Watch Sky Sports Racing HD On Sky415 Novices' Chase

Off time: 12:26 | Winning time: 4m 6.7s

Hawk High^p²³

Age: 9| Weight: 11-6| J: B S Hughes| T: T D Easterby| OR: 132| D

5/2

Finished behind both Cool Mix and Ravenhill Road over C&D (good to soft) last month, so difficult to envisage those placings being reversed on similar terms.

Form: 088/314

Reverant Cust^t²⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-6| J: Henry Brooke| T: P Atkinson| OR: 124| CD

11/2

Fair hurdler who is versatile in terms of ground conditions and did well to make a winning chasing debut at Catterick (2m3f+, good) in November; less effective in a stronger race since and this is also competitive.

Form: 1226-1P

Cool Mix^h²³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Sean Quinlan| T: I Jardine| OR: 128| D

1/2

Runner-up on his first three starts over fences (2m-2m3f+) but arguably produced his best effort so far when finishing a keeping on ¾L second to Reivers Lad (Ravenhill Road third) over C&D last month; sounder surface ideal.

Form: 151-222

Shepherd Storm²³

Age: 9| Weight: 11-0| J: Callum Bewley| T: C Grant

200/1

Tailed-off on chasing debut over C&D last month and holds no conceivable chance against plenty of re-opposing rivals; in a private battle with Uncle Bobby.

Form: 95/9

Uncle Bobby²³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: Harry Bannister| T: M & D Easterby

100/1

Sprinter on the Flat; tailed-off (250/1) on chasing debut over C&D last month and holds no conceivable chance against plenty of re-opposing rivals; in a private battle with Shepherd Storm.

Form: 8

Non-Runners

Ravenhill Road²³

Weight: 11-0| Age: 8

T: B Ellison J: Danny Cook

Forecasts

Cool Mix (1/2), Ravenhill Road (13/8), Hawk High (5/2), Reverant Cust (11/2), Uncle Bobby (100/1), Shepherd Storm (200/1)

Almost a virtual re-run of a novices' chase which took place here on December 13th with five of the six declared runners having competed in that race. Ravenhill Road has always been held in high regard by Brian Ellison, but it is worrying that a weak finish in that race was possibly as a result of a burst blood vessel. Therefore, with no further rain forecast and conditions promising to be ideal for the grey COOL MIX, the Iain Jardine trained 7yo is strongly fancied to break his chasing duck at the fourth attempt.