December 05 / 13.40 Musselburgh

13.40

Good To Soft

Join Racing TV Now Novices’ Handicap Chase (GBB Race)

  • Prize money: £4683.56
  • 1m 7f 182y
  • Class 4
  • 4 runners
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Join Racing TV Now Novices’ Handicap Chase (GBB Race)

Runners: 4 runners

Type: Chase Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Showers

7/4 (Won)

  • Win: £3.00

Form: 3F4-23 C

Last run: 14 days

W: 11st 6lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 112

Form & Verdict
Hasn't threatened this autumn on first two chase starts (1m7f/2m, good to soft; including C&D) but he's still run pretty creditably behind well-handicapped winners and is edging back down the weights; won twice over hurdles here last season and this may take less winning than his last two races.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

3

25th Sep 2024

Good

2m 4f 35y

Class 5

16:13 Perth

Diamond State

11st 12lb

J: Conner McCann

T: Lucinda Russell

Placed twice here this season (2m4f/3m) and probably won't be far away today but he's nothing like the force of old and has not won since 2022; others have more exciting profiles.

16/1

9th

8

17th Aug 2024

Good

2m 7f 207y

Class 5

19:05 Perth

Diamond State

11st 5lb

J: Alan Doyle

T: Lucinda Russell

Last hurdles win was in December 2021; consistent this summer, keeping on into fourth (immediately behind Dalileo) over C&D last month; needs to find extra to resume winning ways; stablemate of Starlyte.

14/1

4th

10

14th Jul 2024

Good

2m 7f 207y

Class 4

16:15 Perth

Diamond State

10st 5lb

J: Alan Doyle

T: Lucinda Russell

in rear, hit 4th

12/1

Form: 4540-P

Last run: 42 days

W: 10st 2lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 88

Form & Verdict
Went close on debut in a bumper at Ayr in October 2020 but lightly raced since and has failed to reproduce that initial promise, including on his chase debut at Ayr in October; 6lb out of the handicap here and a major turnaround is required in first-time cheekpieces.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

0

4

8th Nov 2023

Good To Soft

2m 4f 68y

Class 5

14:50 Musselburgh

Thunder In Milan

11st 8lb

J: Stephen Mulqueen

T: Lucinda Russell

Won over C&D (good to soft) in March and back on the scoresheet when doing it easily at Perth (2m4f, soft) in September; made two bad mistakes and was pulled up at Ayr (2m4f, good to soft) only on Saturday but remains of interest in view of that penultimate performance.

6/1

0

8

4th Nov 2023

Good To Soft

2m 4f 110y

Class 4

13:07 Ayr

Thunder In Milan

10st 12lb

J: Stephen Mulqueen

T: Lucinda Russell

held up in rear, bad mistake 3rd, soon detached, recovered towards rear when bad mistake and dropped to last 10th, pulled up before 11th

3/1

1st

5

27th Sep 2023

Soft

2m 4f 20y

Class 5

15:30 Perth

Thunder In Milan

11st 0lb

J: Stephen Mulqueen

T: Lucinda Russell

Just held on to open account off 2lb lower at Musselburgh (2m4f, good to soft) in March and also ran well on his next two outings (2m5f/3m); has fitness to prove after 133-day break but still enters calculations.

5/1

Form: P31003 D

Last run: 8 days

W: 12st 0lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 120

Form & Verdict
Won over hurdles at Perth (2m4f, good) in September and didn't run badly at Carlisle (2m1f, soft) eight days ago on ground that may have been slower than ideal; this 9yo could do with jumping better than on his sole previous chase start at Down Royal in May but he's not ruled out.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

8

22nd Apr 2023

Good To Soft

2m 5f 91y

Class 2

16:10 Ayr

Curious Times

10st 8lb

J: Danny Mullins

T: S R B Crawford

Has an all-or-nothing profile, mostly disappointing since winning at Perth (2m4f, good) in September; on the plus side, he should encounter ideal conditions here and can now run off a 3lb lower mark.

10/1

4

25th Mar 2023

Good To Soft

2m 4f 189y

Class 2

13:50 Kelso

Curious Times

11st 8lb

J: J J Slevin

T: S R B Crawford

Has dropped below the mark off which he won at Perth last September and this Northern Irish challenger is one to watch in the betting, but his form has been mixed since that win and he tailed off at Ayr last time.

33/1

13th

5

27th Feb 2023

Good To Soft

2m 4f 100y

Class 4

15:50 Ayr

Curious Times

11st 13lb

J: Sam Ewing

T: S R B Crawford

Scored at Perth (2m4f, good) in September but lost his way a bit over hurdles afterwards and fell when switched back to chasing for latest run in December; comes here with a bit to prove.

16/1

OUR TIP

Form: /211-4 BF

Last run: 17 days

W: 11st 12lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 118

Form & Verdict
Two novice hurdle wins earlier this year (2m1f/2m2f, good to soft), having to work hard at 1-14 odds at Kelso on the second occasion; only fourth of six when favourite for recent handicap and chase debut at Catterick (2m3f, soft) but he could improve for that reappearance run, and the first-time tongue-tie; retains potential for top northern stable.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

6

6th Jun 2024

Good

2m 3f 207y

Class 4

15:43 Uttoxeter

Masked Crusader

11st 12lb

J: Brian Hughes

T: Donald McCain

Winning Irish pointer; successful in two novice hurdles in 2022 (2m1f/2m2f, good to soft); had wind surgery after that and rather patchy form over fences and hurdles since, best recent run when second in handicap hurdle at Carlisle in March (2m3f, soft).

12/1

7th

2

30th Mar 2024

Soft

2m 3f 61y

Class 4

17:25 Carlisle

Masked Crusader

12st 0lb

J: Brian Hughes

T: Donald McCain

Form figures of 212 here, latterly only narrowly failing to make all over C&D (soft); 3lb higher and without the claim of Charlie Maggs, but still a strong contender.

5/1

2nd

2

7th Mar 2024

Soft

2m 3f 61y

Class 4

14:05 Carlisle

Masked Crusader

11st 11lb

J: Charlie Maggs

T: Donald McCain

led narrowly

8/1

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £16.50
Straight Forecast £16.77
Trifecta £16.10

Selections

RP Ratings:

Masked Crusader

SPOTLIGHT:

Diamond State

D Express:

Curious Times

TOPSPEED:

Masked Crusader

The Times:

Masked Crusader

Telegraph:

Masked Crusader

The Guardian:

Masked Crusader

Daily Mail:

Masked Crusader

Daily Mirror:

Masked Crusader

The Sun:

Masked Crusader

The Star:

Masked Crusader

Daily Record:

Masked Crusader

POSTDATA:

Diamond State