Rory Daly Handicap Chase

Off time: 14:28 | Winning time: 4m 10.40s

Blueberry Wine^t¹²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 118| D

11/8

Likeable type who followed up his Huntingdon success with career-best victory at Aintree (15.8f, good to firm) 12 days ago. 6 lb higher now but should make another bold bid in search for the hat-trick.

Form: 3/514-11

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Stepney Causeway^h1,t²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Harry Reed| T: M F Harris| OR: 118| D

10/3

Useful hurdles winner for Dan Skelton. Yet to get his head in front in this sphere but has twice been runner-up in small-field affairs in recent months, most recently in a 3-runner event at Warwick last month. Hood now applied.

Form: 3352P-2

Elios D'Or^p¹⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-3| J: Harry Kimber⁽³⁾| T: R Walford| OR: 117| CD

7/4

3-time C&D winner also scored at Stratford earlier this month. Ridden too aggressively at Newton Abbot (16.3f, good to firm) a fortnight ago but is the type to bounce quickly and can't be discounted with an easy lead predicted.

Form: 21-3414

Paros⁶⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: Dr R D P Newland| OR: 116| D

14/1

Fairly useful form when winning twice in 2020/21 but he has been pulled up all 4 starts since returning from lengthy absence in December. Plenty to prove making chase debut having since left Nicky Henderson.

Form: 15/PPPP-

Forecasts

Blueberry Wine (11/8), Elios D'Or (7/4), Stepney Causeway (10/3), Paros (14/1)

A competitive affair despite the small field, with the thriving BLUEBERRY WINE fancied to gain a fourth win from his last 5 starts. Recent Stratford winner Elios d'Or did too much too soon at Newton Abbot last time but has a good C&D record and can pose a major threat granted an uncontested lead, with Stepney Causeway also tricky to rule out.