16:40 Kelso

Sunday 26 May 2019

All14:0014:3515:0515:3516:0516:4017:15

Cheviot Candle Co Corinthian Spirit 'Grassroots' Hunters' Chase Series Final

Off time: 16:40 | Winning time: 6m 58.30s

Mr Mercurial^t¹¹

Age: 11| Weight: 12-4| J: Mr W B Ramsay⁽⁷⁾| T: Capt W B Ramsay| OR: 129| D

8/15

Arrives seeking a hat-trick in this sphere after two wins at Perth (both 3m, good) in the past month. Didn't have to be close to his best to win easily last time and has strong claims again.

Form: 12301-1

Always Tipsy³²

Age: 10| Weight: 12-1| J: Mr Kit Alexander| T: N W Alexander| OR: 103| C| D

12/1

Has won two under rules, both a chase and a hurdle and returns to this sphere after the best of his three recent hurdles runs. Plenty for him to find, however.

Form: 48P644-

Shimla Dawn¹²

Age: 11| Weight: 12-1| J: Miss E Todd| T: Mrs C Drury| OR: 111

10/1

Won a Musselburgh hunter chase (3m, good) by 15L in February. Well held in both starts over shorter since then, and has a fair bit to prove back over this trip (best form at around 2m4f).

Form: 5/3P1P-4

Streets Of Milan^p1⁵⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 12-1| J: Lily Pinchin⁽⁵⁾| T: C C Pimlott

14/1

Won a Hexham maiden hunter chase a little fortuitously a year ago (3m, good). Won a point in March (in cheekpieces). Held in three others either side of that, but not written off here.

Form: 2/16316-

Afterclass^p⁸

Age: 11| Weight: 11-12| J: Miss Alisa McClung⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs E McEwen| OR: 75

100/1

Just 2-26 in points and 0-15 under rules. Held in a point conditions contest last time and hard to see him being good enough.

Form: 32U-135

Archies Bet¹⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr Gary Beaumont⁽⁷⁾| T: Alistair M Brown

100/1

0-4 under rules and pulled up in his last three starts in points, and most recently a hunter chase. Can only watch.

Form: 7U7/PP-P

Cave Hunter^b²⁸

Age: 12| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr Nick Orpwood⁽⁵⁾| T: Mrs W Hamilton| OR: 104| CD

6/1

Won this race in both 2015 and 2016 and was sent off favourite for the 2017 renewal. Unseated that day and was not seen again until pulled up at Hexham last month. Can't write him off, but bit to prove now.

Form: 24/51P-1

Nine Altars⁸

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: Miss C Dun⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs E Dun| OR: 100

50/1

Has won both over hurdles and in points, but is 0-10 over regulation fences, and reappearance in a Hexham point last week did not suggest that will be changing here.

Form: 3142/1-5

Pena Dorada²⁸

Age: 12| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr Connor Wood⁽⁷⁾| T: A J Brown| OR: 90| C

50/1

Earned the last of his four chase wins in July 2015. Placed numerous times since in chases and points, Form has tailed off in past two years, however, and looks best watched.

Form: 48P/PF-2

Racing Pulse³⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr Jamie Alexander⁽⁷⁾| T: N W Alexander| OR: 109

6/1

Once BHA-rated 139 over fences (in 2016). Those days are firmly in the past, but he arrives in good form from points, having won his last two, so may be able to make some sort of impact.

Form: 866711-

Wayupinthesky^p1⁷⁰

Age: 12| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr N George⁽³⁾| T: Mrs A C Hamilton| OR: 95| CD

50/1

2-11 over fences, including a maiden hunter contest over C&D in 2015. Multiple point winner, including his last run at Friars Haugh in March. Cheekpieces fitted and last year's winning jockey up, so not written off.

Form: 3/37241-

Non-Runners

Black River¹¹

Weight: 11-12| Age: 10

T: W Easterby J: Mr William Easterby

Killer Crow¹¹

Weight: 11-12| Age: 10

T: N W Alexander J: Miss J I Bedi

Forecasts

Mr Mercurial (8/15), Black River (5/1), Racing Pulse (6/1), Cave Hunter (6/1), Shimla Dawn (10/1), Always Tipsy (12/1), Killer Crow (12/1), Streets Of Milan (14/1), Nine Altars (50/1), Pena Dorada (50/1), Wayupinthesky (50/1), Afterclass (100/1), Archies Bet (100/1)

This looks to be a battle for minor honours behind MR MERCURIAL, who has shown already this year that he has the measure of several of these opponents and is the outstanding candidate. The rest of the race is tougher to assess, with Wayupinthesky, Racing Pulse and Streets Of Milan all pointers who could get competitive. Former dual winner Cave Hunter can't be written off just yet, but he failed to show much on his return from a long absence, Black River looks to have clear place claims, while Killer Crow could also go well.