13:30 Huntingdon

Tuesday 28 March 2023

All13:3014:0014:3015:0015:3016:00

Racing TV Novices' Handicap Chase

Off time: 13:30 | Winning time: 6m 33.24s

Spotty Dog¹³

Age: 8| Weight: 12-0| J: Liam Harrison⁽³⁾| T: M Hawker| OR: 99| CD

6/1

All the sharper for his reappearance when getting off the mark in C&D handicap In January. Record here stands at 2-2 following recent success back over this C&D but now has more on his plate having gone up 6 lb.

Form: 4-612P1

Le Tueur^p,t¹¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-13| J: Jay Tidball⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs S J Humphrey| OR: 98| CD

4/1

Runner-up first 2 starts for this yard at Fakenham prior to wide-margin C&D success earlier this month. Duly followed up under a penalty back at Fakenham (29f, soft) 11 days ago but he looked tired at the finish that day and there has to be a concern that this will come too soon.

Form: 322211

Holerday Ridge^h,t²³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Sean Houlihan| T: Claire Hitch| OR: 97

12/1

Newton Abbot maiden hurdle winner last spring and made the frame switched to handicap company on next 3 starts. By no means disgraced on debut in this sphere at Ffos Las (21f, good to soft) last time and each-way chance if coping with this step up in trip.

Form: 433UP3

Drop Him In³⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: S Bowen| T: O Murphy| OR: 96

3/1

Maiden hurdler in Ireland who made the frame on 2 of his 4 starts in points prior to a creditable third returned to timber for new yard at Lingfield in November. However, well held both completed starts in this sphere to date.

Form: F4-37U4

Methodtothemagic³⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-9| J: Thomas Bellamy| T: R T Phillips| OR: 94

20/1

Encouraging enough start in this sphere when third of 10 in the Leicester handicap (22.7f, good to soft) won by Mixedwave last month. However, she took a backward step at Lingfield next time and others make more appeal on this occasion.

Form: 3P-0036

El Hageb Rose^p1²⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-4| J: Caoilin Quinn⁽⁵⁾| T: P Butler| OR: 89

80/1

Very lightly raced for Gary Moore and caused a major upset starting out for Paddy Butler when landing a Plumpton handicap hurdle in November. Below that level since, though, and has offered precious little in 2 previous attempts over fences. Cheekpieces applied.

Form: 6/P-174P

Mixedwave¹¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: Paul O'Brien| T: Mrs P Sly| OR: 88| D

7/2

Front runner who has taken very well to fences, winning at Leicester (22.5f) and Market Rasen (3m) last month. Lost little caste in defeat off this revised mark at Fakenham (24.2f, soft) recently and another bold show on the cards.

Form: 734112

Aikenbreakinheart¹⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-12| J: James Davies| T: R Rowe| OR: 83

12/1

Winless following a dozen attempts over hurdles but struck at the second time of asking in this sphere at Wincanton (25f, soft) earlier this month. While his profile suggests that he is not an obvious type to follow up, he is nevertheless respected having been nudged up just 2 lb.

Form: 665241

Doyens De Ante^t⁴⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 10-5| J: Charlie Hammond| T: M Young| OR: 76| BF

7/1

Some fair pieces of form to his name over hurdles, most notably when third in a 12-runner handicap at Hereford last February. Heavily supported ahead of chase debut here on latest start but he showed little spark and is hard to recommend on the back of that.

Form: 356-566

Forecasts

Drop Him In (3/1), Mixedwave (7/2), Le Tueur (4/1), Spotty Dog (6/1), Doyens De Ante (7/1), Aikenbreakinheart (12/1), Holerday Ridge (12/1), Methodtothemagic (20/1), El Hageb Rose (80/1)

All things considered, MIXEDWAVE looks the safest option. He failed in his hat-trick bid at Fakenham but didn't do much wrong in splitting a couple of in-form rivals, and it could be that this return to a right-handed course will be in his favour. Le Tueur has to be feared in current form but this will be his third race of the month and he could prove vulnerable, while it was a weak race that Aikenbreakinheart won at Wincanton and Spotty Dog, though 2-2 here, is now on a tough-looking mark.