188Bet Best Mate Beginners' Chase

Off time: 16:50 | Winning time: 4m 29.30s

Behind Time²⁶²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: N P Madden| T: H Fry| BF

16/1

Looked a horse with a promising future when kicking off last season with success in a 2m5f Cheltenham handicap hurdle in November, but proved slightly disappointing in a relatively light campaign thereafter. Chasing debut.

Form: 853/146-

Muffins For Tea^t¹⁶⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: R M Power| T: C L Tizzard| BF| D

25/1

Won just once in ten starts over hurdles; at Newton Abbot in May (2m1f good) and was beaten at short odds under a penalty at Worcester just seven days later. Chasing debut.

Form: 4562-13

Norphin^h²³⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: Daniel Sansom⁽⁷⁾| T: J W Mullins| OR: 69

150/1

A 27 race maiden (all codes), who got no further than the fifth on his sole chasing start at Stratford in July 2016. No chance on these terms, or any other terms.

Form: 832675-

Phobiaphiliac¹⁹¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Matt Griffiths| T: Nicky Martin| OR: 132| BF

50/1

Pulled up in three of his last four starts, often paying the price for racing keenly. His other efforts are respectable, albeit not good enough in this company, but he looks the likely pace angle on his fencing debut.

Form: 11P2PP-

Sternrubin³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: R Johnson| T: P Hobbs & J White| CD

3/1

Useful hurdler in his prime (mid 140's rated), but has done well on the Flat most latterly winning twice in 2017 (at Windsor and Ffos Las). An Exeter winner in the past, this likeable gelding now tries the chasing route for the first time.

Form: P30/150-

Yanworth¹⁹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: B J Geraghty| T: A King| CD

2/7

Top rank, despite always coming up just short at the Cheltenham Festival. Beaten just once over hurdles last term (Champion), picking up the Christmas Hurdle, the Kingwell Hurdle and the Liverpool Stayers Hurdle in a stellar campaign. Chasing debut.

Form: 2/111D1-

Forecasts

Yanworth (2/7), Sternrubin (3/1), Behind Time (16/1), Muffins For Tea (25/1), Phobiaphiliac (50/1), Norphin (150/1)

YANWORTH is a winning machine (10 from 14 career), and has only tasted defeat on one other occasion away from the Cheltenham Festival. He proved himself the classiest of hurdlers last term making the transition from high class novice events the previous season. He tasted Grade 1 success at Kempton (Christmas Hurdle) and Aintree (Liverpool Stayers Hurdle), as well as Grade 2 success at Wincanton (Kingwell Hurdle) and Ascot (Ascot Hurdle). Put simply, he is a class above these rivals, and granted a clear round will make a winning start over fences.