BetBright Casino Novices' Chase

Off time: 16:31 | Winning time: 5m 10.68s

Apterix²⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: Danny Cook| T: B Ellison| OR: 145

1/2

Winner of a handicap chase at Wetherby in early December but failed to complete when attempting to follow up at the same track later that month. Well beaten behind an odds-on favourite a month ago and won over this further than this in the past and likely to prove hard to beat.

Form: 132-641

Allbarnone¹¹¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-0| J: Thomas Garner⁽³⁾| T: W Kinsey| OR: 124

5/2

Winner over hurdles at Cartmel in May and runner-up when attempting to follow up their subsequently. Absent since finishing well beaten over hurdles at Cheltenham in November and makes his chase debut in this.

Form: 5526-12

Jack In A Box¹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: C Gethings⁽³⁾| T: N J Hawke

7/1

Point-to-point winner who finished a distant second on his rules debut at Southwell in November and was then readily brushed aside by a subsequent winner in a match race at Sedgefield last month. Likely to find handicaps easier in time.

Form: 41/223

Non-Runners

Bivouac²⁶

Weight: 11-0| Age: 6

T: N J Henderson J: N D Fehily

Forecasts

Apterix (1/2), Bivouac (11/8), Allbarnone (5/2), Jack In A Box (7/1)

The most experienced contestant in this novices chase is APERTIX and he can register a third chase success here. Well beaten behind a classy looking rival last time out the gelding won off a mark of 138 back in December and can give 2011's winning trainer another success in this. The useful hurdler Bivouac didn't convince with his jumping when making his chasing debut last month but can claim second here while Allbarnone looks likely to claim third. 1. Apterix 2. Bivouac 3. Allbarnone