Ashleybank Investments Reg & Betty Tweedie Handicap Chase

Off time: 16:10 | Winning time: 4m 12.1s

Reverant Cust^p1,t¹¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Henry Brooke| T: P Atkinson| OR: 117

6/1

Useful hurdler who made a winning start to his chasing career over 2f further at Catterick (back from a break). Switched between novice events and handicaps in four starts since (made little impact); cheekpieces now on first-time; progress needed.

Form: 6-1P334

Alizee De Janeiro^p²¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: D R Fox| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 117| CD

4/1

Course specialist, successful five times here (two over C&D) who has looked better than ever this year; won four of her six starts. Jumping not always without a blemish but gets the job done; regular rider back on but up another 2lb, respected.

Form: 1P1131

Fair Loch³²

Age: 11| Weight: 11-8| J: B S Hughes| T: B Ellison| OR: 113| D

7/1

Dropped well below his last winning mark but on current form looks unlikely to take advantage; very rarely finishing a race off at all. Ran a typical race last time at Wetherby making little impression after travelling well; others appeal more.

Form: 63-75P6

Diamond Rock⁶⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: Rachel McDonald⁽⁵⁾| T: A M Thomson| OR: 105| D

7/4

Trainer no great record with first-time stable switchers but he does inherit a well handicapped type, albeit one who has only completed once in his last five starts. Has won over fences but still needs to prove his wellbeing (poor when last seen).

Form: 2P-P2FP

Budarri^p²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: Sam Coltherd⁽³⁾| T: W Coltherd| OR: 104

7/2

Enlivened of late by a change of tactics taking to front-running very well; scoring at Newcastle and Carlisle. Taken well to chasing overall but will have to cope with a slight rise in grade plus a rise in the weights to complete his hat-trick.

Form: 392311

Expresstime^t²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: Sean Quinlan| T: C Grant| OR: 98

16/1

Runner-up both starts in point-to-points with some modest form to her name over fences under Rules. Returned from wind surgery last time to beat just one home here over 2m6f (had run of the race); drops to a career-low mark.

Form: 3PF-324

Non-Runners

Halcyon Days¹⁷

Weight: 11-12| Age: 10

T: R Menzies J: C O'Farrell

Forecasts

Diamond Rock (7/4), Halcyon Days (11/4), Budarri (7/2), Alizee De Janeiro (4/1), Reverant Cust (6/1), Fair Loch (7/1), Expresstime (16/1)

Very few that you can totally write off here and course specialist Alizee De Janeiro has to have a decent chance of adding to her already stellar course record after her battling win here last time. Budarri appears to have enjoyed the change of tactics but he’ll have to pull out extra to score with Diamond Rock an interesting debutante for the Thomson yard despite his rather uninspiring form figures. HALCYON DAYS has defied the handicapper on a few occasions now and this may well be another with this race looking to be run at a pace that will suit him and his run style.