Neville Hotels Novice Chase (Grade 1)

Off time: 13:51 | Winning time: 6m 24.9s

Conflated^h²⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott

15/2

Has quickly made up into a smart chaser, impressive when easily making all in maiden at Navan (20f, heavy) 24 days ago. Up in trip. Yard won 4 of the last 5 runnings of this.

Form: 344-321

Eurobot⁴⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Sean Flanagan| T: N Meade| D

12/1

Lightly-raced sort who made it second time lucky over fences when returning from another absence to win maiden at Thurles (22f, soft) 40 days ago. Stable in good form. Open to progress.

Form: 114/3-1

Foxy Jacks¹¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: M F Morris| OR: 132

66/1

Useful chaser. Won maiden at Cork in October. Disappointing when fifth of 6 in novice chase (5/1) at Navan (20f, heavy) 11 days ago. Up against it in this company.

Form: 9-U13P5

Latest Exhibition⁴⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: B J Cooper| T: P Nolan| BF| C

4/1

Neck second to Monkfish in Albert Bartlett in March. Winning chase debut at Punchestown in October and good 7 lengths second of 7 to Pencilfulloflead in Grade 2 there (22.6f, heavy) 44 days ago.

Form: 2112-12

Monkfish³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| D

1/2

Edged out Latest Exhibition when winning Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham Festival in March. Impressive start over fences at Fairyhouse last month and likely to prove hard to beat again.

Form: 22111-1

Heaven Help Us²³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: D J Mullins| T: P Hennessy| OR: 125

66/1

Fairly useful hurdler/chaser but not up to this level. Has raced mainly around 2m so far.

Form: 7-21754

Forecasts

Monkfish (1/2), Latest Exhibition (4/1), Conflated (15/2), Eurobot (12/1), Heaven Help Us (66/1), Foxy Jacks (66/1)

MONKFISH had Latest Exhibition narrowly behind him in the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival back in March and, with an impressive chase debut success behind him, is taken to prove too strong for Paul Nolan's charge again. Gordon Elliott has an excellent record in this and his Conflated looks clear best of the rest.