Stella Artois Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:11 | Winning time: 6m 15.36s

For Jim^p¹⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 12-1| J: Sean Quinlan| T: J Candlish| OR: 111| CD

20/1

Five-time winner last season, including over C&D. However, he could only manage last of 5 on his 2½m course reappearance 10 days ago so he'll need to have come on a fair bit.

Form: 211P7-5

Ecossais^p,t²⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 12-0| J: Toby Wynne⁽⁷⁾| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero| OR: 110| D

9/2

Three-time winner over fences at Southwell during 2020/21 campaign. Form has been a little up and down more recently but he did run well when 4 lengths second at Kelso last time, travelling well long way. Big player if in the same form.

Form: 42P24-2

Daranova^p¹⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 12-0| J: K Brogan| T: G Hanmer| OR: 110| CD

11/10

Good start for this yard, making up for a late unseat over C&D when winning easily in cheekpieces back here 10 days ago. 10 lb rise may not stop him.

Form: 5/362U-1

Potters Venture⁸⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Sean Houlihan| T: P Hobbs & J White| OR: 108

15/2

Fairly useful hurdler but yet to get close to that level over fences, his latest 2½m Leicester third coming in a weak 4-runner race. Yet to prove he stays 3m either so others make more obvious appeal.

Form: 53/4F53-

San Agustin^p³³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-11| J: Stan Sheppard| T: T Lacey| OR: 107| BF

3/1

Came good over fences at Leicester in December and creditable third over 3m at Exeter and Warwick last month. Should be thereabouts again.

Form: 452133-

Fly Smart^b1¹⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: Harry Bannister| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 105

25/1

Bumper winner in France who failed to meet expectations over hurdles for Willie Mullins and has pulled up on all 3 starts for this yard (the latest in C&D chase won by Daranova). Fair to say that first-time blinkers need to make a difference.

Form: 259/PP-P

Non-Runners

Orchestrated²

Weight: 10-2| Age: 11

T: M Young J: Tabitha Worsley

Forecasts

Daranova (11/10), San Agustin (3/1), Ecossais (9/2), Potters Venture (15/2), Orchestrated (14/1), For Jim (20/1), Fly Smart (25/1)

Gary Hanmer has landed the last 2 runnings of this race and recent wide-margin C&D scorer DARANOVA might be capable of extending that winning sequence to 3. Ecossais can give him most to do ahead of San Agustin.