Happy New Year From Paxtons Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:22 | Winning time: 6m 58.5s

Crank Em Up³⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: J Kington| T: S G West| OR: 110

5/1

Placed on first two starts for this yard and finished a fair 24L fourth over an extended 3m6f at Exeter (soft) last time out. Drop back in distance shouldn't inconvenience.

Form: 4PP-324

Chase The Wind²⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 11-9| J: Sean Quinlan| T: Miss J E Foster| OR: 107

11/1

Handicap mark is falling following some below par efforts of late including when 27L sixth over an extended 2m4f at Southwell (soft) last month. Market support would be notable.

Form: 215/656

Sideways^p¹⁰^{(ex 7)}

Age: 8| Weight: 11-7| J: Nick Scholfield| T: Christian Williams| OR: 98

15/8

Improving with racing since joining this yard and recorded a first Rules success when winning by 5L at Fakenham (2m5f, good) earlier this month. Cheekpieces worn for the first time that day are retained racing off a 7lb higher mark.

Form: 2/30631

Nortonthorpelegend⁷^{(ex 7)}

Age: 9| Weight: 11-6| J: Aaron Anderson⁽⁷⁾| T: R Menzies| OR: 97| CD

15/8

Bidding to complete a hat-trick following wins at Catterick (3m1f, good-to-soft) and over this trip at Wetherby (good-to-soft) last time out. One for the shortlist under a promising amateur pilot.

Form: PPP611

Conas Taoi^p¹⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 10-13| J: P J Brennan| T: Christian Williams| OR: 97| D

8/1

Pulled up on three of his four starts for this yard including over 3m1f at Wincanton (good-to-soft) last month. Races off a mark 16lb lower than for his most recent victory.

Form: 53/PP8P

Overtheedge^p1³

Age: 10| Weight: 10-9| J: Henry Brooke| T: S G West| OR: 93

33/1

Pulled up on his two most recent starts and hopes seem to lie with this step up in distance and application of cheekpieces (first time) bringing about a revival.

Form: 3P4-0PP

Non-Runners

Cabragh²⁵

Weight: 11-7| Age: 10

T: C J Mann J: Jonathan England

Mcginty's Dream²²

Weight: 10-1| Age: 8

T: N W Alexander J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Sideways (15/8), Nortonthorpelegend (15/8), Mcginty's Dream (11/4), Crank Em Up (5/1), Conas Taoi (8/1), Cabragh (10/1), Chase The Wind (11/1), Overtheedge (33/1)

SIDEWAYS impressed in winning at Fakenham recently and representing a stable with a 33% strike-rate (2/6) in recent weeks he is taken to follow up in this staying handicap chase. Hat-trick seeking Nortonthorpelegend looks capable of claiming second while the well handicapped Conas Taoi, a stablemate of the selection can put some moderate efforts behind him to finish third.