15:25 Aintree

Saturday 11 November 2017

All12:3013:0513:4014:1514:5015:2516:00

Free Spins At 188Bet Casino Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:25 | Winning time: 4m 4.4s

Duke Of Navan¹⁹⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: R D Day⁽³⁾| T: N G Richards| OR: 140| D

9/2

Useful chaser who we haven't seen much of in the past couple of years and he was returning 18 months off when shaping well at Perth in the spring. Again returns from a further break here but capable off this mark if ready to go.

Form: 22145/2-

Pain Au Chocolat¹⁹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-11| J: C O'Farrell| T: R Menzies| OR: 139| D

16/1

Useful hurdler/chaser when with Dan Skelton although appeared to struggle in handicaps for that yard. Came good on his first run for this yard cashing in on a falling mark and now returns off 4lb higher with the yard rather quiet.

Form: 2P2501-

Ink Master^h¹⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: Brendan Powell| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 133| D

40/1

Has run some sound races over fences for his former yard but is a rather free-going type who often fails to settle. This will be his first start over fences for his new yard but the worry is that he'll do too much too soon as he did over hurdles last time.

Form: 216P36

Ballyhill¹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Mr Zac Baker⁽⁵⁾| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 133| D

6/4

Already looks as though he's going to be a better hurdler than he was a chaser with both his starts so far being tough tasks in novice company. Now gets a chance in a handicap over fences and although he could do with further his mark looks a very fair one.

Form: 3500-23

Ut Majeur Aulmes^t⁴⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 11-4| J: R Johnson| T: V R A Dartnall| OR: 132| D

8/1

Has on occasions looked capable of some decent form but often flatters to deceive with his finishing effort and can also run in snatches. Ought to be able to win off this sort of mark with a run under his belt but not one to totally rely on.

Form: 42583-2

Baby King^t¹⁷⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: Adrian Heskin| T: T R George| OR: 132| BF| D

7/2

Had shown some useful form in handicap hurdles before scoring on his first attempt over fences in February. Didn't look to be an obvious chaser but coped well with the test (fell next time out); now back from a break with yard not quite firing.

Form: 044/31-F

Imjoeking^t²¹⁸

Age: 10| Weight: 11-3| J: Blair Campbell⁽⁷⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 131| D

16/1

Back to his best when dominating a small field at Ayr in March although he very much had the run of the race. Upped in trip for an outing over the National fences in the Topham in April falling when going well in the lead.

Form: 16471F-

Workbench^p,t²⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 10-9| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 123| D

8/1

A rather in-and-out performer who you have to catch right on the day and he took advantage of a drop in the weights to score at Fontwell in September. One poor and one good run since then (suited by strong pace last time) and hard to know what to expect.

Form: 3-45153

Non-Runners

Nicolas Chauvin²⁴

Weight: 11-1| Age: 9

T: James Moffatt J: S Bowen

Forecasts

Ballyhill (6/4), Baby King (7/2), Duke Of Navan (9/2), Nicolas Chauvin (6/1), Ut Majeur Aulmes (8/1), Workbench (8/1), Imjoeking (16/1), Pain Au Chocolat (16/1), Ink Master (40/1)

Duke Of Navan and Pain Au Chocolat have “previous” the latter getting the better of the former at Perth in the summer and they still look closely matched on that form with although the lightly-raced Nicky Richards runner comes from a yard in better form. Plenty of the others in this have question marks against then but one that doesn’t from a form perspective is BALLYHILL who has shown up well in two tough novice chases and now goes handicapping off what looks to be a fair mark although the trip could be sharp enough so it’s hoped they go a good pace. Imjoeking was going well on his last visit here and may find it easier to cope with these fences rather than the National variety and Baby King should enter the equation if he can repeat his debut form over fences.