Best Wishes To Shelley Johnstone Novices' Chase

Off time: 18:15 | Winning time: 3m 54.90s

Nietzsche³⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Henry Brooke| T: B Ellison| OR: 134| CD

6/5

Quality handicap hurdler that has made a solid start to his chasing career, easy C&D winner in chasing debut here in June and ran just as well in defeat on latest start. Jumping could do with improvement but that may come here.

Form: 103-012

Tonto's Spirit^h³⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: C O'Farrell| T: Mrs Dianne Sayer| OR: 128| D

2/1

Useful handicap hurdler at best, already a winner over fences when winning a little event at Cartmel in May but a bit below par back over hurdles on latest start. Bit to do at these weights and probably needs to improve again a bit.

Form: 1325-10

Desert Island Dusk^t²⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: Thomas Dowson| T: M A Barnes| D

20/1

Four wins in 45 starts over hurdles, has been running respectably this summer without looking threatening and will need plenty more on his belated chasing debut here. Hard to fancy.

Form: 226F-24

Go Guarantor^t⁴¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Craig Nichol| T: R M Smith| OR: 84

200/1

No win in 23 starts and hardly bred for the job he's being asked to do here. Moderate over hurdles and difficult to make any sort of case for him here.

Form: 229PPP-

Innocent Touch²⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-2| J: R Johnson| T: H D Daly| OR: 132| BF| D

3/1

Very useful hurdler when the ground is on the quickish side, has had two chase starts this summer and hasn't really convinced that chasing will yet be his game, but early days and getting 6lb from Nietzche, will be a threat if he gets it together.

Form: 151F-33

Forecasts

Nietzsche (6/5), Tonto's Spirit (2/1), Innocent Touch (3/1), Desert Island Dusk (20/1), Go Guarantor (200/1)

Three in with realistic chances of taking this but all three have some sort of question mark against them. Innocent Touch has the ability if he can get his jumping act together and the 6lb he receives from the top two is very welcome, but he is yet to convince over fences and needs to cut out the mistakes. Nietschze has a touch of class about him but again, is yet to totally convince that fences are his bag, and with that, TONTO'S SPIRIT, who at the weights has a bit to find with the other pair, might be able to put his more proven jumping ability to good use and make all. He's taken to pull off a minor shock.