February 24 / 16.10 Warwick

16.10

Good

Rubicon Racing Novices’ Handicap Chase

  • Prize money: £4224.8
  • 2m 4f 0y
  • Class 5
  • 9 runners
RTV
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Rubicon Racing Novices’ Handicap Chase

Runners: 9 runners

Type: Chase Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Mostly cloudy

5/1 (Won)

  • Win: £4.40
  • Place: £1.50

Form: 5-1334 D BF

Last run: 60 days

W: 10st 8lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 80

Form & Verdict
Hurdle winner last May (2m4f, good); quite promising start to chase career when third at Market Rasen in November but his effort was short-lived at Huntingdon on Boxing Day and he's had wind surgery since; tongue-tie added; worth a look on the earlier run.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

11

26th Jun 2024

Good

2m 7f 0y

Class 5

14:53 Worcester

Bells Of Stamford

10st 13lb

J: Alan Johns

T: Tim Vaughan

Not an easy one to predict but seemed to respond positively to first-time cheekpieces when rallying second at Warwick (3m, good) in May; still unexposed over staying trips; big player if headgear continues to aid.

9/2

2nd

11

30th May 2024

Good

3m 0f 0y

Class 5

19:40 Warwick

Bells Of Stamford

10st 5lb

J: Conor Ring

T: Tim Vaughan

2m4f winner (good) over both hurdles and fences; back on last winning mark but plenty to prove based on his last four starts.

20/1

8th

8

9th May 2024

Good To Soft

2m 6f 125y

Class 5

18:50 Stratford

Bells Of Stamford

11st 5lb

J: Conor Ring

T: Tim Vaughan

prominent, lost position but in touch with leaders after 5th, not fluent 3 out (usual 4 out), weakened home straight

12/1

5/1

  • Place: £2.60

Form: F-33P3

Last run: 23 days

W: 10st 13lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 85

Form & Verdict
Maiden with a mixed record over fences but has dropped in the weights and he ran one of his better races when third to a subsequent winner at Exeter 23 days ago (2m3f, good to soft); form chance.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6

27th Jun 2023

Good

2m 2f 110y

Class 5

19:00 Newton Abbot

Eros

10st 11lb

J: Ben Godfrey

T: Kayley Woollacott

Frustrating performer; 0-15 over fences (placed in nine of them) and pulled up when tried in cheekpieces on latest; first hurdle start since March 2021 and hard to be confident this will be his golden hour.

20/1

8

17th May 2023

Good

2m 4f 0y

Class 5

13:40 Worcester

Eros

11st 4lb

J: Ben Godfrey

T: Kayley Woollacott

Longstanding maiden who was disappointing at Exeter last month and it's hard to be confident after that; however, he went there on the back of two good seconds (2m4f/2m, good/soft) and it's possible he'll be able to bounce back in first-time cheekpieces and a reapplied tongue-tie; not written off.

10/1

8/1

  • Place: £2.60

Form: -9P31P D

Last run: 58 days

W: 11st 2lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 88

Form & Verdict
Handled testing conditions in Ireland but pulled up on heavy in December; was on the right path the time before when off the mark at Leicester (2m4f, good to firm) and looks the type to make a chaser; worth considering.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8th

10

15th Sep 2025

Good

2m 4f 0y

Class 5

16:30 Worcester

Sir Jack West

10st 6lb

J: Lewis Stones

T: Deborah Cole

C&D winner in 2023 but needed to show more back here in July after a long absence.

25/1

8

2nd Jul 2025

Good

2m 4f 0y

Class 5

14:15 Worcester

Sir Jack West

10st 10lb

J: Finn Lambert

T: Deborah Cole

Won off 5lb higher over C&D (good) in May 2023 but absent since Hereford second that October and entitled to benefit from this run.

10/1

OUR TIP

Form: 49-F4U D BF

Last run: 22 days

W: 11st 13lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 99

Form & Verdict
Hurdle winner at 2m3f; should have something to offer over fences off a modest mark but he's fallen/unseated late in two of three chase attempts and was well held in his only completion; risky for now.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price
No Results Found

Form: 0/9P

Last run: 45 days

W: 10st 2lb

10 yo Mare

OR: 70

Form & Verdict
300-1 for all three maiden hurdles and has shown very little; this is more realistic but is 4lb wrong on her handicap/chase debut.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

10

5th Mar 2023

Good To Soft

2m 4f 199y

Class 5

15:20 Ffos Las

Whiskey Times

10st 2lb

J: Ben Poste

T: Katharine Davis

300-1 for all three maiden hurdles and showed very little; 4lb out of the weights, as she is today, when 100-1 for her handicap/chase debut at Warwick (2m4f, good) nine days ago and beaten 37l; no form claims.

100/1

5th

9

24th Feb 2023

Good

2m 4f 0y

Class 5

16:10 Warwick

Whiskey Times

10st 2lb

J: Mr James Turner

T: Katharine Davis

300-1 for all three maiden hurdles and has shown very little; this is more realistic but is 4lb wrong on her handicap/chase debut.

33/1

11

10th Jan 2023

Good

2m 4f 181y

Class 4

12:45 Doncaster

Whiskey Times

11st 3lb

J: Mr Daniel Kyne

T: Katharine Davis

Well beaten in two maiden hurdles and would be a surprise winner.

100/1

Form: 275-V6

Last run: 108 days

W: 12st 0lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 100

Form & Verdict
Irish point/Doncaster bumper winner; initial promise over hurdles in 2021 but very lightly raced since and finished remote on handicap/chase debut at Lingfield in November (2m4f, good to soft); risky for now.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

0

7

15th Jan 2024

Good

2m 0f 8y

Class 5

15:07 Hereford

Imperial Hope

10st 9lb

J: Kielan Woods

T: Ben Pauling

Point/bumper winner; left Oliver Sherwood's yard for £6,000 in May after a loss of form; favourite on debut for Ben Pauling in a 2m handicap chase at Lingfield (good to soft) but went off too hard and was pulled up; tongue-tie tried that day is joined by a hood, which could settle him down.

8/1

0

7

30th Nov 2023

Good To Soft

2m 0f 0y

Class 5

15:30 Lingfield

Imperial Hope

10st 13lb

J: Kielan Woods

T: Ben Pauling

Point and bumper winner who showed promise on his hurdle debut in May 2021; a market check is advised on stable debut (for which he wears a first-time tongue-tie), having been bought out of Oliver Sherwood's yard for £6,000 in May, but it's a long time since he showed any worthwhile form.

7/1

Form: 7-2653

Last run: 225 days

W: 11st 7lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 93

Form & Verdict
Lightly raced hurdler who has run with credit in 2m and 2m4f handicaps (both on good); hard to predict how he will take to fences having fallen/been pulled up in two points but is at least in form; hood discarded.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

1

24th Apr 2026

Good To Soft

2m 7f 136y

Class 5

19:37 Chepstow

Stumps Or Slips

12st 6lb

J: Mr Zac Baker

T: Edward William Walker

Rampant in sub-3m good-ground hurdle races and chases last summer, and has the beating of Yippee Ki Yay on a line through Macklin, whom he trounced at Exeter last time (3m, good); still fairly lightly raced over this sort of trip, and drying forecast rates a big plus.

11/8

1st

1

7th Apr 2026

Good

3m 0f 54y

Class 4

17:10 Exeter

Stumps Or Slips

12st 6lb

J: Mr Zac Baker

T: Edward William Walker

Bought out of Olly Murphy's yard for £26,000; on the retreat but had run well when falling three out at Taunton in January and was close up behind respected opposition in his latest point; could go well.

5/1

1

14th Oct 2025

Good

2m 4f 139y

Class 4

14:21 Market Rasen

Stumps Or Slips

11st 7lb

J: Sean Bowen

T: Olly Murphy

Kicked off for this yard with three wins in handicap chases and added a 2m4f novice hurdle at Worcester; not sure what happened back there last time in a handicap hurdle but it wasn't his true form; does have to carry a penalty.

6/4

Form: 76P-22 BF

Last run: 21 days

W: 10st 10lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 82

Form & Verdict
Winner of his only point back in 2018 but things never fell right for him over fences for previous yard; up against it behind progressive winners in two starts for new connections (stewards enquired latest, explanation noted) but is in shallower waters here; is open to improvement.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

9

15th May 2023

Soft

1m 7f 182y

Class 5

20:15 Southwell

Muse Of Fire

10st 6lb

J: Kevin Brogan

T: Gary Hanmer

0-15 under rules; started off for Gary Hanmer with two seconds over fences during the winter but ran poorly when tried in cheekpieces (now removed) last time and it's hard to know what to expect from him on this return to hurdling.

14/1

10

25th Mar 2023

Good To Soft

2m 1f 77y

Class 4

14:33 Bangor-on-Dee

Muse Of Fire

10st 2lb

J: Tabitha Worsley

T: Gary Hanmer

Chased home progressive rival on stable debut at Warwick (2m, soft) in December and kept on from a long way off the pace for another second at Catterick (1m7f, good) last month; held before last-fence fall on latest outing (2m4f) and 3lb wrong here, but still makes some appeal now dropped back in trip and with first-time cheekpieces fitted.

8/1

6

24th Feb 2023

Good

2m 4f 0y

Class 5

16:10 Warwick

Muse Of Fire

10st 10lb

J: Kevin Brogan

T: Gary Hanmer

Winner of his only point back in 2018 but things never fell right for him over fences for previous yard; up against it behind progressive winners in two starts for new connections (stewards enquired latest, explanation noted) but is in shallower waters here; is open to improvement.

4/1

Form: 6P38-F

Last run: 81 days

W: 10st 6lb

11 yo Gelding

OR: 78

Form & Verdict
Bumper/Flat winner; not ruled out on his best efforts now he's dropped right down the weights but is a longstanding maiden over jumps and made it 0-12 over fences when falling at Lingfield in December.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8

24th Feb 2023

Good

2m 4f 0y

Class 5

16:10 Warwick

Bardd

10st 6lb

J: Caoilin Quinn

T: Danni O’Neill

Bumper/Flat winner; not ruled out on his best efforts now he's dropped right down the weights but is a longstanding maiden over jumps and made it 0-12 over fences when falling at Lingfield in December.

14/1

9

5th Dec 2022

Good To Soft

2m 7f 110y

Class 5

15:25 Lingfield

Bardd

10st 6lb

J: Caoilin Quinn

T: Danni O’Neill

Last won in 2017 (Flat); 0-24 over fences but runner-up in five of them, including on first two starts last season; ended last term over hurdles and it's eyecatching that he is now 11lb lower than in his latest chase (three starts back); unexposed over this sort of trip; strongly considered each-way.

14/1

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £27.00
Straight Forecast £26.89
Tricast £181.21
Trifecta £252.80

Selections

RP Ratings:

Eros

The Guardian:

Muse Of Fire

Telegraph:

Stumps Or Slips

SPOTLIGHT:

Bells Of Stamford

WEST COUNTRY:

Rock Of Star

The Times:

Sir Jack West

D Express:

Stumps Or Slips

Daily Mail:

Muse Of Fire

The Star:

Muse Of Fire

POSTDATA:

Eros

Daily Mirror:

Eros

The Sun:

Eros

Daily Record:

Eros