Betway Handicap

Off time: 18:25 | Winning time: 2m 36.45s

(3)

Fire Fighting^b¹⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 9-7| J: J Fanning| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 84| D

4/1

13-time winner but arrives on a 13-race losing run. A couple of recent fourths suggest getting closer to a winnable mark and latest 2lb drop gives him a squeak today.

Form: 60049-4

(1)

Never Be Enough¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-6| J: Callum Rodriguez| T: K Dalgleish| OR: 83

14/1

Recent hurdles form poor but ran well when last seen on the level at Kempton in December keeping on for third over a likely inadequate 1m. Unproven over this trip but every chance she's effective over it and respected today.

Form: 137243-

(5)

Matewan^p¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 9-2| J: B A Curtis| T: Ian Williams| OR: 79| D

7/4

Winner at Ripon in August finished second since in a trio of 1m4f AW handicaps (once here, twice at Lingfield). Another bold bid assured and probably the one to beat today.

Form: 26122-2

(6)

Snow Ocean^h²⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: C Lee| T: P D Evans| OR: 80| BF| C

7/4

Looked like he would get further when winning over 1m1½f here penultimately and similar impression when fourth since. Handicapper caught up after two recent wins but longer trip could bring further progress.

Form: 927114-

(4)

Cry Wolf²³

Age: 7| Weight: 8-13| J: Daniel Muscutt| T: Alexandra Dunn| OR: 76| CD

20/1

In good form last winter winning twice including over C&D but nothing like that level of late and has to be considered a risky proposition now.

Form: 443870-

(2)

Temur Khan¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 8-11| J: L Morris| T: A W Carroll| OR: 74| D

25/1

Won twice at Southwell in January 2019 but made little impact since and ran two poor races after a layoff so hard to fancy here.

Form: 49758-5

Forecasts

Matewan (7/4), Snow Ocean (7/4), Fire Fighting (4/1), Never Be Enough (14/1), Cry Wolf (20/1), Temur Khan (25/1)

There are plenty of question marks about the majority of these with the exception being ultra-consistent MATEWAN who looks the most likely winner. The biggest dangers are probably Snow Ocean and Never Be Enough although neither has been over this trip in the past.