Shloer Chase (Grade 2) (Registered As The Cheltenham Chase)

Off time: 14:27 | Winning time: 3m 48.4s

Simply Ned⁴²

Age: 11| Weight: 11-6| J: B S Hughes| T: N G Richards| OR: 157| D

10/1

Awarded a Grade 1 contest following interference at Leopardstown last December, but has a penalty to carry for that, and while he will come on for an outing at Kelso last month, faces no easy task here.

Form: 7/2412-4

Le Prezien^t²⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: B J Geraghty| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 156| CD

11/2

Won the Grand Annual at the Festival in March, and made a satisfactory return when second in Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las. Claims with best form, but needs to avoid customary mistakes.

Form: 2381P-2

Sceau Royal²⁹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: D A Jacob| T: A King| OR: 159| CD

6/5

Top-notch novice last term, pick of his form when slamming rivals in Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown in January. Missed spring festivals with a setback, but remains a most exciting prospect over fences.

Form: 9/12111-

Brain Power²²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Aidan Coleman| T: N J Henderson| OR: 155| DWS

5/2

Chasing Sceau Royal when unseating at Sandown in January, and failed to complete more often that not last term. Has a big engine, as Arkle second shows, but hard to support with confidence given jumping issues.

Form: 5/1UF2F-

Forest Bihan^p²¹¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Danny Cook| T: B Ellison| OR: 152| DWS

12/1

Smart chaser these days, and won on last season's return at Kelso, beating Simply Ned at levels. Went backwards subsequently, which tempers confidence, but perhaps best caught fresh.

Form: 1P3416-

Sizing Granite^t²⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-0| J: R Johnson| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 156| D

14/1

Won handicap chase at Newbury in March and better form when sixth in Grade 1 at Punchestown in April. Likely to be fitter for a spin over hurdles at Ffos Las (behind Le Prezien), but opposable on balance of form.

Form: P136-06

Forecasts

Sceau Royal (6/5), Brain Power (5/2), Le Prezien (11/2), Simply Ned (10/1), Forest Bihan (12/1), Sizing Granite (14/1)

SCEAU ROYAL hasn't been seen since the end of January, but he had the measure of Brain Power when winning at Sandown prior to that, and looks a top-class chaser in the making. He can take this on his return with a race-fit Le Prezien perhaps his main danger, although the latter, like Brain Power, has a habit of belting one.