Irish Stallion Farms EBF Rated Novice Chase

5YO plus | 2m 5f 150y | Yielding (Good to Yielding in places) | 8 Runners | Turf

Age: 8| Weight: 12-0| J: Brian Hayes| T: A McNamara

Promising type. Fairly useful winner at 21f over hurdles. 13/2, fell in novice chase at Limerick (17.6f, heavy) 15 days ago leading when fell heavily 2 out likely to have won. Up in trip and he's open to improvement.

Form: 1522/7F

Jacovec Cavern⁶³

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: Richard Condon⁽⁵⁾| T: P Hennessy

Fairly useful chaser. 18/1, career best when winning 17-runner novice chase at Gowran (20f, heavy) on debut over fences 63 days ago. This looks tougher.

Form: 632761

Miss Pronunciation^h,t⁴²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-13| J: Mark Walsh| T: P Roche| OR: 119| BF| C

Useful hurdler. 7/2, good fourth of 10 in handicap chase at this course (20.4f, soft) 42 days ago. 0-8 in this sphere and while she's by no means ruled out, one or two of the others make more appeal.

Form: 5F35/34

Castle Field Boy^t²⁷

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: Eoin Staples⁽⁵⁾| T: P T Foley| OR: 118| C

Fairly useful hurdler. Course winner. 1 win from 3 runs this season. Respectable seventh of 12 in handicap chase (14/1) at Navan (24f, heavy) 27 days ago. Others more persuasive.

Form: 769/1P7

Me Wee Bonnie Lass²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 116

Fairly useful hurdler. 10/1 and cheekpieces on for 1st time, creditable seventh of 15 in handicap chase at Cheltenham (20.6f, good) 28 days ago, needing lesser test. Has to be taken seriously.

Form: 35U967-

Beggars Rock^b⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: Kevin Sexton| T: G Elliott| OR: 115| BF

Fair chaser. Cheekpieces on for 1st time, first run since leaving Declan Queally when bit below form third of 6 in handicap chase at Cork (20f, good to soft, 11/4) 7 days ago. Blinkers back on.

Form: B2/17P3

Nelson County⁴⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-9| J: Danny Gilligan| T: R O'Sullivan

Fair hurdler. Fair winner at 24f over hurdles. Fourth of 15 in novice chase (8/1) at Cork (21.2f, soft) on debut over fences 48 days ago. Must improve.

Form: 68341/4

Attaboyarchie¹⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 10-13| J: Miss E J Sweeney⁽⁷⁾| T: K Thornton| OR: 105

Fair hurdler. Remains a maiden after 23 NH runs. 25/1, ninth of 16 in handicap chase at Punchestown (19.7f, good to soft) 10 days ago.

Form: 806/9U9

Forecasts

Beggars Rock (5/2), Me Wee Bonnie Lass (3/1), Miss Pronunciation (6/1), Castle Field Boy (6/1), Jacovec Cavern (7/1), Nelson County (8/1), Choccabloc (12/1), Attaboyarchie (20/1)

ME WEE BONNIE LASS shaped well in a competitive Cheltenham handicap last time and, with the emphasis on stamina unlikely to be quite so pronounced here, she could be the answer. The selection will probably have most to fear from Choccabloc, who looked the most likely winner when falling at the second-last in a Limerick novice on Boxing Day. Beggars Rock and Miss Pronunciation both have each-way claims.