15:25 Hexham

Saturday 13 October 2018

All13:4014:1514:5015:2516:0016:3517:10

interbet.com For Football Betting Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:25 | Winning time: 6m 55.7s

Born For War¹⁰²

15/8

Unexposed; runner-up on rules chasing debut at Stratford in July (2m6f+, good to firm), beaten 2L by Birch Hill; had wind surgery in the interim and now moves up into open handicap company off a 2lb higher mark.

Form: 3/658-22

Classical Milano^p⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: Jonathon Bewley⁽³⁾| T: G Bewley| OR: 108| CD

13/2

C&D winner in June (off a 2lb lower mark), making all to beat Talkonthestreet by nearly 2L; has came up short in both subsequent starts and needs to prove himself on softer ground (assuming the forecast rain arrives).

Form: P-42173

Knocknamona²⁰¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: Alain Cawley| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 103| D

20/1

Notched a four-timer last winter (2m4f-3m) on soft/heavy ground which included three wins over fences; far less effective in the spring as conditions dried and his handicap mark was at its peak (same as today); trainer saddles three runners.

Form: 111146-

Attention Please^p¹⁵⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: R D Day⁽³⁾| T: R Dobbin| OR: 97

7/1

Won for the third time over fences when beating Carlton Ryan by 2½L at Musselburgh (3m2f, soft) in February (probably unlucky not to have won four on the bounce); handicap mark still feasible and could prove to be a fresh horse for the break.

Form: 1F13P-3

Misfits^t²⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: Blair Campbell⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 95| D

6/1

1-23 career (3m Musselburgh, soft); wide of the mark since finishing runner-up at Carlisle in March (3m2f, good to soft); every possibility that a recent course hurdles spin (3m) will have him sharper today, but in reality it needs to.

Form: 3425-P6

Spinning Scooter^t²⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 10-5| J: Dale Irving⁽³⁾| T: M A Barnes| OR: 88

5/1

17-race maiden (0-5 over fences), but solid enough over this C&D with his best run coming in June when finishing 12L third of four to Tanarpino (novice chase); likely to run fairly well without necessarily breaking the maiden tag.

Form: 4-52334

Eager To Know^p⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 10-0| J: Billy Garritty⁽⁷⁾| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 81| D

5/1

Not the most convincing (18-race rules maiden); lost a shoe when running in snatches and finishing a well held 11¾L third to Jaunty Thor (2m4f, good) here last week; more required from out of the weights; trainer saddles three runners.

Form: 3238P3

Frank The Slink^p,t²⁶

Age: 12| Weight: 10-0| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 80| CD

25/1

Veteran; reliable performer at this track in 2017 (2,3,1), but struggling from halfway and pulled up on return to action here last month; out of the handicap; trainer saddles three runners.

Form: 2/3617-P

Forecasts

Born For War (15/8), Eager To Know (5/1), Spinning Scooter (5/1), Misfits (6/1), Classical Milano (13/2), Attention Please (7/1), Knocknamona (20/1), Frank The Slink (25/1)

The 17-race maiden Spinning Scooter has undoubtedly shown some improvement for going over fences and should run his usual solid race at a track where his trainer Maurice Barnes commonly supplies plenty of winners, whilst the Rose Dobbin-trained Attention Please is probably still fairly handicapped despite a productive season over fences in 2017/18. However, the unexposed topweight BORN FOR WAR ran well on his chasing debut at Stratford in July, has had wind surgery since, and represents a trainer who wouldn't be a regular visitor to Hexham (0-5 since 1993).