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16:10 Cheltenham

Thursday 14 March 2019

All13:3014:1014:5015:3016:1016:5017:30

Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase (Grade 3)

Off time: 16:11 | Winning time: 5m 14.29s

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Selected odds by:

Janika⁴⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: D A Jacob| T: N J Henderson| OR: 156| BF

3/1

Three-time winner over fences in France (2m3½f-2m6f) prior to joining Nicky Henderson; was conceding 19lb when just out-battled, beaten a head, by today's rival the game Siruh Du Lac (Ballyhill held) over C&D in January (good to soft).

Form: 2111-22

River Wylde¹¹⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-6| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson| OR: 150| BF

10/1

Finished third in the 2017 Supreme Novices' Hurdle; lacks much in the way of experience over fences; finished lame after falling in a 2m5½f Graduation Chase at Haydock in November (on his first start for over 12 months); off since; handicap debut.

Form: 135/12-F

Spiritofthegames^p⁴⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 147| BF

6/1

Dead-heated for fifth in last year's County Hurdle; a shade fortunate to score on his chasing debut at Chepstow (2m3½f) in October, but enters the equation based upon his excellent C&D third to Kildisart (good to soft) in January.

Form: 357-143

Modus¹⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-3| J: B J Geraghty| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 147| C| D

20/1

Classy hurdler (2017 Lanzarote winner); hasn't quite reached that level over fences, albeit wore down Duke Of Navan when winning here (2m, good) in October; didn't stay the 3m trip at Kempton latest; handles most conditions.

Form: 85-1037

Kalondra^t¹¹⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-3| J: N D Fehily| T: N P Mulholland| OR: 147| CD

12/1

Letters became a regular feature in his form figures earlier this season and that's never a positive. However, he remains feasibly handicapped, is clearly effective at this track and has run well back from a break in the past; can't totally dismiss.

Form: 143-FU4

Valseur Lido^p¹⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-1| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 145

33/1

2016 Ryanair Chase second; without a win since kicking off his 2016/17 season with a Grade 1 success in the JN Wine Champion Chase (3m, Down Royal); continues to slip down the weights and evidently is nowhere remotely near that force of old.

Form: 026093

Kauto Riko⁶¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-1| J: David Noonan| T: T R Gretton| OR: 145| BF

66/1

Likeable type; a winner of 5 of his 15 starts (3-7 over fences); appreciates plenty of cut underfoot but probably strongest over the minimum trip and appears high enough in the handicap at present; others preferred.

Form: 1D5-P13

Bigmartre^p²⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: G Sheehan| T: H Whittington| OR: 144| D

40/1

Finished down the field (seventh) in last year's Grade 1 JLT; Grade 2 winner as a novice in an incident packed race at Ayr (2m4f+) the following month; hasn't convinced since sent handicapping, admittedly racing exclusively over 2m.

Form: 71-6P43

Polidam⁴⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 10-13| J: P Townend| T: W P Mullins| OR: 143

33/1

Beat stablemate Acapella Bourgeois when scoring at Navan (2m4f, soft) in December 2017 but on the whole this ex-French racer hasn't quite clicked for Willie Mullins; finished seventh of 18 to Invitation Only in Gowran's 3m1f Theyestes Chase latest.

Form: 594-407

Bouvreuil^h,t⁷⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 10-12| J: R P McLernon| T: B Haslam| OR: 142WS

33/1

Has tended to raise his game at the Cheltenham Festival, runner-up in the Fred Winter (2015), the Close Brothers' (2016), and also finished 7¾L third to Road To Respect in this race in 2017; first run since wind surgery.

Form: 76BP-16

Siruh Du Lac⁴⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: Lizzie Kelly⁽³⁾| T: Nick Williams| OR: 141| CD

9/2

Game as a pebble when fending off today's rival Janika (and Ballyhill) over C&D in January (good to soft); a fraction more on his plate seeking the four-timer but proven on a soft surface and with such a willing attitude commands the utmost respect.

Form: 113-111

Some Buckle^t³²⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 10-10| J: Harry Bannister| T: R Bandey| OR: 140| D

66/1

Left Tom George for £12,000 in August 2018 as a three-time winner from nine starts over fences, most latterly over 2m5f (soft) at Newton Abbot (April 2018); faces a very tough task on return to action from a 325-day absence; stable debut.

Form: P7P13/1-

Templehills^h⁷⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 10-10| J: Thomas Bellamy| T: N A Twiston-Davies| OR: 140| D

100/1

Prominent racer; has under-performed since winning a small-field affair at Warwick (2m4f, good) in October; difficult to identify any possible reason for a revival; pulled up in the Close Brothers' Novices' Handicap at the 2017 Cheltenham Festival.

Form: 414FP8

Doitforthevillage^t²⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 10-10| J: P J Brennan| T: P Henderson| OR: 140| BF| C

16/1

Finished well from off the pace to squeeze into sixth place in the 2m Grand Annual in 2018; took advantage of an ease in the weights to score at Chepstow (2m3f, soft) in December and solid since; others now appear better handicapped.

Form: 4-63123

Voix D'Eau^p,t⁷²

Age: 9| Weight: 10-9| J: Callum Bewley| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 139| CD

100/1

Grade 2 C&D winner for Harry Fry in April 2016; finished in mid-division off a 7lb higher mark in this contest in 2017; joined Lucinda Russell for £40,000 in September 2018 but has yet to really fire (0-3).

Form: 131775

Testify^b1⁸²

Age: 8| Weight: 10-9| J: W T Kennedy| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 139

33/1

Made a pleasing start to his chasing career winning three on the bounce as a novice (including a Grade 2); has struggled to make his mark in handicap company (Rehearsal Chase/Tommy Whittle) post wind surgery; blinkers applied seeking a revival.

Form: 110P-60

Gardefort³⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 10-7| J: Hugh Nugent⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 137| D

28/1

Went down all guns blazing in a tussle for the 2017 Grand Annual (second); hasn't seen masses of racing since; handily enough weighted off a mark of 137 and shaped with more verve until unseating his rider four out at Ludlow (2m4f) latest.

Form: 12/4-0PU

Azzerti²²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-7| J: Wayne Hutchinson| T: A King| OR: 137

20/1

Made all for a confidence boosting long odds-on win at Ludlow (2m4f, good) last month and on the face of things is a relatively progressive young chaser; has coped with the hustle and bustle of big fields over hurdles previously.

Form: 4031F1

Eamon An Cnoic^p,t¹⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-7| J: T Scudamore| T: D Pipe| OR: 137| D

10/1

Didn't quite stay the 3m1f trip when finishing ninth of 18 in the Ultima at the 2018 Festival, but ran well in the BetVictor Gold Cup (fifth) in November; ridden out to justify favouritism in a Class 2 handicap at Chepstow (2m) latest.

Form: 9P-8561

Splash of Ginge⁸²

Age: 11| Weight: 10-7| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: N A Twiston-Davies| OR: 137| CD

25/1

Admirable veteran; Grade 3 BetVictor Gold Cup winner in 2017; beaten 1¾L by The Storyteller (King's Odyssey third) in this race last year; not so effective this season but competitively weighted and arrives fresh from an 82-day absence.

Form: P82-5P8

King's Odyssey⁷⁷

Age: 10| Weight: 10-7| J: Adam Wedge| T: Evan Williams| OR: 137| CD

20/1

Consistent, albeit without a win since scoring in novice company (handicap) over C&D in January 2016; has competed in this race in each of the past two seasons, finishing 6¾L third to The Storyteller (Splash Of Ginge second) last year.

Form: 333-2F6

Didero Vallis¹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-5| J: Charlie Deutsch| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 135| D

16/1

Clicked over fences for his new trainer (formerly with Willie Mullins) in late to mid December with back-to-back wins at Carlisle (2m5f) and Haydock (2m4f+); trip excuse latest; open to further improvement with his stable steadily hitting top form.

Form: P-37118

Non-Runners

Ballyhill²⁶

Weight: 10-12| Age: 8

T: N A Twiston-Davies J: Non Runner

Romain De Senam¹⁹

Weight: 10-7| Age: 7

T: P F Nicholls J: H Cobden

Forecasts

Janika (3/1), Siruh Du Lac (9/2), Spiritofthegames (6/1), Eamon An Cnoic (10/1), River Wylde (10/1), Kalondra (12/1), Didero Vallis (16/1), Doitforthevillage (16/1), Ballyhill (16/1), Azzerti (20/1), Modus (20/1), Romain De Senam (20/1), King's Odyssey (20/1), Splash of Ginge (25/1), Gardefort (28/1), Bouvreuil (33/1), Polidam (33/1), Valseur Lido (33/1), Testify (33/1), Bigmartre (40/1), Kauto Riko (66/1), Some Buckle (66/1), Templehills (100/1), Voix D'Eau (100/1)

A seemingly impossible handicap. C&D foes Janika and Siruh Du Lac are worthy of their respective places towards the top of the market, but one can't help but feel that the top-weight will need to be razor sharp in order to hump 11st 12lb to victory. Therefore, the safest approach is to take aim at a handful of better-priced alternatives. Venetia Williams has her string in decent shape at present with the soft-ground proven Didero Vallis of interest along with the Chepstow scorer Eamon An Cnoic. Others in with a possible shout include Polidam and the Festival regular Bouvreuil. However, the pin falls on the unexposed SPIRITOFTHEGAMES.