March 25 / 17.00 Newbury

17.00

Good To Soft

Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Veterans’ Handicap Chase

  • Prize money: £10744.19
  • 2m 7f 86y
  • Class 3
  • 11 runners
RTV
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Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Veterans’ Handicap Chase

Runners: 11 runners

Type: Chase Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Cloudy

7/2 (Won)

  • Win: £5.50
  • Place: £1.70

Form: 33P411 C

Last run: 21 days

W: 11st 11lb

12 yo Gelding

OR: 132

Form & Verdict
Made it 3-4 in races of this nature when beating four rivals over 3m2f here three weeks ago (good; fine on softer); front two were clear and yet he's only gone up 2lb; Ned Fox also takes off 7lb, whereas Theo Gillard claimed 3lb last time; entitled to feature.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

4

11th Mar 2024

Soft

3m 4f 85y

Class 3

15:40 Taunton

Cyclop

11st 4lb

J: William Maggs

T: David Dennis

prominent

12/1

7/2

  • Place: £1.90

Form: 5/5-71 D

Last run: 31 days

W: 11st 11lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 132

Form & Verdict
Lightly raced for a 10yo; often contested good races when with Caroline Bailey and on his second run for this yard (and back from a long absence) he showed some of his old zip to collect comfortably at Doncaster (3m, good); 6lb rise not the end of the world and, if he can follow one good run with another, he should be bang there.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

1

4th Nov 2024

Good

3m 1f 152y

Class 3

14:30 Plumpton

Boldmere

12st 0lb

J: Kielan Woods

T: Alex Hales

Pulled up on three of four appearances during very disappointing campaign last season and not an easy horse to weigh up at present but has slipped to a dangerous mark and may have been refreshed by eight-month break.

12/1

3rd

1

4th Nov 2024

Good

3m 1f 152y

Class 3

14:30 Plumpton

Boldmere

12st 0lb

J: Kielan Woods

T: Alex Hales

Pulled up on three of four appearances during very disappointing campaign last season and not an easy horse to weigh up at present but has slipped to a dangerous mark and may have been refreshed by eight-month break.

12/1

9

9th Mar 2024

Soft

3m 0f 37y

Class 3

16:10 Sandown

Boldmere

11st 7lb

J: Kielan Woods

T: Alex Hales

Pulled up twice this season but was badly hampered on reappearance and never on an even keel after early mistakes at Warwick last time; far from disgraced over 3m4f here in between; returning to 3m should suit and he's been given a big chance by the handicapper; interesting at likely lengthy odds.

16/1

10/1

  • Place: £2.30

Form: 33P-30 D

Last run: 77 days

W: 11st 6lb

11 yo Gelding

OR: 127

Form & Verdict
Easy to make a case off this mark on a few of his runs in staying chases but he was beaten 16l into third on his comeback run and then ran very flat in a veterans' chase at Sandown; hard to trust on the back of that.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

0

8

29th Oct 2023

Good To Soft

3m 0f 210y

Class 2

13:25 Aintree

Chirico Vallis

10st 12lb

J: Richie McLernon

T: Neil Mulholland

Well held in the latest final of this series but ties in with Boldmere on Newbury running next time out; early faller in similar event at Chepstow most recently; competitively handicapped granted a clear round.

10/1

0

9

13th Oct 2023

Good

2m 7f 131y

Class 2

13:35 Chepstow

Chirico Vallis

10st 5lb

J: Richie McLernon

T: Neil Mulholland

Not the most consistent but he was returning from a similar break when winning over C&D at this meeting two years ago off 3lb higher; confined to only seven starts in the meantime and some of them were highly respectable.

10/1

6th

3

29th May 2023

Good

3m 5f 80y

Class 3

15:30 Cartmel

Chirico Vallis

11st 6lb

J: Richie McLernon

T: Neil Mulholland

led

5/1

Form: /421-P

Last run: 70 days

W: 11st 12lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 133

Form & Verdict
Lightly raced for his age; bled when pulled up on his belated return to action over a trip shy of 2m and he's not been anywhere close to 3m since his pointing days; even if back on song, he'll probably get outstayed.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

10th

2

7th May 2024

Good

2m 4f 88y

Class 4

19:42 Southwell

Witness Protection

12st 2lb

J: James Best

T: Martin Keighley

Struggled over fences after returning from a long absence and never counted on his belated return to hurdling at Cheltenham last month.

33/1

10th

2

7th May 2024

Good

2m 4f 88y

Class 4

19:42 Southwell

Witness Protection

12st 2lb

J: James Best

T: Martin Keighley

Struggled over fences after returning from a long absence and never counted on his belated return to hurdling at Cheltenham last month.

33/1

16

17th Apr 2024

Good To Soft

2m 0f 179y

Class 3

17:00 Cheltenham

Witness Protection

10st 12lb

J: Harry Atkins

T: Martin Keighley

held up in rear, outpaced and cajoled along 5th, lost touch before 2 out

50/1

Form: 10-5P9 D

Last run: 42 days

W: 11st 13lb

11 yo Gelding

OR: 134

Form & Verdict
Last season he won a 3m2f Cheltenham handicap by some 15l and is now only 1lb higher than that day; ran quite well on his reappearance back at Cheltenham but nothing of note since.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6

2nd Mar 2024

Soft

3m 1f 214y

Class 2

13:20 Newbury

Commodore

10st 12lb

J: Charlie Deutsch

T: Venetia Williams

His Cheltenham win (3m2f, good to soft) in December 2021 came on the back of a similar absence and he was 5lb higher back then; final campaign fizzled out but again ran well on his reappearance so this could be the time to take a chance on him; hasn't always shone on heavy but does handle it.

6/1

5th

3

25th Mar 2023

Good To Soft

2m 7f 86y

Class 3

17:00 Newbury

Commodore

11st 13lb

J: Shane Quinlan

T: Venetia Williams

Last season he won a 3m2f Cheltenham handicap by some 15l and is now only 1lb higher than that day; ran quite well on his reappearance back at Cheltenham but nothing of note since.

16/1

9th

3

11th Feb 2023

Good To Soft

3m 0f 0y

Class 2

14:45 Uttoxeter

Commodore

11st 7lb

J: Shane Quinlan

T: Venetia Williams

led

14/1

Form: 3P-330 C

Last run: 77 days

W: 11st 7lb

13 yo Gelding

OR: 128

Form & Verdict
Respectable thirds to kick off the campaign and his jumping was a bit ragged when well beaten at Sandown (third the two previous seasons); likely to give a good account if more on the ball this afternoon.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

3

13th Apr 2023

Good

2m 7f 3y

Class 5

14:00 Taunton

Sir Ivan

11st 12lb

J: Miss Megan Bevan

T: Harry Fry

pressed leader early, raced in second when mistake 4th, hit 6th, pushed along briefly after 13th, slight lead when mistake 3 out, 2 lengths ahead last, kept on well

13/8

6th

8

25th Mar 2023

Good To Soft

2m 7f 86y

Class 3

17:00 Newbury

Sir Ivan

11st 7lb

J: Lorcan Murtagh

T: Harry Fry

Respectable thirds to kick off the campaign and his jumping was a bit ragged when well beaten at Sandown (third the two previous seasons); likely to give a good account if more on the ball this afternoon.

14/1

11th

12

7th Jan 2023

Soft

3m 0f 37y

Class 2

15:00 Sandown

Sir Ivan

11st 0lb

J: Lorcan Murtagh

T: Harry Fry

Third in the last two runnings of this race, both in the mud; has made a solid start to this campaign and, although needing to raise his game again, he enters the reckoning off his lowest mark since 2015, 11lb lower than he was 12 months ago.

11/1

Form: 1-6PP5 CD

Last run: 41 days

W: 11st 9lb

11 yo Gelding

OR: 130

Form & Verdict
Only win since landing the 2018 Welsh Grand National was in a veterans' chase at Ascot 12 months ago off 10lb higher; too well handicapped to ignore but this season hasn't got going at all.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

0

6

12th Nov 2023

Good To Soft

3m 0f 37y

Class 2

15:25 Sandown

Elegant Escape

10st 6lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Joe Tizzard

His Welsh Grand National win was five years ago and sole success since was in a veterans' chase at Ascot in March of 2022; last season never got going at all but his trainer reports him in good shape and he's rocketed down the weights.

12/1

7th

7

25th Mar 2023

Good To Soft

2m 7f 86y

Class 3

17:00 Newbury

Elegant Escape

11st 9lb

J: Brendan Powell

T: Joe Tizzard

Only win since landing the 2018 Welsh Grand National was in a veterans' chase at Ascot 12 months ago off 10lb higher; too well handicapped to ignore but this season hasn't got going at all.

12/1

5th

5

12th Feb 2023

Good

3m 0f 54y

Class 2

16:30 Exeter

Elegant Escape

11st 4lb

J: Brendan Powell

T: Joe Tizzard

Smart in his prime, with career highlight his 2018 Welsh Grand National win; capitalised upon some help from the handicapper when gaining a hard-fought win in Ascot veterans' race (3m, good) last March and he has a 5lb lower mark today, but disappointing shows are more the norm nowadays; has a change of equipment but it's hard to bank on a revival.

16/1

Form: -64159 D

Last run: 35 days

W: 11st 4lb

11 yo Gelding

OR: 125

Form & Verdict
Haydock winner in November and then ran fifth in the final of the veterans' series at Sandown; remote finish in a valuable handicap back at Haydock last month when the saddled slipped; can do better here.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

14

16th Apr 2025

Good

3m 4f 21y

Class 3

15:15 Cheltenham

Saint Xavier

10st 13lb

J: Charlie Maggs

T: Richard Hobson

Long in the tooth now and no longer the force of old; exploited some considerable help from the handicapper when winning at Haydock (3m4f, soft) just after Christmas but was well beaten next time (albeit on heavy ground) and younger rivals have much more appealing profiles.

25/1

14

16th Apr 2025

Good

3m 4f 21y

Class 3

15:15 Cheltenham

Saint Xavier

10st 13lb

J: Charlie Maggs

T: Richard Hobson

Long in the tooth now and no longer the force of old; exploited some considerable help from the handicapper when winning at Haydock (3m4f, soft) just after Christmas but was well beaten next time (albeit on heavy ground) and younger rivals have much more appealing profiles.

25/1

Form: 7/1P-0 CD

Last run: 119 days

W: 12st 0lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 135

Form & Verdict
Lightly raced 9yo who was very good at times for Paul Nicholls, including his two 2m6f handicap wins at the big early-season meeting here; quiet on his final two runs for that top yard but could be interesting if revived by a change of scenery.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

3

27th Apr 2023

Good To Soft

2m 4f 20y

Class 2

15:30 Perth

Kapcorse

11st 3lb

J: Lilly Pinchin

T: Billy Aprahamian

Useful on his day for Paul Nicholls but was quiet on his final two runs for that yard and again on his debut for this one; well handicapped but with questions to answer at the minute.

12/1

9th

2

25th Mar 2023

Good To Soft

2m 7f 86y

Class 3

17:00 Newbury

Kapcorse

12st 0lb

J: Tom Cannon

T: Billy Aprahamian

Lightly raced 9yo who was very good at times for Paul Nicholls, including his two 2m6f handicap wins at the big early-season meeting here; quiet on his final two runs for that top yard but could be interesting if revived by a change of scenery.

20/1

OUR TIP

Form: P6-U21

Last run: 244 days

W: 12st 2lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 137

Form & Verdict
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

0

5

22nd Aug 2023

Good

2m 7f 0y

Class 2

18:00 Worcester

Ruthless Article

11st 1lb

J: Brian Hughes

T: Rebecca Curtis

Back pretty much at his best when second in the Summer Cup at Uttoxeter in early July; not so good when favourite there (again 3m2f on good) four weeks later, 13l behind Hell Red, and needs to revert to that better form.

9/1

4th

1

30th Jul 2023

Good To Soft

3m 2f 13y

Class 2

15:10 Uttoxeter

Ruthless Article

12st 0lb

J: Brian Hughes

T: Rebecca Curtis

prominent, mistake 6th, hit 11th, ridden when outpaced after 3 out (usual 4 out), not fluent 2 out, weakened last

11/8

2nd

7

2nd Jul 2023

Good

3m 2f 13y

Class 2

15:12 Uttoxeter

Ruthless Article

11st 1lb

J: Danny Mullins

T: Rebecca Curtis

Clear second in this contest last year then went one better (off this mark) in C&D event next time out; well-held fourth to Kinondo Kwetu at Aintree most recently but looks interesting returned to Uttoxeter.

9/1

Form: -54273 D

Last run: 22 days

W: 11st 1lb

13 yo Gelding

OR: 122

Form & Verdict
Couple of respectable efforts this season, the latest when 6l away over 3m at Doncaster; looks to have nothing in hand of his current mark but brings each-way claims.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

12th

5

19th Apr 2023

Good To Soft

3m 4f 21y

Class 3

14:40 Cheltenham

Potters Legend

11st 11lb

J: Jack Quinlan

T: Charlie Longsdon

Teenager who was placed on two of first five starts for Charlie Longsdon, more recently when third off 2lb higher at Doncaster (3m, good) last month; on the retreat when falling at Newbury last time but will be fine over today's trip and has a pretty good record at Cheltenham; shortlisted.

16/1

11

25th Mar 2023

Good To Soft

2m 7f 86y

Class 3

17:00 Newbury

Potters Legend

11st 1lb

J: Paul O’Brien

T: Charlie Longsdon

Couple of respectable efforts this season, the latest when 6l away over 3m at Doncaster; looks to have nothing in hand of his current mark but brings each-way claims.

11/1

3rd

1

3rd Mar 2023

Good

2m 7f 214y

Class 3

15:10 Doncaster

Potters Legend

12st 0lb

J: Theo Gillard

T: Charlie Longsdon

13yo who was soundly beaten at Wincanton last month but that was a 0-135 and he's back down in grade here; good second at Catterick (3m1f, soft) two starts ago on his second stable start and he's also effective on good ground; could have a part to play.

8/1

Non-runners

Ruthless Article

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £19.80
Straight Forecast £21.07
Tricast £92.17
Trifecta £166.00

Selections

RP Ratings:

Cyclop

SPOTLIGHT:

Boldmere

WEST COUNTRY:

Witness Protection

TOPSPEED:

Potters Legend

The Guardian:

Ruthless Article

The Times:

Boldmere

The Sun:

Boldmere

The Star:

Witness Protection

POSTDATA:

Potters Legend

Telegraph:

Cyclop

Daily Mail:

Cyclop

D Express:

Cyclop

Daily Mirror:

Cyclop

Daily Record:

Cyclop