ROA/Racing Post Owners' Jackpot Beginners' Chase

Off time: 14:10 | Winning time: 4m 4.2s

Fact Flow⁷⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-2| J: R T Dunne| T: D Burchell| OR: 98

100/1

Placed on occasions in point-to-points but never won in 16 starts in that sphere and has shown little to get excited about in three runs over hurdles since. Others more persuasive as he makes a chasing debut.

Form: 243-075

Muffins For Tea^t⁸²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: H Cobden| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 122

9/1

Won just once in ten starts over hurdles (2m1f, good) but shaped nicely in the face of an impossible task behind the smart Yanworth on his chasing bow. Fell early at Chepstow next time but remains of interest.

Form: 62-133F

Report To Base²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: L P Aspell| T: Evan Williams| OR: 130| D

4/11

Useful winning hurdler who has taken well to fences and ran out a visually impressive 'winner' on heavy ground at Exeter last time but was disqualified for missing out a fence. Every chance of gaining compensation now.

Form: 225-82D

Royal Act²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: James Banks| T: S-J Davies| OR: 84

33/1

Very moderate maiden hurdler but better signs on his chasing debut at Warwick (2m, heavy) when second of three behind Le Rocher, though flattered by 2¼L proximity to the easy winner. Plenty to find.

Form: 6-F4902

Shear Rock⁴⁷⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: J E Moore| T: Kerry Lee| OR: 127

7/2

Useful hurdler for Charlie Longsdon, winning three times (all good ground) before a promising second on his chasing debut at Wetherby in October 2016. Not sighted since, so absence obviously a concern as he reappears for a new yard.

Form: 11123/2-

Moontripper²⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 10-9| J: Ben Jones⁽⁷⁾| T: P C Dando| OR: 78

150/1

Did once win a point-to-point in her younger days but has never looked like tasting success in 15 starts over hurdles. Beaten 30L off a lowly mark at Taunton recently and would be a shock winner on her chasing debut.

Form: 8688P0

Non-Runners

Over To Midnight¹³

Weight: 10-9| Age: 8

T: Lady S Brooke J: Miss L Brooke

Forecasts

Report To Base (4/11), Shear Rock (7/2), Muffins For Tea (9/1), Royal Act (33/1), Over To Midnight (66/1), Fact Flow (100/1), Moontripper (150/1)

REPORT TO BASE was the best of these over hurdles and has clearly taken well to fences, though he was denied a visually impressive 'win' at Exeter on New Year's Day due to jockey Adam Wedge wrongly bypassing a fence. With the soft ground again in his favour compensation awaits despite the yard's quiet spell, though Shear Rock wouldn't be a pushover if fully tuned up after a long absence. Muffins For Tea is the clear pick of the remainder.