Murrayshall House Hotel Novices' Handicap Chase

Off time: 18:35 | Winning time: 3m 56.0s

Im Too Generous^t⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Nathan Moscrop⁽⁵⁾| T: R Menzies| OR: 102| D

15/8

Nursed back to health this Generous gelding is a fine testament to the training skills of Sedgefield handler Rebecca Menzies; seeks a hat-trick following hurdle wins at Musselburgh and Ayr (2m4f); belated chasing debut.

Form: 53/PP1-1

Little Stevie⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: Sam Coltherd⁽³⁾| T: Mrs Stella Barclay| OR: 97| D

6/4

Absolutely hacked up when springing a 20/1 surprise in a moderate 2m CJ's handicap hurdle at Worcester (good to soft) last week; switches back to fences off the same mark as a 12-race chasing maiden.

Form: 82955-1

Make It Happen^p²⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 11-7| J: Blair Campbell⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 97

18/1

Bounced right back to form in a small-field handicap hurdle at Kelso (2m2f, good to soft) last month, in a race where stablemate and hot favourite Royal Reserve flopped; beaten here off a 6lb higher mark since; poor over fences in 2016 (0-2).

Form: 3P0P18-

Felix Mendelssohn^b²²

Age: 8| Weight: 10-12| J: Sean Quinlan| T: W Coltherd| OR: 88| BF

4/1

Difficult to win with over hurdles (0-14); finished a 7L runner up to the veteran First Of Never at Sedgefield (2m1f, good) three-weeks ago; set to line up for chasing debut.

Form: 596672-

Moores Novelty^h1,t²⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-6| J: Lucy Alexander| T: N W Alexander| OR: 82

12/1

Hasn't shown a great deal of ability under rules (0-7 over hurdles), but he did manage to win a 3m Open Maiden PTP at Friars Haugh (good) in March; wears a hood on this occasion (and a tongue-tie); rules chasing debut.

Form: 4PPP12-

Non-Runners

Carlingford Prince⁹⁸

Weight: 11-1| Age: 10

T: T Reed J: Harry Reed

Forecasts

Little Stevie (6/4), Im Too Generous (15/8), Felix Mendelssohn (4/1), Moores Novelty (12/1), Carlingford Prince (14/1), Make It Happen (18/1)

A number of those declared are chasing newcomers, and of the remainder with previous experience over fences their respective form-lines don't exactly stack up positively. However, it should be noted that Little Stevie hasn't been in the care of Stella Barclay for long, and he absolutely hacked up in a weak handicap hurdle at Worcester last week so could be capable of continuing to progress. That said, the undoubted class act is the delicate I'M TOO GENEROUS who in seeking a hat-trick serves a fine testament to the training skills of Rebecca Menzies. Granted a safe round of fencing on chasing debut, he rates as the preferred option.