Wells Next The Sea Novices' Handicap Chase

Off time: 13:55 | Winning time: 5m 55.17s

Animal³⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Charlie Hammond| T: Miss S Smith| OR: 105

9/4

Bumper winner. Fair form without success over hurdles and has run to a similar level when reaching the frame in Lingfield handicaps on both chase starts. Should be thereabouts.

Form: 355-524

Jony Max^t¹³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: Jack Tudor⁽³⁾| T: Christian Williams| OR: 101

2/1

Offered little over hurdles but much more like it over fences, runner-up twice prior to scoring at Wincanton last month. Made a couple of mistakes when third here latest but it was still a decent run.

Form: 08-2213

Maliboo⁶⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 11-8| J: T Scudamore| T: N P Mulholland| OR: 101

9/2

Career best when winning easily 6-runner handicap hurdle at Perth (2½m) in April. Creditable third in handicap here in October but ran poorly at Exeter since. Chase debut.

Form: 321-P30

Bolt N Brown^b¹⁵³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: Benjamin Poste| T: Miss Gay Kelleway| OR: 90

9/1

Has just a juvenile hurdle win to her name and can race lazily but she was largely consistent in handicap hurdles. Switches to fences back from 5 months off.

Form: 24-3526

Ocean Voyage^p,t³⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 10-6| J: W T Kennedy| T: Ian Williams| OR: 85

9/1

Fair winning hurdler in Ireland. Left chase debut effort well behind when runner-up at Worcester in April, but her record is decidedly patchy and she's run poorly on all 3 outings this term.

Form: 502-P66

Scottsdale⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 10-0| J: Alison Clarke⁽⁷⁾| T: P Winks| OR: 74

25/1

Runner-up on second chase start at Uttoxeter in June, but his jumping often lets him down over fences, and he failed to complete again at Wetherby on Boxing Day.

Form: 2P0FUP

Realms Of Fire^p²⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 10-0| J: Shane Quinlan⁽⁵⁾| T: L Allan| OR: 72

14/1

Poor hurdler but did open hs account at Southwell (3m) in May. Offered little switched to fences last twice and hard to fancy from 7 lb out of the weights.

Form: 5-41887

Forecasts

Jony Max (2/1), Animal (9/4), Maliboo (9/2), Ocean Voyage (9/1), Bolt N Brown (9/1), Realms Of Fire (14/1), Scottsdale (25/1)

JONY MAX did make a couple of jumping errors here last time but still looks the most solid option in a race where decent chase form is thin on the ground. Animal has run a couple of sound races since switching to fences and he's feared most.