Paxtons No.1 For Ifor Williams Trailers Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:15 | Winning time: 7m 15.4s

Abolitionist^b1⁵⁷

Age: 12| Weight: 11-8| J: B S Hughes| T: Dr R D P Newland| OR: 132

11/2

Leinster National winner (March 2017); set some stiff tasks since scoring on debut for this trainer at Aintree (3m½f, good) in November 2018; has been cut some slack by the assessor; far from impossible that he could revive in first-time blinkers.

Form: 15P-6P0

Gangster²⁸

Age: 10| Weight: 11-2| J: R Johnson| T: W Greatrex| OR: 126

9/2

One-time useful novice hurdler for Willie Mullins (also placed in Grade 3 company over fences for Henry De Bromhead); exploited an ease in the weights to score at Musselburgh (3m2½f, soft) four weeks ago; respected off 5lb higher.

Form: 74-6591

Hard To Forget⁵⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: Dave Crosse| T: Henry Oliver| OR: 125| BF| C| D

10/11

Unseated his rider early on when seeking a hat-trick in the Sussex National at Plumpton (3m4½f, soft) early in the New Year; won by 9L over hurdles on his sole previous visit to Sedgefield (March 2019); figures highest on the shortlist.

Form: 17-811U

Runswick Royal³³

Age: 11| Weight: 11-1| J: Danny McMenamin⁽³⁾| T: Mrs A Hamilton| OR: 125| C

7/1

One-time classy hurdler/chaser; won the Listed Premier Chase from a mark of 144 at Kelso (2m7½f) in Feb 2015; was returning from over 2½ years off the track when toiling here (2m3½f) last month; pulled-up at Newcastle subsequently.

Form: 1007/5P

Rock On Fruity³³

Age: 11| Weight: 11-1| J: R P McLernon| T: B Haslam| OR: 125

20/1

Bolted up (off this mark) when springing a 40-1 surprise at Newcastle (2m4f, soft) in December 2019; his fencing has gone to pieces more latterly and he brings far from flattering form figures of PPP into this race; hard to fancy.

Form: 954-PPP

Justforjames^p⁴⁹

Age: 11| Weight: 11-0| J: Miss Becky Smith⁽³⁾| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 124| C

10/1

2lb higher than when chasing home a stablemate of Hard To Forget (Agamemmon) over C&D (soft) in early December; his form figures either side of that effort (UUP) leave plenty to be desired; safer to look elsewhere.

Form: 24U2UP

Forecasts

Hard To Forget (10/11), Gangster (9/2), Abolitionist (11/2), Runswick Royal (7/1), Justforjames (10/1), Rock On Fruity (20/1)

An interesting race featuring predominately veteran chasers. Gangster rolled back the years when winning at Musselburgh and merits plenty of respect under the champion jockey Richard Johnson, while the 2017 Leinster National winner Abolitionist fits a similar mould in that he could feasibly revive for an ease in the weights (and first-time blinkers). However, the improving horse in the line-up is undoubtedly Henry Oliver's HARD TO FORGET. This soft/heavy ground specialist came unstuck (early fall) in the Sussex National at Plumpton, but should remain competitive from an elevated mark of 125. Furthermore, he was a hurdles winner at this track (1-1) last year.