15:25 Wincanton

Thursday 11 March 2021

All14:1514:5015:2516:0016:3017:0017:35

Follow MansionBet This Cheltmas Novices' Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:25 | Winning time: 7m 1.92s

Cushuish^t1¹⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-6| J: Sean Houlihan⁽³⁾| T: R H Buckler| OR: 96

9/2

Off the mark in determined fashion over hurdles at Taunton (23.9f) in November 2019. Good placed efforts over timber late last year but he was below that level sent chasing at Chepstow last month.

Form: 21-5336

Coco Live³⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-6| J: Alex Edwards⁽³⁾| T: Dr J R J Naylor| OR: 96

16/1

Point winner/maiden under Rules who finished fifth in a Cheltenham hunter back in spring 2019. Looked rusty in a jumpers bumper returning from 21 months off in February and tough to assess on balance.

Form: 522P-P0

Minella Whisper²⁸

Age: 10| Weight: 11-5| J: Daniel Hiskett⁽³⁾| T: R T Phillips| OR: 95| D

15/2

Fair winning hurdler at his best but well-held fifth after 30 months off in 25f Huntingdon handicap in November. Never better than midfield in a jumpers bumper in February. Chase debut.

Form: 3137/58

Sandford Castle¹⁴

Age: 11| Weight: 11-2| J: James Bowen| T: J Farrelly| OR: 92

10/11

Form: 942132

Golden Poet^b,t³⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-0| J: Ben Godfrey⁽⁵⁾| T: Kieran Burke| OR: 90

7/1

Runner-up twice over fences this term and likely his return from 4 months off in a jumpers bumper in February will have brought him on. However, losing run is off-putting. Blinkers/tongue tie fitted.

Form: 6252U9

Florella^p1²¹

Age: 11| Weight: 10-8| J: Max Kendrick⁽³⁾| T: Cynthia Woods| OR: 84

50/1

Multiple point winner but form under Rules doesn't amount to much, well beaten when pulled up in a Fontwell veterans' event last month.

Form: 7P-43PP

Bellamy's Grey¹⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 10-7| J: M G Nolan| T: C J Gray| OR: 83

9/1

Modest hurdler/chaser who ran a moody race when well beaten fifth of 10 at Taunton (21.7f) late on last month. Easy enough to look elsewhere.

Form: 56-P395

Sea Destination^t¹⁷³

Age: 10| Weight: 10-7| J: James Davies| T: Miss J Du Plessis| OR: 83WS

40/1

Lightly-raced mare who shaped better than being pulled up suggests at Newton Abbot (25.7f) in September. Has undergone wind surgery ahead of return and not dismissed just yet.

Form: 1/455-PP

Non-Runners

Black Centaur⁷

Weight: 11-12| Age: 8

T: C Gordon J: Tom Cannon

Seaside Girl¹²⁰

Weight: 11-9| Age: 7

T: B Pauling J: Kielan Woods

Tip Top Mountain¹⁹

Weight: 11-6| Age: 6

T: R Walford J: James Best

Lure Des Pres³⁶⁹

Weight: 11-3| Age: 9

T: Miss L Blackford J: Shane Quinlan

Amanofhisword⁸⁵

Weight: 11-3| Age: 6

T: A Ralph J: C Gethings

Forecasts

Sandford Castle (10/11), Black Centaur (10/3), Cushuish (9/2), Golden Poet (7/1), Seaside Girl (7/1), Minella Whisper (15/2), Bellamy's Grey (9/1), Amanofhisword (14/1), Coco Live (16/1), Tip Top Mountain (16/1), Sea Destination (40/1), Florella (50/1), Lure Des Pres (50/1)

SANDFORD CASTLE brings the most solid recent chase form to the table, runner-up at Taunton last month. His mark is creeping up all the time but he's fancied to make his presence felt again. Seaside Girl and Black Centaur are others worth a look, whilst market support for chase-debutants Tip Top Mountain and Amanofhisword would need to be viewed positively.