MKM Building Supplies Balnakeilly Chase (Novices' Limited Handicap)

Off time: 15:30 | Winning time: 5m 17.65s

Ballyarthur^t¹⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-8| J: Jamie Bargary| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 129| D

5/2

Fine stamp of a chaser, but has had physical problems (burst blood vessels), and was running out of chances prior to showing a game attitude to score at Uttoxeter latest (2m4f heavy). Up 3lb; but can he string together back-to-back solid efforts?

Form: 2-3P231

Highland Fling^t²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: J B Kane⁽⁵⁾| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 128| D

5/1

Room for improvement based upon what we've witnessed over fences thus far, but it's early days still, and he's a five time career winner (Flat and hurdles). Stays this trip and interesting to see how he fares in Scotland.

Form: 1900F6

Bollin Ace^p²⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: Henry Brooke| T: T D Easterby| OR: 127| D

3/1

Won a weak race at Leicester in early March (2m heavy), but has coped well enough for the switch to fences for a horse who had fallen on two of his last three hurdles starts. Versatile trip wise (2m-2m5f).

Form: F42152

Some Are Lucky^p¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: P J Brennan| T: T R George| OR: 124| BF| D

15/8

Took advantage of a below par effort from Ballyarthur to break his chasing duck at Leicester in January (2m6f+ soft), but that form isn't anything to go overboard about, and he disappointed next time at Wincanton (6/4f).

Form: 28P132

Fly Rory Fly^t²⁶⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Lucy Alexander| T: N W Alexander| OR: 119

22/1

Milan gelding who was a 2m6f Downpatrick maiden hurdle scorer for Noel Meade in May. Things haven't quite gone his way since switched to fencing, and moved on for £25,000 in September 2017. Early days, so potentially much more to offer over fences.

Form: 9-13F29

Imperial Prince⁸¹

Age: 9| Weight: 10-3| J: C O'Farrell| T: I A Duncan| OR: 103

40/1

A dual winning hurdler when with Sandy Thomson, but he's shown very little in four runs for this yard so far. Dropped a further 4lb since his latest start in early February, but unconvincing over fences until he demonstrates otherwise.

Form: 11/P9P7

Non-Runners

Calivigny¹

Weight: 10-3| Age: 9

T: N W Alexander J: B S Hughes

Alizee De Janeiro⁴¹

Weight: 10-3| Age: 8

T: Miss Lucinda V Russell J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Some Are Lucky (15/8), Ballyarthur (5/2), Bollin Ace (3/1), Highland Fling (5/1), Alizee De Janeiro (12/1), Calivigny (14/1), Fly Rory Fly (22/1), Imperial Prince (40/1)

A winnable contest with the strapping, but fragile and risky Ballyarthur at the head of the weights for Nigel Twiston-Davies. He under-performed when beaten by Some Are Lucky at Leicester in January, and could gain his revenge on that rival if able to post a second successive solid effort. However, Nick Alexander sports a decent hand with the former Noel Meade trained Fly Rory Fly switched across the Irish Sea, and the very competitively handicapped CALIVIGNY partnered by Brian Hughes. This nine-year-old remains a maiden over fences, but 2m4f on soft (good to soft) ground at a right-handed track suits him best, so he should have conditions in his favour here.