14:50 Market Rasen

Friday 12 May 2023

All13:4014:1514:5015:2516:0016:3517:08

Lucas Machinery Handicap Chase

Off time: 14:50 | Winning time: 6m 25.10s

Scipion^p¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 12-2| J: Jay Tidball⁽⁷⁾| T: T Lacey| OR: 132| D

5/1

Cheekpieces fitted and built on earlier chasing promise when landing 4-runner handicap at Lingfield in February. Stuck to his task well when going close at Kempton (3m, soft) last time but looks vulnerable up 3 lb in this deeper race.

Form: 1/341P2-

Frenchy Du Large^p³⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 12-0| J: R T Dunne| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 130

4/1

Dual 2½m winner during 2021/22 campaign and posted one of his best efforts since that double when runner-up in first-time cheekpieces (retained) at Haydock (25.6f, good to firm) last month. Major player.

Form: F/F4342-

Golden Taipan^t¹⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-11| J: Jack Hogan⁽⁵⁾| T: F O'Brien| OR: 127| D

33/1

Won a couple of small-field handicaps at Perth last summer and probably need the run when pulled up at Kempton recently. Eased just 1 lb since and he's likely to find one of two too good.

Form: 72493P-

One True King^p³⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-9| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 125| C

8/1

Hurdles winner here and opened chase account back at this course (21.4f, good) in September. Has found life tougher since, though, and he was a fair way behind Frenchy du Large at Haydock last month.

Form: 556338-

Corran Cross¹³⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-7| J: Harry Bannister| T: R Bandey| OR: 123| D

11/1

Hit the target off a similar mark at Haydock last spring but needs to bounce back following a couple of non-completions.

Form: F21/3PP-

Betty Baloo³³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: T D Easterby| OR: 117| CD

9/4

Dual bumper/hurdles scorer who accounted for next-time-out winner Credo in a mares' handicap at Catterick in February. Doubled her tally in this sphere with plenty to spare over C&D last month and she's a major player, despite going up 7 lb.

Form: 326121-

Ladronne^t²¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-0| J: William Shanahan⁽⁷⁾| T: T Collier| OR: 116

10/3

Successful at Wetherby and Catterick during the autumn, and good second at the former course off a 1 lb higher mark in March. Creditable fourth of 13 at Ayr (24.3f, good) last time and he's not without a chance.

Form: 256234-

Non-Runners

Fidux³²

Weight: 12-1| Age: 10

T: A King J: Tom Cannon

Go On Chez¹⁸²

Weight: 11-6| Age: 7

T: O Greenall & J Guerriero J: Henry Brooke

Forecasts

Betty Baloo (9/4), Ladronne (10/3), Frenchy Du Large (4/1), Go On Chez (4/1), Scipion (5/1), Fidux (13/2), One True King (8/1), Corran Cross (11/1), Golden Taipan (33/1)

The vote goes to FRENCHY DU LARGE, who pulled clear of the third (Ladronne) when runner-up in a competitive Haydock handicap and a reproduction of that effort would give him every chance. Betty Baloo was pretty impressive over C&D last month, even allowing for the fact that she was probably seen to best effect, and Tim Easterby's charge is feared most ahead of Fidux.