Friends Of Tarporley War Memorial Hospital Handicap Chase

Off time: 12:47 | Winning time: 5m 41.35s

Mr Mcgo²²¹

Age: 8| Weight: 12-0| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 121| C

9/4

Lightly-race dual hurdles scorer a maiden over fences but won a point-to-point earlier in his career. Trip, ground and course suit (won here over hurdles) so interesting sort for yard which won the race 12 months ago.

Form: 79/PF54-

Truckers Highway^h,t²¹

Age: 10| Weight: 12-0| J: Lee Edwards| T: J Groucott| OR: 121| D

10/1

Likable sort a nine-time winner over fences and gained most recent at Uttoxeter two starts back on heavy soft (2m). Revels in deep ground and although he isn't well handicapped he should still go well.

Form: 2F82-14

Steel Wave^p⁷⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-9| J: Aidan Coleman| T: G Hanmer| OR: 116| BF| CD

6/1

Won over 3m and C&D here in the summer on good but won twice on soft also in the past. Gets a bit of help by the handicapper after back-to-back thirds and his stamina will certainly be an asset in these conditions.

Form: 115733

Arctic Gold⁴⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-8| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 115| CD

9/4

Close to three years since his last win and a maiden over fences but he has been second on five occasions along the way. Not shown his best in three 2019 starts over hurdles or fences so risky proposition at present.

Form: 5570-54

Zolfo^p²⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: Sean Quinlan| T: J Candlish| OR: 108| CD

17/2

5L C&D win in August his second in a busy summer spell. Won also on soft at Cartmel earlier in the campaign although today's ground represents a new test. Handicap gives him a squeak but others preferred.

Form: F43185

West Wizard^b,t²²

Age: 10| Weight: 11-0| J: Adrian Heskin| T: Mrs S Leech| OR: 107

8/1

2-29 over fences and 0-8 in 2019. Finished in the first four in his last four domestic starts (also ran in France three times) so couldn't rule him out but more appealing if we had eight runners here for each-way purposes.

Form: 323394

What's The Scoop³²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-0| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 107

33/1

Maiden in all codes but placed in three of his nine starts. Two chase starts were less than inspiring and this low-mileage nine-year-old again looks best watched for stable whose runners are yet to hit form.

Form: 5043/0-P

Forecasts

Mr Mcgo (9/4), Arctic Gold (9/4), Steel Wave (6/1), West Wizard (8/1), Zolfo (17/2), Truckers Highway (10/1), What's The Scoop (33/1)

Donald McCain won this race a year ago and he has found MR MCGO a really decent opportunity on return. Although the eight-year-old is yet to win over fences he has shown enough to suggest that he will soon make amends and with conditions absolutely ideal he is chanced despite being the only first-time-out runner. Veteran Truckers Highway is never taken lightly at this sort of level when the ground is testing and he may be the biggest danger although Steel Wave also merits respect with his stamina for 3m plus a bonus today.