16:55 Wetherby

Wednesday 18 October 2017

All14:1014:4515:1515:4516:2016:5517:25

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Off time: 16:55 | Winning time: 3m 49.09s

Degooch^b,t²⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: N D Fehily| T: J Farrelly| OR: 128

5/1

Made the frame on this card over 2m3½f last season and has yet to win any race over as short-a-trip as this. Well held from a slightly higher mark last time and others make more appeal.

Form: 4-541F8

Fair Loch¹⁵⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 11-11| J: Henry Brooke| T: B Ellison| OR: 127

14/1

Races over his optimum trip here, although would ideally prefer some cut in the ground. Last win was from 9lb lower at Ayr almost a year ago (1m7½f, good to soft) but was beaten just 1L over that C&D from 2lb lower than today in the spring. Claims.

Form: 14342-P

Nomoreblackjack¹⁸⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-9| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 125| BF

9/2

Won twice at Catterick (2m3f, soft) in the spring but we were unable to see how he would cope with a 13lb hike last time, when he unseated early at Ayr as joint favourite. Won a point-to-point on good to firm and likely to give a very good account.

Form: 5P211U-

Little Pop^h,t¹⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr Zac Baker⁽⁵⁾| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 123

4/1

Has won four chases at 1m7½f-2m1f and is at his best on good ground. Chasing a hat-trick today following success at both Market Rasen and Worcester. 5lb higher and upped in grade now, this will be tougher, but can't be ruled out.

Form: 4-13311

Nicolas Chauvin²⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-4| J: R Johnson| T: James Moffatt| OR: 120

8/1

His only chase win to date was in novices' company last year, but he has shown enough in handicaps from higher marks than this to suggest that he has a handicap in him. Acts on a sound surface and a win would not be a major surprise.

Form: 2-45424

Today Please¹⁶⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: James Davies| T: Henry Oliver| OR: 118| BF

11/2

Proved that he doesn't need cut in the ground when taking a Towcester novices' handicap chase (2m, good to firm) in April by 7L and almost following up from 7lb higher at Worcester in May. Dropped 1lb going into this and needs to find a little more.

Form: 23P11-2

Deadly Approach^t¹⁵⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: R T Dunne| T: S-J Davies| OR: 117

13/2

Won a Ludlow novices' handicap chase in February (2m, good to soft) from 13lb lower, but despite not adding to that he put in a respectable effort at Cheltenham on April. Will need to have come on again for his summer break to win this.

Form: UU143-3

Muwalla^t¹⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 10-0| J: Callum Bewley⁽³⁾| T: Miss L Harrison| OR: 102

9/1

Has twice won chases from today's mark, though he has not been able to score from this high since 2014, nor ever in this class of race. Those stats, plus his recent form, mean that others are preferred this time.

Form: 232355

Forecasts

Little Pop (4/1), Nomoreblackjack (9/2), Degooch (5/1), Today Please (11/2), Deadly Approach (13/2), Nicolas Chauvin (8/1), Muwalla (9/1), Fair Loch (14/1)

A few in here have potential, though perhaps no as much as NOMOREBLACKJACK, who looked progressive last season. This shorter trip may not look ideal, but if he comes into this ready to do himself justice then he will be tough to topple. Little Pop is in good form, though he will need improvement to complete a hat-trick and Nicolas Chauvin is another with claims now that he has dropped to this mark. Fair Loch, Today Please and Deadly Approach are others who could get involved in the battle for prize money.