14:40 Haydock

Saturday 21 December 2019

All11:5012:2513:0013:3514:0514:4015:15

Betway Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase

Off time: 14:40 | Winning time: 6m 56.60s

Crosspark⁵⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 11-13| J: Harry Skelton| T: Mrs Caroline Bailey| OR: 146| D

9/1

Beat Mysteree by a neck when landing the Eider Chase at Newcastle (4m1½f, good to soft) in February before a career-best 4L second to Takingrisks in the Scottish Grand National (Ayr 4m, good); has risen steadily in the weights as a result.

Form: 15312-P

Vintage Clouds¹⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 145| CD

13/2

Simply adores Haydock, career form figures here read 12222F321; beaten 1¼L in the Grade 3 Ultima Chase at the Cheltenham Festival (3m1f, soft); things haven't gone according to plan over the National Fences since (Grand National & Becher Chase).

Form: P2F6-5P

Daklondike²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: David Noonan| T: D Pipe| OR: 145| C| D

4/1

Enigmatic (refused to race in the Eider Chase) and isn't one to trust implicitly; visored when ploughing through the mud from a 6lb lower mark in this race 12 months ago; never travelling when outclassed in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury.

Form: P1UR-20

Top Wood^t,v²⁹

Age: 12| Weight: 11-8| J: Tabitha Worsley⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss Kelly Morgan| OR: 141| C

7/1

Seventh in this race in 2016; has proved himself as a top-class hunter chaser since (placed in the 2018 & 19 Cheltenham Foxhunters' before winning at Aintree); 2lb higher than when vainly chasing home Militarian at Ascot (3m, soft) latest.

Form: 12P/31-2

The Hollow Ginge^p²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Jamie Bargary| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 141| C

6/1

Ridden out to beat Silva Eclipse by 2¼L in the Cl 3 handicap hurdle (2m7f, heavy) on this card last year; is unexposed over fences (1-3) and clearly a stout stayer - just denied by Plan of Attack at Aintree (3m1f, soft) on penultimate start.

Form: 419-123

Orchardstown Cross²⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-13| J: Rex Dingle⁽³⁾| T: J Scott| OR: 132

6/1

Notched the hat-trick (on return from an eight-month break) when pushed out to beat Dancing Shadow by 2L at Exeter (3m, soft); always in rear throughout when beaten off a 9lb higher mark at Ascot subsequently and looks held by the veteran Top Wood.

Form: 2/211-10

Late Romantic^t²⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 10-11| J: P J Brennan| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero| OR: 130

14/1

Effective since switched to fences; placed in the Lincolnshire National at Market Rasen (3m3½f, soft) on Boxing Day; 8lb higher than when beating Renwick by 5L at Wetherby (3m, soft) in early November, but has bombed out badly here (3m4½f) since.

Form: 2352-15

Calipso Collonges^t³⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 10-8| J: Fergus Gregory⁽³⁾| T: O Murphy| OR: 127| C

14/1

Soft ground Haydock hurdles winner (March 2018); won off this mark over fences at Uttoxeter (2m4f, soft) on New Year's Eve, but hasn't progressed since and is yet to really fire this season (0-2); on balance rates as an unlikely winner.

Form: 5126-46

Lord Du Mesnil^p,t²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-8| J: Paul O'Brien⁽³⁾| T: R Hobson| OR: 127

5/1

Deservedly broke the maiden at the 24th attempt when gamely fighting off Sam's Adventure in a 2m7½f novices' limited h'cap chase at Newcastle (heavy) three weeks ago; sits 5lb higher in a much more competitive race; further improvement required.

Form: 3-64221

Forecasts

Daklondike (4/1), Lord Du Mesnil (5/1), The Hollow Ginge (6/1), Orchardstown Cross (6/1), Vintage Clouds (13/2), Top Wood (7/1), Crosspark (9/1), Calipso Collonges (14/1), Late Romantic (14/1)

The enigmatic Daklondike attempts to become the second horse this century to win back-to-back renewals of the Tommy Whittle Chase following on from Cannington Brook (2011 & 2012). Outclassed in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury he should prove more suited to this level of competition, but equally he isn't one to trust implicitly. Crosspark is a dour stayer who had his day in the limelight when plundering the Eider Chase at Newcastle in February, but the handicapper has taken swift evasive action since. Therefore, the tentative advice is to opt for the unexposed THE HOLLOW GINGE who took the 2m7f Class 3 handicap hurdle on this card last year (on very testing ground).