Copefield Construction Ltd Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Chase

Off time: 16:50 | Winning time: 5m 40.9s

Smuggler's Blues¹⁷⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: Lorcan Williams| T: T R George| OR: 117

5/1

Earned first career win at the eighth attempt (fourth run over fences) when winning by a short-head at Bangor-on-dee (2m4f; good) on final run of last season. Open to more improvement on seasonal return off 6lb higher and is a definite candidate.

Form: 3/84571-

Joueur Bresilien²⁷⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: Jack Tudor⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss R Curtis| OR: 117| C

3/1

Pulled-up when last seen at Wincanton (2m4f; good) in January. Now makes seasonal return, and has a C&D novice hurdle win to his name. However, he is 0-7 over fences and has something to prove on this comeback.

Form: 741S4P-

Twasn't The Plan^h,t²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-13| J: C Brace| T: Tim Vaughan| OR: 116

6/1

Lightly raced, consistent sort who almost made the perfect transition to fences at Warwick (2m; good to soft). Up 4lb but the step up in trip should bring about more improvement, and he is a massive player.

Form: 334232

Greybougg³⁸

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: Tom Buckley⁽⁵⁾| T: N J Hawke| OR: 115

14/1

Finished 34-length behind Beni Light at Uttoxeter (2m4f; good) last time out. That was his seasonal reappearance so he could get closer to that rival, but unlikely to reverse the form. Not fancied.

Form: 5P/93U-5

Alf 'n' Dor⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-3| J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.| T: P & M Bowen| OR: 106| C

7/1

Extremely hard to fancy after finishing last of nine and then pulling up (four days ago) on his last two starts. Yard have had 27 runners since their last winner and he seems best to oppose for now.

Form: 341-39P

Beni Light¹⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 10-10| J: Ben Jones⁽³⁾| T: D A Rees| OR: 99| BF

5/4

Carried good run of form from point-to-points into rules races this year, with a win and two second's to his name since switching back to this code. Second at Bangor-on-dee (2m1f; soft) last time, but may have bumped into a well-handicapped sort.

Form: 2-11122

Non-Runners

Blazing Tom⁹³

Weight: 11-5| Age: 8

T: Christian Williams J: Shane Quinlan

Forecasts

Beni Light (5/4), Joueur Bresilien (3/1), Smuggler's Blues (5/1), Twasn't The Plan (6/1), Alf 'n' Dor (7/1), Blazing Tom (10/1), Greybougg (14/1)

It is hard to knock the consistency of the David Rees-trained Beni Light who has maintained his excellent run of consistency since returning to rules races. However, he has been a bit underwhelming the last twice (turned over at short-odds on both occasions) and so can only be fancied to place at best. For win purposes, this looks to concern the unexposed pair of TWASN'T THE PLAN & Smuggler's Blues. The former ran a terrific race on his chase debut when only beaten a short-head & can break his duck at the eighth attempt. The latter will push him all the way after he won over this trip when successful at the fourth attempt over fences on his final run of last season.