Helen Elizabeth Thompson Chase (Novices' Limited Handicap)

Off time: 13:40 | Winning time: 4m 6.8s

Cracking Find³⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 122

5/4

Winning hurdler on decent ground (2m3f+), so feasibly might find this trip on the short side. Not exactly set the world alight in a couple of starts over fences thus far, but might well have needed the run (fitness wise) at Wetherby latest.

Form: 1632-33

An Laoch^t¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: B S Hughes| T: C Grant| OR: 112

9/4

Irish point-to-point winner (March 2017) who has shown improvement for the switch to fences, and was a runner up to The Happy Chappy at Sedgefield earlier this month (3m2f+). Ground fine, but this trip is very much on the short side.

Form: 135-522

Gris De Pron¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-11| J: Jamie Hamilton⁽³⁾| T: H Hogarth| OR: 118| D

11/4

Won twice over hurdles for Oliver Greenall at around this trip last season. No concerns regarding the forecast ground conditions, but beaten 15+L by Beggar's Wishes on his recent fencing debut at Sedgefield (2m+ good).

Form: 4511-44

Roman Numeral³⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 10-3| J: R D Day⁽³⁾| T: D Thompson| OR: 82| D

14/1

At the foot of the weights, but fortunately for connections, he gets into the handicap. His latest Hexham effort (beaten two short-heads) has been franked by both the winner (John Williams) and the second (Oak Vintage) scoring since.

Form: P74263

Forecasts

Cracking Find (5/4), An Laoch (9/4), Gris De Pron (11/4), Roman Numeral (14/1)

A race which lacks depth, with perhaps the most interesting horse of the four; An Laoch appearing extremely vulnerable over this 2m trip. CRACKING FIND is also likely to find this trip on the short side, but Danny Cook is likely to counteract that potential problem by setting out to make all. Whilst he's not set the world alight over fences so far, he looks the safest option with the benefit of his Wetherby reappearance in the 'tank'. Roman Numeral is perhaps flattered by his latest Hexham effort, but in such a modest race, he rates as the chief threat to the Sue Smith charge.