14:00 Cheltenham

Sunday 1 January 2017

All12:1512:5013:2514:0014:3515:1015:40

BetBright Best For Festival Betting Handicap Chase (Grade 3)

Off time: 14:00 | Winning time: 5m 33.10s

Top Gamble^t⁴⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: D N Russell| T: Kerry Lee| OR: 159

8/1

Smart chasing form shown last year particularly when taking the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury and the Normans Grove Chase at Fairyhouse. Back from a long break when fifth in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham and could well have needed the run although he's pretty much weighted to the hilt here in handicapping terms.

Form: P3311-5

Village Vic²²

Age: 10| Weight: 11-11| J: R Johnson| T: P Hobbs & J White| OR: 158

11/4

Winner of this race last year (off a stone lower mark) and a Cheltenham regular who always runs this course well and has finished second and third in two big handicaps at the course this year. Usually sets the pace and jumps well and despite the rise in the weights he's sure to go well again around a course that he loves.

Form: 1190-23

Tenor Nivernais¹⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 11-5| J: T Scudamore| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 152

7/1

Smart chaser who has shown some good form and was a wide-margin handicap winner at Ascot last season and followed that with three good performances at Cheltenham from January to April last year. The first of those outing saw him finish second in this race to Village Vic and judged on his Ascot third (back after a break) in December, he has a fine chance again here.

Form: 322P5-3

Shantou Flyer^t¹⁵⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: Aidan Coleman| T: Miss R Curtis| OR: 149

20/1

Has won at Cheltenham before although he fell on his last visit here at the Festival when departing at the 18th in the National Hunt Chase. Last run for his former stable came in July when he was ninth in the Galway Plate and now starts life off a career high mark for a new yard after a break.

Form: 5PF-529

Henri Parry Morgan^t,v1⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 11-1| J: R T Dunne| T: P & M Bowen| OR: 148

11/1

Progressive chaser last season with wins at Chepstow and Uttoxeter and a very good run at Aintree when second to Native River whose subsequent exploits have shown that form to be strong. Not quite back to his best this season as yet. Looked to need the run in the Hennessy and unseated in a good handicap chase at Wetherby on Boxing Day. Runs over a shorter trip here and might find some of these too quick for him in a race that should be run at a good clip.

Form: 112U-0U

Quite By Chance²²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: T J O'Brien| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 147

6/1

Has certainly improved this season and his win at Ascot in October and his two subsequent outings have shown in him a good light. Overcame a bad mistake to finish fourth in the Caspian Caviar Handicap Chase last time out (finished just behind Village Vic) and deserves another chance on that form from a stable that can do little wrong this year.

Form: 23-6124

Shutthefrontdoor^p,t²³

Age: 10| Weight: 10-12| J: B J Geraghty| T: J & A O'Neill| OR: 145

18/1

Took the Irish National in 2014 but has struggled to match that performance since and this trip looks on the sharp side here. Well below form still on his sole outing this season over 3m2f last time out but probably has bigger targets later in the year where his handicap mark may well start to look attractive.

Form: 5/3P9-87

As De Mee²⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: S Bowen| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 145

11/2

Consistent chaser with some solid form and scored his second win over the larger obstacles when taking the Grand Sefton Chase last time out over the Grand National fences by five lengths. Not totally straightforward and can look a little awkward under pressure. It remains to be seen how he fares back over more conventional fences off a higher mark.

Form: 181P25

Solar Impulse²²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-10| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: C N Kellett| OR: 143

50/1

Winner if the Grand Annual at the Festival in 2015/16 when blinkered for the first time off a mark of 140. Had just four runs since then (highly-tried in all of them) and well beaten in the Caspian Caviar last time out. Yet to show much for his new yard.

Form: 99P300-

Thomas Brown^b²²

Age: 8| Weight: 10-9| J: N P Madden| T: H Fry| OR: 142

8/1

Useful handicap chaser who turned in a good performance when winning a handicap chase at Aintree in November off a break. Has gone well when fresh before. Failed to follow that up in the Caspian Caviar last time and looked an awkward/difficult ride there. Needs to bounce back and work to do with several of these.

Form: 1U74-18

Thomas Crapper^p,t⁵⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 10-0| J: C Poste| T: R Dickin| OR: 133

14/1

Took him an age to open his chase account having on several occasions looked as though he could land a handicap chase. Since his Newbury win in April last year he has reverted to type a little although his sixth last time out showed that he is still capable off this mark. Not certain to build on this run.

Form: 4-67046

Non-Runners

Vaniteux²²

Weight: 11-7| Age: 8

T: N J Henderson J: Paul Moloney

Foxtail Hill¹⁵

Weight: 10-0| Age: 8

T: N & W Twiston-Davies J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Village Vic (11/4), Vaniteux (4/1), As De Mee (11/2), Quite By Chance (6/1), Tenor Nivernais (7/1), Top Gamble (8/1), Thomas Brown (8/1), Henri Parry Morgan (11/1), Thomas Crapper (14/1), Shutthefrontdoor (18/1), Shantou Flyer (20/1), Foxtail Hill (20/1), Solar Impulse (50/1)

A typically competitive Cheltenham handicap chase over this distance and with the Venetia Williams barn in good form it may well be worth giving TENOR NIVERNAIS a chance here in a race that he’s run well in before and he still looks well treated off a mark of 152. Village Vic can never be ruled out of races around here with his course record and although the handicapper still keeps nudging up his mark, he keeps responding with some doughty and tough performances. Quite By Chance was a little unlucky in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup last time out when he was hampered early in the contest and he did well to get himself into contention and the placings. He’s an improving type from a stable that can do little wrong at the moment and has to be given a chance here. 1. Tenor Nivernais 2. Village Vic 3. Quite By Chance