Black Horse Inn Dine Drink Win Handicap Chase

Off time: 13:30 | Winning time: 4m 3.0s

Dresden³³

Age: 10| Weight: 12-0| J: B S Hughes| T: Henry Oliver| OR: 132| D

5/2

Drops in grade for this after a 5lb drop in the weights and that makes him interesting. Has won on soft ground and all his wins have been at around today's trip, which he reverts to for the first time in over a year. Claims.

Form: 264-637

Ink Master^h,t1²⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: W T Kennedy| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 130| D

12/1

All four of his wins have come on good ground, so these softer conditions are a concern. Last win was from just 2lb lower at Worcester in June, so enters calculations on that basis. Tongue-strap now tried. Not ruled out.

Form: 6P3678

Un Prophete⁴⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: Charlie Deutsch⁽³⁾| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 127| D

5/2

Soft ground and around this trip are optimum conditions for this reasonably consistent chaser. His jumping has cost him on occasions, but with a clear round he has some ability, as he showed last time. 5lb rise not insurmountable.

Form: 2PF-4F1

Workbench^b,t³⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 11-8| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 126| D

13/2

Goes okay on soft ground, though better on a sound surface and yet to win on slower than good to soft. Won from higher marks than this in 2015 and 2016, so entitled to plenty of respect coming here off a Sandown win in first-time blinkers.

Form: 515341

Cracking Find³⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: Sean Quinlan| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 124| C| D

11/2

Scored over 2m3½f around here when hurdling. Best form has been on good or good to soft ground, so softer conditions a concern. Held from this mark at Southwell last time, but couldn't rule him out with his preferred forcing tactics.

Form: 32-3315

Vengeur De Guye^t⁶¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-4| J: D R Fox| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 122| D

9/1

Won at Ayr (2m½f, soft) in October from just 2lb lower and perhaps found things happen a bit too quickly for him at Kelso last time. Back on soft ground he is not ruled out.

Form: 22-3614

Discoverie^b,h²³

Age: 10| Weight: 10-10| J: Colm McCormack⁽³⁾| T: Kenneth Slack| OR: 114| CD

28/1

Sedgefield specialist, but also has two C&D wins to his name here and acts well on soft ground. Has slipped back to just 1lb higher than when scoring in a 0-115 here last season, so on a competitive mark, though could be outclassed.

Form: 82-5U46

Forecasts

Dresden (5/2), Un Prophete (5/2), Cracking Find (11/2), Workbench (13/2), Vengeur De Guye (9/1), Ink Master (12/1), Discoverie (28/1)

A good race in prospect and one where it could pay to side with DRESDEN, whose 5lb drop has prompted a drop in grade here, while the return to this trip on soft ground could help work the oracle. Un Prophete is feared in opposition on the back of a win last time and he has claims after going up 5lb. You would have to be concerned about soft ground for Inkmaster and also Workbench, though both has the ability to win this is they can handle it better than previously, while a positive ride would make Cracking Find a potential player. Vengeur De Guye needs a bit of improvement, but he is not dismissed now back on softer ground.