Ascot Underwriting Novices' Limited Handicap Chase (GBB Race)

Off time: 13:31 | Winning time: 4m 32.86s

Viroflay¹⁸³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: Miss Olive Nicholls⁽⁷⁾| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 136

4/5

Useful hunter chaser for Olive Nicholls last spring, winning at Kempton (20.5f) before second of 14 in Champion Hunter at the Punchestown Festival, deserving credit for hanging in there having forced a strong pace. Reappears with stable in good form. Bold bid likely.

Form: 13/1212-

Image of Stars that are filled with the colour gold

No Questions Asked²³²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Ben Jones| T: B Pauling| OR: 136

9/4

Pretty useful 3-time novice hurdle winner last season. This former point winner has all the attributes to make just as good a chaser.

Form: 131210-

Lylian¹²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 10-5| J: Caoilin Quinn| T: G & J Moore| OR: 124

4/1

Made a good start to his chase career in France over the summer, winning over 2¾m at Dieppe on first attempt before showing better form when narrowly denied over a shorter trip there at the end of June. Interesting new recruit for the Moore stable.

Form: 3/366-12

Non-Runners

Old Gregorian¹⁷

Weight: 10-11| Age: 6

T: L Russell & M Scudamore J: Non Runner

Don't Tell Su²³⁸

Weight: 10-6| Age: 7

T: N J Henderson J: N de Boinville

Forecasts

Viroflay (4/5), No Questions Asked (9/4), Lylian (4/1), Don't Tell Su (4/1), Old Gregorian (9/2)

An interesting novice handicap. NO QUESTIONS ASKED has always appealed as one who should make at least as good a chaser as hurdler and gets the nod to make a winning start, perhaps at the expense of Viroflay, who is having his sixth start over fences and has a front-running style which could expose any novicey jumping from his less-experienced rivals.