John Hewitt Memorial Open Hunters' Chase

6YO plus | Class 4 | 3m 30y | 8 Runners | Turf

Age: 10| Weight: 12-6| J: Mr Milo Herbert⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs N Sheppard| OR: 131| D

Won 8-runner hunter chase at Cork in April for J. D. Motherway. Poor effort next time but has got back on track in points for current yard and sets the standard.

Form: 1P-4212

Firak^t⁵⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 12-6| J: Mr Sean P O'Connor⁽⁷⁾| T: D Skelton| OR: 120| D

Fairly useful hurdler. 10/1, first run since leaving N. A. Pearce when fourth of 5 in handicap chase at Leicester (20.1f, heavy) 58 days ago. Should be better for that and he has the ability to compete in this.

Form: 71121-4

Just Don't Know¹⁸

Age: 11| Weight: 12-6| J: Mr Paddy Barlow⁽⁵⁾| T: Paul Robson| OR: 117| D

Dual winner again last term but he's not the most consistent and put up a poor effort at Warwick last time. Could feature if on his game.

Form: 6P-2424

Lieutenant Rocco^t⁴⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 12-6| J: Miss Victoria Malzard| T: S Hosie| OR: 125| D

Useful on his day but unpredictable and arrives on the back of a tame display in a handicap chase at Wincanton. Might make more of an impact in this less intense scenario.

Form: 74P14-P

Haven't Time²⁸⁷

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: Miss Lucy Turner| T: Miss S McQueen| OR: 107| D

Winning pointer who was in process of running well when falling in hunter chase here on Rules debut in January 2022. No encouragement over hurdles for Kerry Lee last season, though.

Form: 2FF/878-

Jobsonfire²

Age: 12| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr Benjamin Abbott⁽⁷⁾| T: S Allwood| OR: 109| D

Has lost his form both under Rules and between the flags and is hard to fancy again.

Form: 3/PP4-U5

Rewritetherules^t¹⁸

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr David O'Brien⁽⁷⁾| T: David O'Brien| OR: 95| D

Multiple point winner and posted his best effort under Rules for a while when third of 9 in a Stratford hunter (17f, good) last summer. Disappointed at Warwick on return, though and has a bit to find.

Form: U2-P43P

The Creadan Rogue²⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr Huw Edwards⁽⁷⁾| T: Miss Roach| OR: 96| D

Limited impact in 4 starts for Gordon Elliott and, while a multiple point winner (third recently), his latest outing (8 months ago) in this sphere was poor.

Form: 1-251P3

Forecasts

Dinny Lacey (13/8), Firak (5/2), Lieutenant Rocco (4/1), Just Don't Know (5/1), Haven't Time (16/1), The Creadan Rogue (25/1), Rewritetherules (50/1), Jobsonfire (66/1)

DINNY LACEY arrives in form from points and, if able to reproduce the sort of form he showed when winning at Cork last season, he should be hard to beat. Lieutenant Rocco and Firak are both dangers if on a 'going' day.