bet365 Handicap Chase

Off time: 16:10 | Winning time: 4m 42.20s

Brave Spartacus³⁶

Age: 12| Weight: 11-10| J: B S Hughes| T: G Boanas| OR: 120| C| D

7/2

Veteran; hasn't won a race since August 2017, and was pulled-up after weakening from the seventh fence in a repeat bid at Cartmel (2m5f, soft) 36 days ago; handicap mark steadily easing; likely to race prominently (faces competition).

Form: 7-53P5P

Oak Vintage¹²⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-9| J: Ross Chapman⁽³⁾| T: Mrs A Hamilton| OR: 119| BF| C

3/1

Got his act together over fences last season, winning four times from February onward (2m-2m1f), including twice at this track; poor effort when last in competitive action in May (Kelso), so has a fraction to prove on return over a longer trip.

Form: 31P1-16

Nicolas Chauvin^p⁷¹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-7| J: Henry Brooke| T: James Moffatt| OR: 117

17/2

Suited by the way the race unfolded (held up) when winning at Wetherby in October 2017 (1m7f); bitterly disappointing thereafter, slipping back down the weights; possible he'll be better fresh and there's no shortage of early pace in this race.

Form: 136-784

Gris De Pron^t²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: H Hogarth| OR: 110

7/2

Brought his record over fences to a rather uninspiring 0-7 when beaten almost 20L (third) by Peppay Le Pugh over 2m here last month; dropped a further 2lb since, with little lost by attempting to race over this longer trip.

Form: F-35443

Ever So Much^p¹³

Age: 9| Weight: 11-0| J: R P McLernon| T: B Haslam| OR: 110| C

85/40

Multiple chase winner whose last two successes came back-to-back at Hexham (2m4f, good) in the summer. However, whilst also fully effective at this track, he's now 19lb higher than when beating Rock Of Leon by a neck here (2m5f, good) in April.

Form: 411725

Forecasts

Ever So Much (85/40), Oak Vintage (3/1), Brave Spartacus (7/2), Gris De Pron (7/2), Nicolas Chauvin (17/2)

A difficult to solve handicap chase, in which there's likely to be plenty of competition for the early lead with a number of the runners, including Brave Spartacus and Oak Vintage happy to stride on early. Similar race tactics benefited NICHOLAS CHAUVIN when he last visited the winners enclosure at Wetherby in October 2017 (good), and although bitterly disappointing since, he could be worth chancing at forecast rewarding double figure odds.