John Dudgeon Trophy (Grassroots Hunters' Chase)

Off time: 16:46 | Winning time: 6m 38.20s

Cultram Abbey²⁰

Age: 11| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr John Dawson| T: N G Richards| OR: 139| D

4/6

Useful sort who has gone well in several hunter chases this season although he is proving expensive to follow. Not as his best last time at Kelso and unsuited by the way the race was run; chance to get back to form here.

Form: P12223

Fago^h,t³⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: Alex Chadwick⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs L Coltherd| OR: 134

6/4

Lightly-raced and looked to have some problems when he was with Paul Nicholls although he did show some useful chase form. Recent point-to-point winner at Overton (2m4f) when coming home unchallenged by 26L.

Form: P/96PP-1

Molten Brown^p⁷⁶

Age: 13| Weight: 11-12| J: Miss C Dun⁽⁷⁾| T: Tony Hogarth| OR: 95| D

11/1

Successful four times in point-to-points although he's been pulled-up on his last two efforts in that sphere. Most of his hunter chase form is fairly ordinary and he faces a stiff task here.

Form: 4-145PP

Result Amended

Fago - Original Position 3rd. Amended Position 2nd.

Molten Brown - Original Position 2nd. Amended Position 3rd.

Non-Runners

Auldthunder²

Weight: 11-12| Age: 11

T: T Reed J: Mr Kit Alexander

Forecasts

Cultram Abbey (4/6), Fago (6/4), Molten Brown (11/1), Auldthunder (25/1)

Despite there being four runners this can basically be boiled down to a match between FAGO and Cultram Abbey. The former gets the marginal vote after impressing with a recent thumping 26L victory in a point-to-point under today’s rider while the latter has started to become rather expensive to follow of late. Neither of the other two have the form to win this without mishaps to the leading duo although Molten Brown is marginally preferred for the minor placing.