14:50 Hexham

Wednesday 11 December 2019

All12:2012:5013:2013:5014:2014:5015:20

Tant Pis Handicap Chase

Off time: 14:53 | Winning time: 4m 39.6s

Bering Upsun²¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: B S Hughes| T: J Ewart| OR: 98

9/4

Returned from a lengthy absence to make a winning chasing debut at Kelso (2m1f, good to soft) with subsequent winners in third, fourth and fifth; bang in contention when making a bad mistake three out over C&D three weeks ago.

Form: 8382/14

Lough Legend²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-11| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 97

7/1

Maiden (0-7); started 16-1 for chasing debut at Sedgefield (2m+, soft) when a significant mid-race error effectively put paid to his chances (pulled up); still early days.

Form: 3/D37-9P

Emissaire^t1⁴⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: Blair Campbell⁽³⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 92

4/1

Heavy ground bumper winner (November 2017); beaten 20L when making the frame on chasing debut at Bangor (2m1½f, soft) before bombing out (pulled up) behind Bering Upsun at Kelso; reappears in a newly applied tongue-tie.

Form: 3476-3P

Frankie Ballou^p,h¹⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 11-1| J: Ryan Mania| T: Miss J E Foster| OR: 87| D

22/1

Won three-times at Sedgefield (2m+ soft to heavy) during the early months of 2018; his form figures since (UP6P4PF) read more like the press room WiFi code; unsurprisingly is easing dramatically in the weights.

Form: P6P4-PF

Jolie Crickette^b,t¹⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Lucy Alexander| T: N W Alexander| OR: 86| BF| D

10/1

French import who has blown hot and cold since joining Nick Alexander, with her sole win coming in a mares' novices' hurdle at Kelso (2m, good to soft); low-mileage (0-3) over fences and is given a 'free pass' for Sedgefield (hampered early doors).

Form: 95/8-72P

Black Kettle^p,t³⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 10-11| J: Alain Cawley| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 83| D

7/2

Prominent racer who has knocked at the door on occasions in 2019, including when beaten 2¼L by stablemate Roxyfet over C&D (good) in May; holds a similar chance to Jolie Crickette judged on November Sedgefield form (2m3½f, soft).

Form: 622733

Pads²⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 10-6| J: Ross Chapman| T: D Bourke| OR: 78

5/1

34-race rules maiden; kept on well from an unpromising position when beaten 7¼L (third) by Skyhill at Sedgefield (3m2f, soft); isn't fully exposed over fences (0-2) and was a regular at this track over hurdles.

Form: 232433

Non-Runners

Lastin' Memories²¹

Weight: 11-6| Age: 7

T: Miss S E Forster J: Thomas Dowson

Duhallowcountry¹⁵

Weight: 10-0| Age: 13

T: V Thompson J: Philip Armson

Forecasts

Bering Upsun (9/4), Black Kettle (7/2), Lastin' Memories (7/2), Emissaire (4/1), Pads (5/1), Lough Legend (7/1), Jolie Crickette (10/1), Frankie Ballou (22/1), Duhallowcountry (33/1)

A race which remembers the John Alder trained chaser Tant Pis, who became a regular on the northern racing circuit in the 1960's after being discovered at the rear of a hen house in South Shields. Sandy Forster's Lastin' Memories almost took advantage of a stopping mistake from BERING UPSUN when chasing home Mah Mate Bob over C&D three weeks ago. However, with the assumption that the James Ewart-trained runner can keep everything on the straight and narrow in terms of negotiating the obstacles on this occasion, he must hold every chance of making it 2-3 over fences with his earlier Kelso win franked since by Mah Mate Bob (third), Warendorf (fourth) and Benny's Secret (fifth).