15:00 Kelso

Saturday 7 April 2018

All13:5014:2515:0015:3516:1016:4517:20

Liz Adam Memorial Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:00 | Winning time: 7m 16.11s

Yala Enki²⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Charlie Deutsch| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 152| CD

7/2

Useful form on heavy ground including when the impressive winner of a valuable Grade 3 at Haydock over an extended 3m4f in February. Has run well off this 6lb higher mark on quicker ground since and is one for the shortlist today.

Form: 364F16

Baywing⁴²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-9| J: R D Day⁽³⁾| T: N G Richards| OR: 149

11/2

Winning for the sixth time when successful over an extended 4m at Newcastle (heavy) last time out. Raised 9lb for that success and he looks likely to play a leading role with this drop in trip looks unlikely to inconvenience.

Form: 4-3F531

Wild West Wind^t²³

Age: 9| Weight: 11-4| J: Adrian Heskin| T: T R George| OR: 144

13/2

Failed to complete in three starts since winning at Chepstow (heavy) in December including when refusing to race at Haydock in February. Unseated at an early stage last time out and probably best watched at present.

Form: 13-1FRU

Lake View Lad²⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-13| J: S Mulqueen⁽³⁾| T: N W Alexander| OR: 139| BF

9/1

Winner of two of his six starts so far this season most recently when winning by a short-head over 2m4f at Haydock (heavy) in February. Finished runner-up in a handicap chase at Ayr (soft) last time and stepping up in trip today.

Form: 313212

Seldom Inn^b⁵¹

Age: 10| Weight: 10-13| J: B S Hughes| T: A M Thomson| OR: 139| C

8/1

Finished runner-up over this trip in a heavy ground handicap hurdle here in January but held over fences here subsequently. Worth a check in the market today.

Form: 2P-5323

Smooth Stepper⁴²

Age: 9| Weight: 10-12| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 138

16/1

Impressive winner over an extended 2m7f at Newcastle (soft) in February and probably found out by the trip when finishing sixth behind Baywing there subsequently. Races off a mark 6lb higher than for his latest success.

Form: P-50216

Samstown¹⁰⁸⁵

Age: 11| Weight: 10-6| J: Craig Nichol| T: A C Whillans| OR: 132| CWS

40/1

Grade 2 handicap chase winner at Haydock (3m, heavy) in January 2015. Has had a wind operation since pulling up at Ayr (4m, good) in April of that year and probably best watched on his return from a lengthy absence.

Form: 181P6P/

Chic Name^h²⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-4| J: James Bowen⁽³⁾| T: R Hobson| OR: 130

5/1

Winner of a novice handicap chase at Newbury (good-to-soft) in March last year. Best effort since came when finishing a respectable fifth in a cross-country contest at Cheltenham (3m6f, soft) last month. Leading conditional booked to ride today.

Form: 4417-35

Blakemount⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 10-3| J: Sean Quinlan| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 129| D

12/1

Decent efforts in defeat in the Midlands and Scottish National's last year and likely to have improved for his 22L sixth at Wetherby (3m, soft) on seasonal debut recently.

Form: 41256-6

Harry The Viking^p⁹⁸

Age: 13| Weight: 10-1| J: Rachel McDonald⁽⁷⁾| T: A M Thomson| OR: 127| C| D

10/1

Twice a winner since joining this stable including over 3m2f at Carlisle (good-to-soft) in early November. Fair effort following a 7lb rise when third at Haydock the following month and he returns from a break today.

Form: 7449-13

Forecasts

Yala Enki (7/2), Chic Name (5/1), Baywing (11/2), Wild West Wind (13/2), Seldom Inn (8/1), Lake View Lad (9/1), Harry The Viking (10/1), Blakemount (12/1), Smooth Stepper (16/1), Samstown (40/1)

Last years winner YALA ENKI can defy top weight to register his second victory of 2018 in this competitive looking staying handicap chase. The selection contested a highly competitive contest at Cheltenham last time out and the extra furlong today is also in his favour. Eider Chase winner Baywing is another who performs best on today's forecast heavy ground and he can claim second on this occasion while the lightly weighted Chic Name ran well at Cheltenham last time out and he is taken to finish third today.