14:05 Aintree

Saturday 9 November 2019

All12:2012:5513:3014:0514:4015:1515:50

Virgin Bet Handicap Chase

Off time: 14:05 | Winning time: 5m 7.50s

Cepage³²⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Charlie Deutsch| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 147| D

4/1

Triple chase winner at up to 2m5½f. Now 11lb higher than his last win. Goes well on soft and not seen since finishing second in last Decembet's Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at Cheltenham. Up 4lb for his return. Goes well fresh. Player.

Form: 23414/2-

Bigmartre¹³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Page Fuller⁽³⁾| T: H Whittington| OR: 147| D

25/1

4-15 over fences and acts on any ground. Way below his best here on his reappearance last month, but if he can bounce back from that, there is still scope for more from this mark. Contender.

Form: 43001-5

The West's Awake^b1⁵⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: Phillip Enright| T: E J O'Grady| OR: 145| BF| D

25/1

Multiple chase winner, largely at around 2m4f. Has won on soft/heavy, although arguably at his best on a sound surface. Blinkers go on here and he looks likely to need a bit of improvement from this mark.

Form: 1F0P32

Indian Temple^p⁴⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 11-9| J: Harry Reed⁽³⁾| T: T Reed| OR: 144| D

40/1

Seven-time winner over fences from 2m4f-3m, largely on a sound surface. Handicapper looks to have caught up with him in recent outings, so more needed.

Form: 2112U4

Duke Street^p¹⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: B S Hughes| T: Dr R D P Newland| OR: 141| D

9/2

Arrives on a four-timer, having won a Worcester novices' chase last year, and then two Class 3 hurdles since resuming after a year layoff. Still scope for improvement now back over fences. Acts on soft. Interesting.

Form: 037/1-11

The Russian Doyen²⁴²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: T Scudamore| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 140

8/1

Dual winner over hurdles and has repeated that in chases, his most recent success being in a Newbury novices' handicap in January (2m½f, good), when 2lb lower. Acts on soft and goes well fresh. Could be more to come.

Form: 16/1514-

Riders Onthe Storm²⁰²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 140| BF

4/1

Won a Punchestown novices' chase (2m, good-yld) in February, when with Tom Taaffe. Changed hands for £50,000 in May. Back up in trip for British/stable debut. Still open to improvement after just five chases. Market check.

Form: 0/431FP-

War Sound¹⁹²

Age: 10| Weight: 11-3| J: T J O'Brien| T: P Hobbs & J White| OR: 138| CD

17/2

C&D winner (good) at this meeting last year, when fresh and 2lb lower. Has won on soft. Lost his way after that success, but returns from over six months off, and with stable going well, he can't be ruled out.

Form: 2/1080-P

Oldgrangewood^p,t¹⁷⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-1| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 136| BF| DWS

4/1

Returns after wind surgery and nearly six months off. Races over his optimum trip and is well treated based on his form of two seasons ago. Goes well on soft and has won when fresh. Interesting.

Form: 4/9693-3

Copper West²¹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-10| J: J J Burke| T: T R George| OR: 131| D

14/1

At his best on a sound surface. 4lb higher than when scoring when fresh at Market Rasen last month. More needed, and conditions are a concern.

Form: 411-341

Forecasts

Riders Onthe Storm (4/1), Cepage (4/1), Oldgrangewood (4/1), Duke Street (9/2), The Russian Doyen (8/1), War Sound (17/2), Copper West (14/1), Bigmartre (25/1), The West's Awake (25/1), Indian Temple (40/1)

A very competitive contest on paper. Oldgrangewood is dangerously well handicapped if he can get back to anything like his form of two years ago, following wind surgery. War Sound lost his way a little after winning here last year, but he is a danger to all if firing now freshened again. Cepage, Bigmartre and The Russian Doyen can all have cases made, but the unexposed and in-form DUKE STREET gets the vote now reverting to chases, as there could still be a fair bit more to come.