William Hill Pick Your Places Novices' Limited Handicap Chase (GBB Race)

Off time: 13:02 | Winning time: 5m 33.00s

Pay The Piper¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: B S Hughes| T: Mrs A Hamilton| OR: 141| C

11/10

Useful hurdler and quickly even better over fences, finishing alone here in October and didn't need to be at his best to land 4-runner handicap at Newcastle (20f). Looks a big player again.

Form: 2-21231

Midnight River²³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 135| D

2/1

Useful 3-time novice hurdle winner last term. Jumping fell apart on his Carlisle chase debut/return and didn't show a great deal back hurdling at Aintree, either. Mark has eased at least.

Form: 141F-F7

Chinwag^t⁴⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-9| J: Sean Quinlan| T: N P Mulholland| OR: 128| D

10/3

Largely progressive over hurdles and confirmed chase debut promise when landing 11-runner Ffos Las handicap (19.4f) in November. Got the job done in good style then and likely more to come.

Form: 1316-21

Hideo¹⁹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-3| J: Emma Smith-Chaston⁽⁷⁾| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 115

25/1

Fairly useful maiden over hurdles/fences in France. Well held tackling extended 2½m on final start in November and probably best watched having joined new yard for €10,000 subsequently.

Form: 233-38

Non-Runners

Erne River²³³

Weight: 10-8| Age: 6

T: N Kent J: Charlie Hammond

Forecasts

Pay The Piper (11/10), Midnight River (2/1), Erne River (11/4), Chinwag (10/3), Hideo (25/1)

An interesting small-field contest with the vote in favour of CHINWAG. He confirmed his chase debut promise when running out a good winner over this sort of trip at Ffos Las in November and a 4 lb higher mark looks more than workable. Pay The Piper made the most of a good opportunity at Newcastle latest and should be thereabouts, whilst Erne River is an intriguing chase debutant.