12:55 Towcester

Thursday 21 December 2017

All12:2512:5513:2513:5514:2515:0015:35

totepool Merry Christmas Handicap Chase

Off time: 12:55 | Winning time: 5m 17.70s

Edward Elgar^p²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Harry Skelton| T: Mrs Caroline Bailey| OR: 97

20/1

Plating class hurdler who has not looked a natural over fences. Particularly poor on last two starts and the handicapper has not been in the Christmas spirit.

Form: 5-432P6

Normandy King^t²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-11| J: Alan Johns| T: Tim Vaughan| OR: 96| D

9/4

Has been in the grip of the handicapper since romping home at Bangor in 2016. Has gone well enough on his last two starts to suggest he is capable of landing a weak race such as this.

Form: 1/845-32

Very Live^p²⁸¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: R P McLernon| T: P R Webber| OR: 95

12/1

Registered back to back victories in the winter of 2015-16 but only rare glimpses of that ability have been seen since. Went well on his reappearance last term and this might be a good time to catch him.

Form: P/336UU-

Some Finish^p²¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-1| J: J M Quinlan| T: R Dickin| OR: 86| C| D

7/2

Has won his last two starts here in similarly poor company. A 6lb rise for last month's success seems reasonable enough given the lack of credible opposition.

Form: PP1-551

More Madness^v⁴¹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-1| J: Henry Brooke| T: Julia Brooke| OR: 86

10/1

A record of 1/31 over fences probably sums him up and he never looks a particularly easy ride. Showed his best recent form at Hexham on his penultimate start (probably flattered) off a 3lb higher mark but can look a hard ride and one to wary of.

Form: 444627

Presenting William²⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 10-13| J: James Banks| T: A Phillips| OR: 84

7/1

Triple winning pointer who took a remote third last time when four rivals fell ahead of him. His chances look slim even allowing for the poor standard here.

Form: 44-F653

Ballyegan²¹

Age: 12| Weight: 10-3| J: Sean Houlihan⁽⁷⁾| T: R H Buckler| OR: 74| CD

7/1

Took this in 2015 off a 12lb higher mark. Part of a group that went off hard last time and paid the price in the closing stages. That should have put an edge on him and one to consider despite his advancing years.

Form: 615-534

Heurtevent^v²¹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-0| J: Lee Edwards| T: A W Carroll| OR: 71| C

8/1

Safe and steady jumper whose best form in this country has come in the spring. Has a lot to find with Some Finish and a visor is now tried from 3lb out of the weights.

Form: 6-85674

Onurbike³⁹²

Age: 9| Weight: 10-0| J: Jordan Nailor⁽⁷⁾| T: J G O'Neill| OR: 69

33/1

Beaten an aggregate of almost 200L on his two sole completed starts. 5lb out of the weights and one for the optimists.

Form: 8P4/PPU-

Forecasts

Normandy King (9/4), Some Finish (7/2), Ballyegan (7/1), Presenting William (7/1), Heurtevent (8/1), More Madness (10/1), Very Live (12/1), Edward Elgar (20/1), Onurbike (33/1)

Some Finish has a good record here and has little more to do than when scoring last time. However, NORMANDY KING has shown enough on his last two starts over fences to suggest he can win something like this and is taken to prove so. Ballyegan took this two years ago and a spring point-to-point victory indicated he retains his enthusiasm. He went well for a long way at Taunton after a layoff and he could fill one of the places at least.