MCW Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:47 | Winning time: 3m 53.22s

Escapeandevade⁴⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: B S Hughes| T: J Ewart| OR: 120| BF| C

11/10

Point winner who made all to make a winning hurdles debut here (20.5f) a year ago and was returning from 9-month absence when promising third of 6 in handicap at Wetherby (15.2f, soft, 7/4) on debut over fences in November. May well do better yet.

Form: 21122-3

Operation Overlord^t⁶⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-8| J: D R Fox| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 114| C

5/1

Restricted to 5 outings spread over almost 3 years but he has ability and made a winning handicap hurdle debut at this course in November 2021. However, pulled up on chasing bow/return in October.

Form: 45/21-P

Fix At All^t,v³⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Luca Morgan⁽³⁾| T: M Scudamore| OR: 110

3/1

Successful in this sphere (and twice over hurdles) in France but he didn't show much in 2 starts for new connections last term. Undergone wind op/shaped as if needing Newcastle return in November and worth noting the handicapper has cut him some slack.

Form: 6B365-3

Travail D'Orfevre^t⁵⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Bruce Lynn⁽³⁾| T: N W Alexander| OR: 106| CD

9/2

Fairly useful bumper winner who opened hurdles account at Kelso in April. Posted good third at same course on chase debut in October but disappointed here since and returns to shorter trip now.

Form: 62P1-35

Forecasts

Escapeandevade (11/10), Fix At All (3/1), Travail D'Orfevre (9/2), Operation Overlord (5/1)

ESCAPEANDEVADE should be all the better for his encouraging Wetherby chasing bow and can open his account over the larger obstacles. Fix It All looks the likeliest danger.