Matchbook Casino Handicap Chase

Off time: 17:00 | Winning time: 6m 11.3s

Leith Hill Lad^e/s1²²

Age: 9| Weight: 12-0| J: Paul O'Brien⁽³⁾| T: C E Longsdon| OR: 117| CD

6/1

Still 4lb higher than when winning over C&D (soft) in April 2018 despite showing precious little more latterly (pulled up the last twice); wears newly applied eye-shields.

Form: 1/355P-P

Net De Treve⁹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: J J Burke| T: T R George| OR: 115

11/2

Uttoxeter maiden hurdle winner (2m4f, good); is yet to excel over fences (0-2); was never travelling or jumping when pulled up at the same Staffordshire venue in July; off since (for 95 days).

Form: 5175-3P

Vendredi Trois^p⁵⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: Adam Wedge| T: Miss E C Lavelle| OR: 115

9/2

Consistent at or around 3m for the vast majority of last season (without winning); 8lb above his last winning mark (Worcester, June 2018); others appears more likely.

Form: 32-2586

Guerrilla Tactics³⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 11-8| J: Nick Scholfield| T: J Scott| OR: 111| D

7/2

Probably need the run at Newton Abbot in August (his first start for nine months); much better when beaten less than 2L by Gardiners Hill in a CJ's handicap hurdle (3m2f+, good) there since; heads back over fences (1-8 under rules).

Form: 2174-52

Ballycrystal Court^p,t³²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Nathan Moscrop⁽³⁾| T: R Menzies| OR: 107

15/2

Ran in snatches but did enough to score at Market Rasen (2m5f, good) on his penultimate start; has finished in the ruck off this mark at Kelso since; a rare jumps runner here for the Sedgefield handler Rebecca Menzies (0-1).

Form: 53-3616

Land League^p,t¹⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: C Gethings| T: S Edmunds| OR: 107| D

3/1

Never fluent and always on the back foot when a laboured 12L second to Elkstone at Huntingdon (2m4f, good) 18 days ago; steps back up in trip which may suit; that said, no win since September 2017 (when rated 10lb higher).

Form: 4-35222

Fr Humphrey^b,t⁵²

Age: 11| Weight: 10-13| J: James Best| T: N P Mulholland| OR: 102| D

20/1

Inconsistent; won three-times over fences in Ireland (2m5f-3m1f); made it third-time lucky for Neil Mulholland when reverting to hurdles and turning over the 30-100f Victarion in a three-runner Fontwell novices' hurdle (2m6f good to firm) in August.

Form: 0/15-8P1

Forecasts

Land League (3/1), Guerrilla Tactics (7/2), Vendredi Trois (9/2), Net De Treve (11/2), Leith Hill Lad (6/1), Ballycrystal Court (15/2), Fr Humphrey (20/1)

A tricky and fairly uninspiring Class 4 handicap chase for stayers. It's notable that the Sedgefield-based handler Rebecca Menzies send Ballycrystal Court on the long journey south, while a return to this 3m trip could potentially show Land League in a slightly more favourable light. However, for very small stakes the nine-year-old GUERRILLA TACTICS gets the tentative nod after a fair run over hurdles at Newton Abbot. He appears to be steadily working back to peak form following a nine-month break and history has shown that he's perfectly adept over the larger obstacles.