Enhanced Place Odds At 188Bet Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:55 | Winning time: 5m 27.80s

Caraline^p,t¹⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 12-1| J: Mr Joe Wright⁽⁷⁾| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 122

9/1

Appeared to hang fire when a 1L runner up to Dresden at Wetherby latest (1m7f heavy). That said; she appreciates heavy ground and stays this longer trip, but generally does all of her winning for Joe Colliver.

Form: PF-4132

Major Hindrance⁴⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Dave Crosse| T: Henry Oliver| OR: 119| BF

9/4

Half-brother to Welsh National winner Monbeg Dude and similarly suited to boggy conditions, so this stamina test looks anything but a hindrance. At his best when winning at Exeter on New Years Day (2m3f heavy), but will require a strong gallop.

Form: 1-9B313

Whitsundays^t³⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 119

17/2

Fair bolted up at Kelso in January (2m1f heavy), despite lacking mid-race pace. Very easy to back at Newcastle under a 7lb penalty just 5-days later and ran deplorably. A further 3lb higher now, but the longer trip is a plus.

Form: 1-32215

Never Up¹⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 117| CD

4/1

Impressive from the front when scoring by 1L over C&D in mid-October, but has arguably slightly under-performed since. Didn't stay in a stronger contest here latest (3m+), and his rider will need to finely judge the pace to maximise his chances.

Form: 14P32P

Grove Silver^b1²⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 11-4| J: Sean Quinlan| T: J Candlish| OR: 111| CD

13/8

In with every chance when falling late on at Ludlow (3m1f+) on his penultimate start, and took this contest by 8L from a 7lb higher mark in 2017 on his last visit to Carlisle. Blinkered, and could race prominently at his favoured venue.

Form: 5-973F4

Forecasts

Grove Silver (13/8), Major Hindrance (9/4), Never Up (4/1), Whitsundays (17/2), Caraline (9/1)

Another small field, but not the type of race in which you'd hastily dismiss any of the runners. Both NEVER UP and Grove Silver are previous C&D winners; with the latter successful in this contest in 2017, and are likely to be the early pace angles. Theoretically, this should suit the often outpaced pair of Whitsundays and Major Hindrance. However, such was the visually pleasing manner of Never Up's October victory, we'll give him one more chance from a fair mark and hope that the experienced Danny Cook can get the fractions spot on from the front end.