12:55 Musselburgh

Saturday 4 February 2017

All12:2512:5513:3014:0514:4015:1515:4516:20

bet365 Handicap Chase

Off time: 12:55 | Winning time: 6m 1.10s

Landmarque^b1²⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-13| J: Steven Fox⁽⁵⁾| T: J Ewart| OR: 101

4/1

Bumper winner and fair staying pointer who took advantage of a reduced mark to score over hurdles last month. Was behind Top Cat Dj when fourth in a 3m chase here last time, but still scope for improvement. in first-time blinkers.

Form: 2P-134P

Chain Of Beacons^t¹¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: D R Fox| T: A M Thomson| OR: 100

3/1

Still winless after 14 starts but produced arguably his best effort when just edged out by Fields of Glory over 2m4f here recently. Remains on a handy mark, but stamina query over this longer trip.

Form: 226123-

Bridge End^p1²⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 11-11| J: Mr N McParlan⁽³⁾| T: I R Ferguson| OR: 99

8/1

Winning pointer but beaten in two hunter chases before finishing a well-beaten fourth on his handicap debut over 2m4f last time. Interesting to see how this Irish raider fares in the market.

Form: 52/41-85

Oscar Lateen⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-5| J: Mr D Delahunt⁽⁷⁾| T: V Thompson| OR: 93

33/1

Only chase win from 16 attempts came on heavy ground at Newcastle last season but has regressed since as recent form-figures indicate. Best watched.

Form: P74177-

Runswick Days⁵⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-4| J: B S Hughes| T: G Bewley| OR: 92

5/1

Well-placed to win three times over fences, most recently at Kelso in October but the ensuing 16lb rise has anchored him in both starts since. No margin for error.

Form: 57-PP16

My Idea^p,t²⁵

Age: 11| Weight: 11-2| J: Daragh Bourke⁽⁵⁾| T: M A Barnes| OR: 90

12/1

Experienced campaigner who doesn't win often and, though well-treated on the pick of his form, a tame latest effort over 2m4f here doesn't augur well. Up in trip after a break.

Form: U56525-

Captains Horse^p⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: C Gethings⁽⁵⁾| T: N J Hawke| OR: 88

12/1

Signs of temperament in his five starts to date, most recently when falling at Taunton. Probably has improvement in him over fences, but a watching brief the safest policy.

Form: 0

Ballythomas²⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 10-7| J: Henry Brooke| T: D Thompson| OR: 81

10/1

Just the one win from 12 hurdle starts and yet to really take to fences, struggling at long-odds at Wetherby last time. Handicapper has relented somewhat but others still preferred.

Form: 8P6112

Shine A Diamond^p,t¹⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 10-5| J: S Mulqueen⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 79

17/2

Last of two chase wins came over 2m4f here as a novice in November 2014 but its all been downhill since and he was behind both Landmarque and Top Cat Dj latest. Mark continues to slide at least.

Form: 4574B8-

Top Cat Dj^p,t¹⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 10-0| J: S A Shortall⁽³⁾| T: C Grant| OR: 68

9/1

Still winless after 18 chase starts but produced one of his better efforts to finish third behind Benefit In Kind over 3m here latest. By no means certain to reproduce that form.

Form: P5P63P-

Non-Runners

Doubledisdoubledat⁵²

Weight: 11-10| Age: 10

T: W Coltherd J: Sam Coltherd

Forecasts

Chain Of Beacons (3/1), Landmarque (4/1), Runswick Days (5/1), Doubledisdoubledat (6/1), Bridge End (8/1), Shine A Diamond (17/2), Top Cat Dj (9/1), Ballythomas (10/1), My Idea (12/1), Captains Horse (12/1), Oscar Lateen (33/1)

A rather trappy affair with question marks surrounding most of the protagonists. Should the introduction of blinkers have a galvanising effect on LANDMARQUE, James Ewart's charge looks well-equipped to defy top-weight on the evidence of his recent effort over C&D where he would have gone close but for costly mistake. Should Chains of Beacon's stamina hold out, he looks sure to be thereabouts whilst Doubledisdoubledat has improvement in him too and looks feasibly-treated. 1. Landmarque 2. Doubledisdoubledat 3. Chain Of Beacons