15:10 Haydock

Monday 30 December 2019

All12:2512:5513:3014:0014:3515:1015:40

racingtv.com Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:10 | Winning time: 5m 58.1s

Lough Derg Jewel³⁵¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 130

16/1

3-8 over fences; absent for almost a year (351 days) since chasing home the enigmatic Chidswell at Kelso (2m7½f, good); needs a career best off his current handicap mark of 130; faces a tough task without a recent run.

Form: 7/36P12-

Ravenhill Road¹⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-9| J: Danny Cook| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 127

5/2

Always well regarded by his former handler Brian Ellison but equally has his fair share of issues (bursts blood vessels); respectable second to Good Boy Bobby at Wetherby (1m7f, soft) in November; clear stamina reservations at 2m5½f.

Form: 2335-25

Justforjames²⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 11-7| J: Miss Becky Smith⁽³⁾| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 125

10/1

Back on the right track when filling the runner-up berth behind Agamemmon at Sedgefield (3m2½f, soft) 24 days ago; arguably could've done without a subsequent 3lb weights rise; more convincing than some; chance.

Form: 81-24U2

Gold Opera^v²²

Age: 10| Weight: 11-5| J: Craig Nichol| T: K Dalgleish| OR: 123

7/1

Is slowly easing in the weights back to a more workable mark - just 6lb higher than when winning for Nick Alexander at Newcastle (2m4f, heavy) in April 2018; was beaten 1¾L by Didero Vallis in this contest 12 months ago.

Form: 544-3U4

Charmix²³

Age: 9| Weight: 11-5| J: Callum Bewley| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 123

13/2

Former Harry Fry inmate who struggled for Gordon Elliott in Ireland; showed signs of a return to form (off a six month absence) when a keeping on 66-1 third at Aintree (2m4f, good to soft) 23 days ago; which way will he go next?

Form: U8F6/8-3

Nesterenko⁵²

Age: 10| Weight: 10-9| J: Charlie Deutsch| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 113

5/2

Eight-race chasing maiden; flattered by the bare result when finishing second (beaten 11L) to Lord In Red at Huntingdon (2m7½f, good) in May; could prove sharper for a recent run; in-form trainer won this race in 2018 with Didero Vallis.

Form: 625-324

Newberry New^p¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 10-6| J: Lucy Alexander| T: W Bethell| OR: 110

25/1

Still 3lb higher than when winning by an easy 18L at Newcastle (2m7½f, heavy) in March; that race rather fell apart and directly into his lap; modest since and is essentially difficult to fancy.

Form: 641-7P5

Craiganboy^h,t³³

Age: 10| Weight: 10-5| J: Grant Cockburn⁽³⁾| T: N W Alexander| OR: 109

11/2

Fell at the tenth in the race won by Newberry New at Newcastle (2m7½f, hvy) in March; was beaten 12L by the well-handicapped Venetia Williams-trained Eceparti on seasonal reappearance at Wetherby (2m5½f, soft); competes off the same mark (109) here.

Form: 1224F-2

Forecasts

Ravenhill Road (5/2), Nesterenko (5/2), Craiganboy (11/2), Charmix (13/2), Gold Opera (7/1), Justforjames (10/1), Lough Derg Jewel (16/1), Newberry New (25/1)

There are 'ifs' and 'buts' about the vast majority of those declared, not least the upped-in-trip Ravenhill Road so this is clearly a race in which to adopt a cautious approach. Charmix could be on the way back for Lucinda Russell, although we'll know more after this particular race while Justforjames would've been of more interest without a 3lb weights rise. The in-form Venetia Williams took this race in 2018 with Didero Vallis, but her representative this time around (Nesterenko) isn't convincing as an eight-race chasing maiden. Therefore, for very small stakes we'll chance the 2018 runner-up GOLD OPERA who is slowly easing back to a more workable mark.