July 02 / 20.10 Stratford

20.10

Good To Firm

Visit racingtv.com Handicap Chase

  • Prize money: £4568.06
  • 2m 3f 98y
  • Class 4
  • 7 runners
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Visit racingtv.com Handicap Chase

Runners: 7 runners

Type: Chase Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Cloudy

13/2 (Won)

  • Win: £5.50
  • Place: £2.10

Form: 163-34 CD

Last run: 13 days

W: 11st 2lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 107

Form & Verdict
2lb above his highest winning mark, but goes well here and his recent fourth over 2m4f here was respectable; probably needs more for the win off his current mark but should figure prominently.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

6

2nd Jul 2024

Good To Firm

2m 3f 98y

Class 4

20:10 Stratford

Chess Player

11st 2lb

J: Kielan Woods

T: Ben Pauling

2lb above his highest winning mark, but goes well here and his recent fourth over 2m4f here was respectable; probably needs more for the win off his current mark but should figure prominently.

13/2

4th

11

19th Jun 2024

Good

2m 4f 0y

Class 4

14:40 Worcester

Chess Player

11st 4lb

J: Kielan Woods

T: Ben Pauling

held up in rear, steady headway after 9th, raced wide home turn, outpaced 2 out, kept on run-in

15/2

4/5

  • Place: £1.40

Form: 2224-2

Last run: 33 days

W: 12st 0lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 119

Form & Verdict
2-11 over hurdles with both wins coming over 2m (stays further) on good/good to firm; made a solid start to his chasing career when a close second at Ffos Las (2m, god) in May back from a seven-month absence; step back up in trip will not inconvenience him and he's a big player off a 3lb rise.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

1

23rd May 2026

Good

2m 1f 77y

Class 4

15:32 Bangor-on-Dee

Nibras Gold

12st 0lb

J: Jonathan Burke

T: James Owen

Dual 1m4f Flat winner (made all) and Summer Hurdle third last year, and jumped perfectly well when second on two of three chase starts in summer 2024; record of 62121 when returning from breaks of over 200 days.

7/1

9th

8

27th Sep 2025

Good

2m 0f 125y

Class 2

17:45 Market Rasen

Nibras Gold

10st 13lb

J: Sam Twiston-Davies

T: James Owen

Dual Flat winner for new stable in the spring before reverting to hurdling with commendable third behind Cavern Club in C&D Summer Hurdle (good) in July; only 1lb higher today and ought to be right in the thick of things.

10/1

OUR TIP

Form: 222-75

Last run: 24 days

W: 11st 7lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 112

Form & Verdict
Quite promising novice hurdler last spring/summer but, following a ten-month break, ran very poorly on May's handicap hurdle debut and was beaten 42l on last month's chase debut; back up in trip with a point to prove at present.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5

27th Sep 2025

Good

2m 2f 140y

Class 5

18:15 Market Rasen

Soldat Forte

11st 11lb

J: Daire McConville

T: Charlie Longsdon

Pulled up in two chases this season, after a layoff, and soundly beaten when back over hurdles in first-time cheekpieces three weeks ago; very well handicapped on old form but current ability is hard to gauge.

12/1

6th

4

5th Sep 2025

Good

2m 0f 0y

Class 4

19:30 Worcester

Soldat Forte

11st 4lb

J: Lilly Pinchin

T: Charlie Longsdon

Lightly raced since maiden hurdle win in early 2023 and his pulled-up runs this year, when back from another lengthy layoff, don't recommend for this; cheekpieces added; major turnaround a must.

16/1

2

20th Jul 2025

Good

2m 3f 98y

Class 4

16:23 Stratford

Soldat Forte

11st 12lb

J: Kielan Woods

T: Charlie Longsdon

Southwell winner over hurdles in 2023 (2m, good to soft); best of his three chase runs was when third over C&D in July 2024 (good to firm); hung left and was pulled up on return from a 325-day break at Worcester in May; bit to prove now.

16/1

Form: F56-77 CD

Last run: 31 days

W: 11st 3lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 108

Form & Verdict
Four-time chase winner but the most recent of those wins was in July 2022; out of sorts since falling at Newton Abbot nearly a year ago and recent chase return was disappointing; back on a good mark if finding some spark and hard to rule out completely.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

1

25th Mar 2026

Good

2m 4f 194y

Class 5

14:30 Hereford

Fat Sam

12st 0lb

J: Mr Charlie Case

T: David Dennis

Good-ground specialist who was useful in his prime for Chris Down; without a win since 2022, though, and recent point form for David Dennis is not inspiring (refused to race on latest appearance).

16/1

6th

7

21st Aug 2025

Good

2m 4f 216y

Class 4

17:35 Newton Abbot

Fat Sam

11st 2lb

J: James Davies

T: Chris Down

Winless since summer 2022 but he's generally reliable and often placed, though he has to be forgiven a lesser effort at Worcester (2m4f, good) last time; not the force of old, but he's handicapped accordingly and capable of bouncing back.

14/1

Form: P2124- C

Last run: 265 days

W: 11st 10lb

12 yo Gelding

OR: 115

Form & Verdict
2m6f novice hurdle winner for this stable last summer prior to finishing a 21l second back over fences at Fontwell (3m2f, good) in September; needs to improve on a couple of modest efforts in points this year for Hannah Lewis now back under rules over fences and returned to his former stable; likely to prove vulnerable for the win to a less exposed type.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8th

6

22nd Aug 2024

Good

2m 4f 216y

Class 4

17:00 Newton Abbot

Cheltenam De Vaige

11st 4lb

J: Mr Tom Broughton

T: Fergal O’Brien

midfield

14/1

9th

7

21st Jul 2024

Good To Soft

3m 2f 105y

Class 4

15:35 Newton Abbot

Cheltenam De Vaige

11st 9lb

J: Fern O’Brien

T: Fergal O’Brien

taken down early

16/1

5th

2

2nd Jul 2024

Good To Firm

2m 3f 98y

Class 4

20:10 Stratford

Cheltenam De Vaige

11st 10lb

J: Mr Tom Broughton

T: Fergal O’Brien

2m6f novice hurdle winner for this stable last summer prior to finishing a 21l second back over fences at Fontwell (3m2f, good) in September; needs to improve on a couple of modest efforts in points this year for Hannah Lewis now back under rules over fences and returned to his former stable; likely to prove vulnerable for the win to a less exposed type.

8/1

Form: 74208-

Last run: 133 days

W: 11st 2lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 107

Form & Verdict
Irish point winner; fourth in a bumper before runner-up in a Taunton maiden hurdle but beaten 39l and 31l on his two starts since (all at around 2m); hooded last time; goes up in trip on handicap/chase debut and is interesting if ready to roll back from a 133-day break with the hood removed.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1

28th Aug 2024

Good

2m 4f 0y

Class 5

16:40 Worcester

Walkingoneggshells

12st 0lb

J: Ben Poste

T: Archie Watson

Won Irish point in May 2023; yet to win under rules and has made little impact in three handicap chases, made mistakes latest before pulling up over C&D nine days ago.

16/1

10

19th Aug 2024

Good

2m 4f 0y

Class 4

15:00 Worcester

Walkingoneggshells

11st 5lb

J: Nick Scholfield

T: Archie Watson

Won Irish point in May 2023; yet to win under rules and made no impression over fences at Stratford and over C&D last month.

20/1

7th

7

25th Jul 2024

Good

2m 4f 0y

Class 5

14:18 Worcester

Walkingoneggshells

11st 11lb

J: Ben Poste

T: Archie Watson

Irish point winner; runner-up in a Taunton maiden hurdle in January but well beaten since; travelled well for a long way on this month's reappearance when upped to around this trip on handicap/chase debut and should be all the sharper for that run; not ruled out with a tongue-tie now added.

14/1

Form: 32/4/P D

Last run: 31 days

W: 10st 11lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 102

Form & Verdict
Lightly raced 8yo who was mostly consistent over hurdles with form figures of 3324 in handicaps (2m4f-3m); however, having left Olly Murphy for 6,500gns this April, he was pulled up on chase debut (2m5f; 50-1) one month ago returning from lengthy spell on the sidelines; entitled to be all the sharper for that but best watched for the time being.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2

13th Feb 2025

Soft

2m 4f 25y

Class 5

13:30 Leicester

Storm Of Light

11st 11lb

J: Harry Reed

T: Rob Summers

2m4f hurdle winner (good); well treated on his hurdles form with Olly Murphy but has plenty to prove on the majority of his chase efforts.

33/1

10th

9

18th Dec 2024

Good To Soft

2m 4f 11y

Class 4

15:10 Ludlow

Storm Of Light

10st 10lb

J: Beau Morgan

T: Rob Summers

Stringing together some chasing completions now, and this would be miles easier than the class 3s he's contested the last twice (70l behind L'Eau Du Sud in a 0-140 latest); could still jump more tidily.

20/1

10th

9

18th Dec 2024

Good To Soft

2m 4f 11y

Class 4

15:10 Ludlow

Storm Of Light

10st 10lb

J: Beau Morgan

T: Rob Summers

Stringing together some chasing completions now, and this would be miles easier than the class 3s he's contested the last twice (70l behind L'Eau Du Sud in a 0-140 latest); could still jump more tidily.

20/1

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £15.90
Straight Forecast £10.97
Trifecta £65.60

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Nibras Gold

The Star:

Walkingoneggshells

RP RATINGS:

Nibras Gold

TOPSPEED:

Nibras Gold

POSTDATA:

Nibras Gold

WEST COUNTRY:

Nibras Gold

The Times:

Nibras Gold

Telegraph:

Nibras Gold

The Guardian:

Nibras Gold

Daily Mail:

Nibras Gold

D Express:

Nibras Gold

Daily Mirror:

Nibras Gold

The Sun:

Nibras Gold

Daily Record:

Nibras Gold