14:10 Wetherby

Wednesday 26 December 2018

All12:0012:3013:0013:3514:1014:4515:20

racingtv.com Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase (Grade 3)

Off time: 14:10 | Winning time: 6m 24.90s

Baywing²⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: R D Day| T: N G Richards| OR: 149| CD

16/1

Former C&D winner of the Towton who underlined his ability on very testing ground when landing the Eider last season. 9lb higher, so more needed, but should again be a player.

Form: F5312-7

Lake View Lad²⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: Henry Brooke| T: N W Alexander| OR: 147| C

5/1

Thrashed Baywing recently in the Listed Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle, for which he has gone up 8lb. Relishes testing ground and will need another career-best to win from this mark, but not ruled out.

Form: 32123-1

Wakanda¹⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 147| C| D

11/2

Soft ground winner of Doncaster Listed event in January, when 2lb lower. Goes well here. Recent hurdles spin should have him spot on and he is likely to make a bold bid from the front.

Form: 521P0-5

Crievehill¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Jamie Bargary| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 145

14/1

Goes well on soft ground. Best form over fences all at 2m4f, so has stamina to prove and that will be tested to the full here.

Form: 4212-26

Allysson Monterg^t²⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: A Nicol| T: R Hobson| OR: 142| D

11/2

Won readily at Perth (3m, soft) in April, when 5lb lower. May well have needed his reappearance in the Ladbrokes Trophy, and not written off here.

Form: 7/1P31-7

Crosspark²²

Age: 8| Weight: 10-13| J: R T Dunne| T: Mrs Caroline Bailey| OR: 136| D

9/2

Arrives in really good form after wins at Uttoxeter and Southwell (hurdle), both on good to soft. Up another 7lb here, so more needed, but probably has the ability to get involved.

Form: 43-4411

Captain Chaos^b²⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-10| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 133| CD

7/2

Beaten less than 3L by Lake View Lad in the Rehearsal Chase last time, and now 5lb better off with that reopposing rival. Conditions suit and trainer knows what it take to win this. Should be thereabouts.

Form: 15-0082

Takingrisks³²

Age: 9| Weight: 10-9| J: Danny McMenamin⁽⁷⁾| T: N G Richards| OR: 132| D

5/1

Returned from a break with a 3m½f hurdle win at Ayr (good) last month, and went close back over fences at Haydock last time. This looks tougher, but he is far from ruled out.

Form: 213-512

Forecasts

Captain Chaos (7/2), Crosspark (9/2), Lake View Lad (5/1), Takingrisks (5/1), Wakanda (11/2), Allysson Monterg (11/2), Crievehill (14/1), Baywing (16/1)

A competitive heat, as it should be, and it is hard to put a line through anything. Baywing is a very tough stayer on testing ground and he should give a good account, with Lake View Lad clearly one to respect after his Eider win. He beat CAPTAIN CHAOS there, but Dan Skelton's seven-year-old is 5lb better off and can turn the tables this time. Wakanda would be a popular winner and that is no forlorn hope, with a typically positive Danny Cook ride the likely scenario, while Crosspark is still going the right way and is saddled by a trainer who does well on her visits here.