15:35 Haydock

Saturday 25 November 2017

All12:1012:4013:1513:5014:2515:0015:35

Best Odds Guaranteed With Betfair Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:35 | Winning time: 7m 14.40s

Baywing²⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: R D Day⁽³⁾| T: N G Richards| OR: 144| C

9/1

Was a wide margin winner of Wetherby's Grade 2 Towton Chase (3m, heavy) in February. Handicapper took a dim view of that and he is now 14lb higher. However, should be better for a pipe-opener and in these conditions he still has each-way claims.

Form: 1P/414-3

Robinsfirth^t1²⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: R M Power| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 142| BF

10/3

Scored over fences at Exeter (2m3f, soft) in January and was still going well when unseating on handicap debut next time. Made mistakes on reappearance at Cheltenham but has potential for improvement if jumping better and should be in the mix.

Form: 24/21U-4

Chase The Spud²⁵²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-7| J: P J Brennan| T: F O'Brien| OR: 139

6/1

Won the Midlands National (4m1½f, soft) when last seen and relishes testing ground. A 9lb hike for that win will demand another career-best today, but yard in form, he goes well when fresh and has each-way claims at the very least.

Form: 3/72751-

Ballymalin²⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: Jamie Bargary⁽³⁾| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 138

5/1

Well placed to win 6-14 and made a good start over fences at Worcester (2m7f, good to soft) in September. Didn't quite jump well enough to threaten at Cheltenham last time and this will be another test in that department on his handicap debut.

Form: 1375-13

Henri Parry Morgan^t¹⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 11-4| J: James Bowen⁽⁵⁾| T: P & M Bowen| OR: 136| BF

6/1

Paid for a good novice chase campaign (was runner-up to Native River in a Grade 1) with a winless season last time. Now a stone below his highest mark of a year ago and made a good reappearance over an inadequate trip, but heavy ground a concern.

Form: 02069-2

Lessons In Milan^p²¹⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 11-2| J: D A Jacob| T: N J Henderson| OR: 134

15/2

Has less miles on the clock than some here for his age and was last seen finishing a 5½L fifth in the Scottish National in April. Dropped 1lb going into this reappearance, has won on heavy and can't dismiss despite his maiden status over fences.

Form: U/35285-

Cloudy Too²⁷

Age: 11| Weight: 11-0| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 132| C

8/1

Relishes bottomless ground and goes well here, having won the 2016 renewal of the Grade 2 Peter Marsh Chase when 7lb higher. Has found it tough since and out of form in two starts last month, but if back on song he is lurking on a dangerous mark.

Form: 2543-60

Catamaran Du Seuil^b¹⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: B S Hughes| T: Dr R D P Newland| OR: 128

7/1

Has won 3-7 since joining this yard, including on heavy ground at Ayr (3m½f) last time. Much more strength-in-depth in this contest, but he has only been nudged up 2lb and couldn't say that he doesn't have that improvement in him.

Form: 610-721

Non-Runners

Sir Ivan³⁷

Weight: 11-11| Age: 7

T: H Fry J: N D Fehily

Kaki De La Pree¹

Weight: 11-3| Age: 10

T: T Symonds J: T Scudamore

Forecasts

Robinsfirth (10/3), Ballymalin (5/1), Chase The Spud (6/1), Henri Parry Morgan (6/1), Catamaran Du Seuil (7/1), Sir Ivan (7/1), Lessons In Milan (15/2), Cloudy Too (8/1), Baywing (9/1), Kaki De La Pree (12/1)

Another very competitive contest to bring down the curtain on a super card and ROBINSFIRTH gets the vote. Colin Tizzard's unexposed eight-year-old will need to jump better than he did at Cheltenham last time, but he acts with cut, stays well and the tongue strap could prove to be a very positive addition. Baywing has his conditions and could go well at a price, while Sir Ivan is also still going the right way and is respected. Lessons In Milan has to enter calculations along with Chase The Spud and Catamaran Du Seuil, while Henry Parri Morgan has also dropped to an attractive mark, though has not yet run to his best on ground this deep.