Call Star Spreads On 0808 2349709 Veterans' Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:00 | Winning time: 5m 16.4s

Grand Vision²⁶³

Age: 11| Weight: 11-12| J: H Cobden| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 130

7/2

Finished fourth in the 2015 Kim Muir at Cheltenham (3m2f good), but kept solely to Hunters Chases since his return to action in January, winning over 3m in soft ground at Warwick that month. Off again since March (Foxhunters).

Form: 24/3120-

Persian Snow^t²⁷⁸

Age: 11| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr D Maxwell⁽⁷⁾| T: P Hobbs & J White| OR: 130| D

9/4

Unbeaten in two starts in Hunters Chases (2m4f Ludlow) in 2017, since returning from almost two years off the track. Formerly a decent enough handicap chaser, but hard to assess whether he still retains all of that ability.

Form: 7963/11-

Vino Griego²³

Age: 12| Weight: 11-10| J: Joshua Moore| T: G & J Moore| OR: 128

7/2

At his best as a novice in 2013, winning a valuable 3m Listed contest at Ascot in February of that year. Back from two years off the track in a similar contest to this one at Sandown last month (tailed off).

Form: P07P1/5

Crookstown^v1²⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 11-5| J: D A Jacob| T: B I Case| OR: 123| D

7/1

Beat the improved Never Up when a 5L winner at Haydock in March (2m3f good), but disappointed from higher marks over fences since, and most latterly over hurdles. Visor applied for the first time back over fences on a retrieval mission.

Form: 4-1U605

Cloudy Beach²⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 10-13| J: Charlie Deutsch⁽³⁾| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 117

12/1

Hasn't done much racing for his age, but was improving in heavy ground prior to an absence from March 2016 to October 2017. Feasible he's fitter now, falling slightly in the weights, and the stable are slowly hitting form.

Form: 6141/P6

Allthegear No Idea¹⁹⁸

Age: 10| Weight: 10-11| J: Alain Cawley| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 115| C

6/1

Course winner in 2014 (2m novices hurdle). Lightly raced over fences, and often thereabouts anywhere between 2m and 3m, but off since May and you just question whether or not he'll be able to make that breakthrough success over fences on his return.

Form: 43233-3

Wings Of Smoke^t³⁴

Age: 12| Weight: 10-4| J: Alan Johns| T: Tim Vaughan| OR: 108| D

16/1

Beaten 12L by Cody Wyoming in this race in 2016 (found little) and has fallen 16lb in the weights since. Failed to beat a single rival in his last two starts.

Form: 245P7-9

Forecasts

Persian Snow (9/4), Grand Vision (7/2), Vino Griego (7/2), Allthegear No Idea (6/1), Crookstown (7/1), Cloudy Beach (12/1), Wings Of Smoke (16/1)

A tricky race to assess with both Grand Vision and Persian Snow absent from handicaps for some considerable time and confined solely to the Hunters Chase ranks (successfully) last season. These type of veterans races are ideal opportunities for such horses, and from respected stables, both deserve respect in a race where at least a couple of the runners are quickly dismissed. A visor could (but needs to) help Crookstown, so a tentative vote goes to the lightly raced Venetia Williams trained CLOUDY BEACH. He was progressive in a slightly lesser grade prior to a break (March 2016 to October 2017), but he might be fitter now for a couple of runs back, and could represent some outside value with his trainer slowly and belatedly returning to form.