16:00 Leicester

Tuesday 26 February 2019

All14:0014:3015:0015:3016:0016:30

Squire Osbaldeston Handicap Chase

Off time: 16:00 | Winning time: 5m 44.80s

Over The Arch⁷⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: A Glassonbury| T: R Rowe| OR: 100

7/1

Yet to win a race and has not really looked like doing so. Respectable effort two starts ago, in an Exeter beginners' chase, but not easy to fancy him from 3lb lower in a handicap.

Form: 74-F84P

Nomination Game^h³⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: J M Quinlan| T: R Dickin| OR: 93

4/1

Still early days over fences for this maiden who was beaten under 3L here over 2m4f (good to firm) two starts ago, when on this mark. Pulled up when too keen over this trip last time, so has that to shrug off, but not ruled out.

Form: 64352P

Polo The Mumm^b,h,t³⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 10-11| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: Alexandra Dunn| OR: 85

8/1

1-16 over fences, having broke his duck at Wincanton at the 14th attempt (2m4f, good) in November, when 5lb lower. Way below that form in both runs since, but could get more competitive again after latest 2lb drop.

Form: 064147

Midnight Mustang^p⁶²

Age: 12| Weight: 10-7| J: Jordan Nailor⁽⁷⁾| T: Andrew Martin| OR: 81| C

5/1

Dual winner here, one of them on this card over 2m4f two years ago. Goes on any ground and is 3lb higher than when scoring at Southwell (3m1½f, good to soft) two starts back. A similar effort would give him claims.

Form: 490415

Cranbrook Causeway^b,t1⁴⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 10-6| J: Lily Pinchin⁽⁷⁾| T: D Killahena & G McPherson| OR: 80

3/1

Another chasing maiden in the field. Would have a squeak based on his autumn runs at Bangor and Hereford from higher marks, but well held in three starts since. New headgear combination could help, but has a bit to prove.

Form: P-544U5

Waitinonasunnyday³⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-0| J: J J Burke| T: M Blake| OR: 72

6/1

Nine-race maiden who is 0-2 over fences. Well beaten over 2m at Hereford on last month's chase debut and pulled up when stepped up to 2m3½f at Chepstow last time. 2lb 'wrong' and others preferred.

Form: 52-764P

Daveron^p³⁰

Age: 11| Weight: 10-0| J: Edward Austin⁽⁷⁾| T: R J Price| OR: 69

10/1

2-18 over fences, those wins coming back-to-back over 2m4f on soft in early 2016, when with Jeremy Scott. Peak effort this season, when a close third at Taunton, would give him each-way claims, but little encouragement since.

Form: PP635P

The Jugopolist^b⁴⁰

Age: 12| Weight: 10-0| J: Patrick Cowley⁽⁵⁾| T: J R Cornwall| OR: 64| C

25/1

2-51 over fences, both wins being at Huntingdon over 2m7½f on good to soft a couple of seasons ago. 10lb 'wrong' here and has shown precious little to get us interested this season.

Form: 4UP796

Forecasts

Cranbrook Causeway (3/1), Nomination Game (4/1), Midnight Mustang (5/1), Waitinonasunnyday (6/1), Over The Arch (7/1), Polo The Mumm (8/1), Daveron (10/1), The Jugopolist (25/1)

Very mediocre fayre where NOMINATION GAME is given another chance after racing too keenly over this C&D last time. Hopefully he can respond better to the hood, and if so there could be improvement in him. Polo The Mumm is bolstered by the presence of Sam Twiston-Davies, and should be more competitive from this mark, while Midnight Mustang and Cranbrook Causeway are not written off.