Pete's Dragons Handicap Chase

Off time: 14:30 | Winning time: 5m 15.6s

Field Exhibition^h³

Age: 9| Weight: 12-0| J: Ben Jones⁽⁷⁾| T: G Harris| OR: 122| CD

5/1

Makes a rapid return to fences having run poorly over hurdles last time (too free); now back at the scene of her last chase run (resulted in a C&D win). 8lb higher than that win he'll need to settle better; requires a career-best to triumph.

Form: 1656-14

Al Shahir^h1,t⁴¹

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 122

4/1

Yet to win over fences his form in this discipline looks a little ragged although he faces an easier task than he did over 2m here last time. Still has room for some improvement in his jumping; hood goes on for the first-time, unproven at this trip.

Form: P/4P-F23

As You Like³³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: R P McLernon| T: J & A O'Neill| OR: 120| CD

3/1

Consistent sort now that he's found his feet over fences going 112221 in this sphere since emerging from a break last summer. Resumed winning ways over C&D last time despite doing plenty wrong (had the run of the race); jumping needs to improve.

Form: 1122-21

Bramble Brook^b,t¹¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: H Cobden| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 120| BF

4/1

Quirky sort who tends to find one too good (proved that point the last twice over C&D, runner-up both times). Needs to reverse form with two of this field (As You Like/Field Exhibition); holding form well but hard to be confident for win purposes.

Form: 93-2322

Court Duty²⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: R Johnson| T: J L Flint| OR: 118| BF| CD

5/2

Thriving over fences since returning from a break in April winning twice since, once over C&D (bold display, jumped well) off a 7lb lower mark. Looked held when falling last time out; hard to rule out on his earlier body of work over fences.

Form: 4-2211F

Spring Steel^t¹⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 11-3| J: Adam Wedge| T: Alexandra Dunn| OR: 111| C

20/1

Completed a chasing hat-trick in 2016 (all wins off lower marks than here), failed to win after that but generally ran with credit. Returned from a break/wind op (off two years) with a win at Uttoxeter; badly hampered (lost chance) only start since.

Form: 5282/16

Non-Runners

Cropley³⁰

Weight: 10-0| Age: 10

T: D Burchell J: S Bowen

Forecasts

Court Duty (5/2), As You Like (3/1), Bramble Brook (4/1), Al Shahir (4/1), Field Exhibition (5/1), Cropley (12/1), Spring Steel (20/1)

Pluses and minuses can be found for most of the runners in a field that contains three C&D winners. Field Exhibition and As You Like both hold a decision over the quirky Bramble Brook and should be able to confirm that form given their greater tenacity within a race and at the finish. COURT DUTY put in one of his best rounds of jumping when winning over C&D so a return here may well help him over a rare fall last time; he still looks nicely weighted. Spring Steel is worth another chance to confirm his comeback form while Cropley isn’t totally out of this based on his comeback effort at Stratford.