Vertem-Very Different Stockbrokers Handicap Chase

Off time: 14:05 | Winning time: 4m 17.7s

Echo Express^p⁹⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 12-1| J: C O'Farrell| T: N G Richards| OR: 102| BF| D

6/4

Promising start over fences with second at Hexham before following up there next. Favourite at Ayr latest but uncharacteristically jumped quite poorly. Given time since by highly respected-yard whose chasers usually jump well so can bounce back.

Form: 67-P214

Gris De Pron^p²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: H Hogarth| OR: 99| D

12/1

Yet to win over fences and although he has some fair form little of that is recent and he reportedly broke blood vessels when tailed off at Leicester latest. Highly risky proposition.

Form: 43P0P7

Frankie Ballou^h¹⁰¹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-8| J: Ross Chapman| T: Miss J E Foster| OR: 95| D

16/1

Climbed the weights following a productive spell at Sedgefield in early 2018; not so encouraging this season (P,6,P) but returns from a short break, so shouldn't be hastily dismissed.

Form: 21-UP6P

Expresstime^t¹⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Sean Quinlan| T: C Grant| OR: 94

15/2

Runner-up both starts in point-to-points with some modest form to her name over fences under Rules. Returned from wind surgery to finish well beaten fourth of five at Kelso and similar effort there latest. More needed.

Form: PF-3244

Alltimegold^p,t⁴²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Charlie Price⁽⁷⁾| T: Tim Vaughan| OR: 87

5/4

Nine-race maiden overall but shown clear promise since going chasing culminating in staying on third of 13 at Chepstow off this handicap mark. Wouldn't need to improve a great deal on that here yet could be capable of such.

Form: 67-9573

Duhallowcountry^b⁹

Age: 13| Weight: 10-0| J: Joe Williamson⁽⁷⁾| T: V Thompson| OR: 71| D

25/1

Rolled back the years with a power-packed late charge in an incident packed race at Sedgefield (2m+, soft) last month although less effective here latest over 2m4f. Record of three from 66 tells a cautionary tale.

Form: 438619

Non-Runners

Black Kettle²¹

Weight: 11-1| Age: 9

T: Micky Hammond J: Alain Cawley

Forecasts

Alltimegold (5/4), Echo Express (6/4), Expresstime (15/2), Black Kettle (10/1), Gris De Pron (12/1), Frankie Ballou (16/1), Duhallowcountry (25/1)

ECHO EXPRESS looks a chaser likely to take considerably higher rank than the majority of these in time and although he jumped poorly last time he will no doubt have had plenty of schooling since so gets the vote. Alltimegold looks likely to have his best days ahead based on his promising start over fences and rates the biggest threat. Frankie Ballou may prove best of the rest.