Unibet Silviniaco Conti Chase (Grade 2)

Off time: 14:05 | Winning time: 5m 5.10s

Frodon^t⁴⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-6| J: Bryony Frost| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 168| CD

5/4

Current Ryanair champion, had a tremendous season last year and has run respectably in the face of a couple of tough tasks this season; this much more suitable and might be able to boss this from the front, so every chance of getting back on track.

Form: 2111-33

Top Notch^t³⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-6| J: D A Jacob| T: N J Henderson| OR: 161| CD

11/10

Wonderfully reliable chaser, finds plenty for pressure and is 2-2 this season, including when taking the Grade 2 Peterborough Chase last time out; won this last year too, and as long as the ground doesn't get desperate, looks the one to beat again.

Form: 310P-11

Born Survivor³⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-4| J: Bridget Andrews| T: D Skelton| OR: 150| D

33/1

Useful handicap chaser, winner of a Listed contest at Ayr last spring and has run well in his two starts this year, but has almost 8l to find with Top Notch on their Peterborough Chase form and hard to see why he should turn that around.

Form: 7141-44

Kauto Riko^t³⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-0| J: David Noonan| T: T R Gretton| OR: 149

12/1

Took his form to a new level when a closing-in ¾l second in the Peterborough Chase last time out, which was not expected (went off 100-1); needs to back that up here but conditions look fine to do so, and he looks the fly in the ointment.

Form: 5/P138-2

Keeper Hill²⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-0| J: Adrian Heskin| T: W Greatrex| OR: 153| D

14/1

Useful in error-prone chaser that took a Graduation chase at Haydock two starts back (form solid enough) but never got in the hunt in the Caspian Caviar handicap at Cheltenham last time, making mistakes; needs to cut those out to hold any chance.

Form: 1003-1P

Forecasts

Top Notch (11/10), Frodon (5/4), Kauto Riko (12/1), Keeper Hill (14/1), Born Survivor (33/1)

No Altior, but this is still a cracking contest despite the headline act missing, and it offers his stablemate TOP NOTCH a chance to repeat his win in the race last year. He might not be the biggest around but his heart certainly is, and he answered all of Daryl Jocob's calls to win Huntingdon's Peterborough Chase on his latest start. Kauto Riko was closing in late on him there but he'd done the donkey work between three out and the last, and was entitled to get a bit tired. Frodon will be no pushover and this small field offers him a good chance to boss things from the front, but he does need to put a couple of sub-par efforts this season behind him.