16:07 Kempton

Sunday 18 October 2020

All13:1513:4514:2214:5715:3216:0716:43

Racing TV Handicap Chase

Off time: 16:07 | Winning time: 5m 57.29s

Mortens Leam²³⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Nick Scholfield| T: M Hawker| OR: 120

28/1

Signed off for last season with win in handicap chase at Wetherby (19.5f, heavy) in March. Ought to be competitive up 5 lb if ready to roll on return.

Form: 2/552U1-

Poker School^p²⁷

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: C J Todd⁽⁵⁾| T: Ian Williams| OR: 120| C

9/2

Lurks on a winning mark. Started the season with a pair of creditable in-frame efforts but needs to shrug off a lesser run at Warwick last month.

Form: 6U4-245

Mr Mafia^p²⁶

Age: 11| Weight: 11-12| J: James Best| T: M Keighley| OR: 120| D

11/1

Veteran who scored 3 times over fences last year, including off 2lb higher. Runner-up twice since the resumption and probably went off too hard last time (treated as if still in form).

Form: P-02425

Pontresina⁴²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: J J Burke| T: O Sherwood| OR: 119

3/1

Winning pointer who was first past the post on his Fontwell chase debut only to demoted for causing interference. That was a promising start and there should be more to come from him over fences.

Form: 322/20-D

Nightline³⁵¹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-10| J: Paul O'Brien⁽³⁾| T: C E Longsdon| OR: 118| D

10/1

Finally off mark over fences at Bangor in May 2018 but not seen again until pulling up at Wetherby in November 2019. Off a further 11 months and can only watch unless betting suggests otherwise.

Form: 22P51/P-

Top Up The Fashion⁴²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Harry Bannister| T: C J Mann| OR: 115

7/2

Ex-pointer who showed fair form over hurdles and offered a little encouragement when fifth in Fontwell handicap (Pontresina ahead) on chase debut/return last month. May do better.

Form: 232/0-5

Raven's Tower⁴³

Age: 10| Weight: 11-3| J: Tom Cannon| T: B Pauling| OR: 111

8/1

It's now 18 runs since his last win in 2017, never a threat back chasing at Stratford (17f) 43 days ago. Remains to be seen if this marked step up in trip now improves matters.

Form: 970-455

Top Decision^t²²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 10-9| J: Jack Tudor⁽⁵⁾| T: S Drinkwater| OR: 103

9/2

Modest winning hurdler who showed improved form when coming good over fences at Doncaster in March, scoring by 10 lengths. 7 lb rise looks fair enough.

Form: 3/UP281-

Non-Runners

Big Difference²⁵⁴

Weight: 11-0| Age: 7

T: B Pauling J: N de Boinville

Forecasts

Pontresina (3/1), Top Up The Fashion (7/2), Top Decision (9/2), Poker School (9/2), Big Difference (7/1), Raven's Tower (8/1), Nightline (10/1), Mr Mafia (11/1), Mortens Leam (28/1)

PONTRESINA was denied a winning chase debut in the stewards' room but he's open to further progress in this sphere and may be capable of gaining compensation. Mr Mafia seemed to overdo the front-running tactics at Warwick last time so probably remains in form and may provide the chief threat ahead of Top Decision.