Irish national but was pulled up.
This looks a horse full of potential and if he is to progress to top-class he must show more today than he has done in the past. A very interesting runner who will have the help of Barry Geraghty in the saddle today. one you certainly can't leave out of your reckoning.
4 wins from 15 starts (2 from 6 in chases) on ground ranging from good to soft through to heavy and up to a distance of 1 mile and 1 furlong.
|
| 11 |
830-84 |
First Lieutenant |
10 |
10-1 |
M F Morris |
Mark Enright |
147 |
A 10-year-old chestnut gelding trained by Mouse Morris.
This horse is a very classy chaser he has been running in the best races and rarely runs a bad race. He looks good at around 3 miles although he was tried in the Grand National last season finishing a respectable 16.
He is now well exposed of course and although running really well has not won in the last 2 seasons. It is a little difficult to see him winning here today with so many good young improving horses but would not be a surprise to see him make the frame.
7 wins from 34 starts (3 from 26 in chases) on ground ranging from good through to heavy and up to a distance of 3 miles and 1 furlong.
|
| 12 |
5P3-2 |
Fingal Bay |
9 |
9-12 |
Philip Hobbs |
Richard Johnson |
144 |
A 9-year-old Bay gelding trained by Philip Hobbs.
This horse was a really good if not top-class hurdler. He once had the smart Simonsig 7 lengths behind in second over 2 1/2 miles in a hurdle at Sandown.
He is interesting in that is form can sometimes be a little in and out but looks full of class.
He had a disappointing year last season and hopefully his good only run so far this season in a graduation chase at Kempton looked like he's over it. He was second in that race to Smad Place receiving 3 pounds, today he gets 11 pounds from the same horse so should be a heck of a lot closer.
A very interesting runner who if back to his best could easily make the frame and go one better.
8 wins from 15 starts (1from 6 over chases) on ground ranging from good through to heavy and up to a distance of 3 miles.
|
| 13 |
7U3-71 |
Benbens |
10 |
9-12 |
Nigel Twiston-Davies |
Ryan Hatch |
144 |
A 10-year-old chestnut gelding trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies
For a 10-year-old this horse does not really have that many races under his belt and has it been a consistent sort of handicapper over the years. He ran many times last season and on a few occasions run quite disappointingly.
He seems to have put that behind him this season because he ran as if he needed the race first time up in veterans handicap chase. But then went at Aintree and was a good winner of another veterans handicap chase over this distance.
Both difficult to fancy and to write off at this stage and perhaps best watched.
5 wins from 22 starts (3 from 14 in chases) on ground ranging from good through to soft and up to a distance of 3 miles and 2 furlongs.
|
| 14 |
P33U7- |
Al Co |
10 |
9-9 |
Peter Bowen |
Sean Bowen |
141 |
A 10-year-old chestnut gelding trained by Peter Bowen.
A well exposed 10-year-old chaser who looks to have plenty on his plate here today. 2 seasons ago he was the impressive winner of the Scottish Grand National. But has not looked the same horse since.
Difficult to see him troubling these.
7 wins from 36 starts (4 from 14 in chases) on ground ranging from good to firm through to soft and up to a distance of 4 miles.
|
| 15 |
1418-6 |
Ned Stark |
7 |
9-8 |
Alan King |
Denis O'Regan |
140 |
A 7-year-old Bay gelding trained by Alan King.
A nice young horse and winner of a grade 2 novice chase at Wetherby last season.
He finished his season in a reasonable 8th place in the grade 3 handicap chase at the Festival.
For a horse who runs well when fresh so he ran a little disappointing the back on October when he could only finish 6th in a handicap chase at Ascot.
This horse is perhaps at a crossroads in his career and he will have to run very well here if he is to step up to some of the more valuable chases or we may find that his level is just below this.
4 wins from 8 starts (3 from 6 in chases) on ground ranging from good to soft through to soft and up to a distance of 3 miles and 1 furlong.
|
| 16 |
433271 |
Urano |
7 |
9-8 |
W P Mullins |
Danny Mullins |
140 |
A 7-year-old Bay gelding trained by Willie Mullins.
Although a young horse this young he has plenty of races under his belt. He rarely runs a bad race and often finishes in the frame and this will be his first challenge outside his native Ireland.
He is improving and will probably still have more improvement to come but looks the sort of horse that must have it really soft to show his best.
6 wins from 24 starts (2 from 10 in chases) on ground ranging from soft through to heavy and up to a distance of 3 miles won a half furlongs
|
| 17 |
640R-3 |
Theatre Guide |
8 |
9-7 |
Colin Tizzard |
Paddy Brennan |
139 |
An 8-year-old Bay gelding trained by Colling Tizard.
A nice enough horse who has some in and out of form and also one with perhaps a little bit of temperament as he refused to race in the top chase at the Aintree Festival.
Looks a very interesting runner at the bottom of the weights..
5 wins from 21 starts (3 from 15 in chases) on ground ranging from good to soft through to soft and up to a distance of 2 miles 5 furlongs.
|
