October 14 / 15.10 Chepstow

15.10

Good To Soft

Happy Birthday Sue Novices’ Chase (Listed Race) (For The Robert Mottram Memorial Trophy) (GBB Race)

  • Prize money: £22780
  • 2m 3f 98y
  • Class 1
  • 4 runners
SKY
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Happy Birthday Sue Novices’ Chase (Listed Race) (For The Robert Mottram Memorial Trophy) (GBB Race)

Runners: 4 runners

Type: Chase Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Mostly sunny

5/2 (Won)

  • Win: £3.00

Form: 32353- D

Last run: 175 days

W: 11st 5lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 142

Form & Verdict
0-6 over fences last season but showed some very useful form in defeat, most recently when third in Grade 2 contest at Ayr (2m4f, good) in April; has no problems with soft ground; likely to make his presence felt.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

1

1st May 2026

Good

2m 4f 0y

Class 5

20:00 Warwick

Unexpected Party

12st 4lb

J: Miss Heidi Palin

T: Dan Skelton

Bled from the nose when a fading fourth in the Aintree Foxhunters latest (2m5f, good to soft), though still had Fan De Blues comfortably behind for the second time this year; more prolific on easier surfaces but Taunton win in January reaffirmed he's effective on good as well.

2/5

4th

22

9th Apr 2026

Good To Soft

2m 5f 19y

Class 2

15:30 Aintree

Unexpected Party

12st 0lb

J: Miss Heidi Palin

T: Dan Skelton

Won the Grand Annual at Cheltenham Festival in March 2024 (2m, soft) and runner-up in it last year (good to soft); comfortable wins in hunter chases on last two starts (2m5f/2m6f, good/good to soft); his stamina will be more severely tested in today's hotter company but leading claims if seeing it out.

4/1

1st

2

14th Feb 2026

Good To Soft

2m 6f 54y

Class 3

16:30 Haydock

Unexpected Party

12st 4lb

J: Miss Heidi Palin

T: Dan Skelton

Useful handicapper who won the Grand Annual Chase at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival (2m, soft) and was second in that race last year (good to soft); did not need to be at best to make winning hunter chase debut at Taunton (2m5f, good; main rival disappointed) last month and ought to remain a potent threat at this level.

5/4

Form: 14231- C

Last run: 168 days

W: 11st 5lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 153

Form & Verdict
Smart hurdler who won the Silver Trophy on this card a year ago (2m3f, good) and two Grade 2 events (1m7f/2m5f) subsequently last season; won't mind if the ground ends up soft and will be hard to beat if he jumps adequately on this chasing debut.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3

21st Mar 2026

Good To Soft

2m 3f 187y

Class 2

14:25 Newbury

Knappers Hill

11st 11lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Paul Nicholls

Heavy ground provides an excuse for latest effort; has hinted at retaining ability otherwise since returning from lengthy layoff; very attractively treated on historical data, which includes four Grade 2 wins (bumper/hurdles/fences); one to consider.

9/2

1

7th Feb 2026

Soft

2m 4f 0y

Class 2

14:25 Warwick

Knappers Hill

12st 0lb

J: Freddie Gingell

T: Paul Nicholls

Smart hurder/chaser in his prime; absent more than two years after Grade 2 novice chase win in autumn 2023 but returned with two pretty good efforts this season (2m5f/3m) and has possibiites in his first veterans' chase; copes well with soft ground; unraced on heavy.

3/1

Form: 600112

Last run: 16 days

W: 10st 12lb

6 yo Mare

OR: 120

Form & Verdict
Jumped well when winning Ballinrobe beginners' chase (2m7f yielding) in August and subsequently finished alone in a match race; found one too good on slow ground at Clonmel last month and is not favoured by the weights here but her trainer has a very good strike-rate in Britain.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6

13th Oct 2024

Good

3m 0f 0y

16:55 Cork

Bella Bliss

11st 10lb

J: Alex Harvey

T: John C McConnell

In decent form over hurdles and fences this year and only 1lb higher than for latest gallant second in a 2m5f handicap chase at Roscommon; stays this far.

9/2

2

30th Sep 2024

Yielding To Soft

2m 5f 147y

17:45 Roscommon

Bella Bliss

11st 7lb

J: Alex Harvey

T: John C McConnell

In decent form over hurdles and fences this year; has been runner-up on her last three starts in this discipline including handicaps at Cartmel and Bangor; handles all ground but best on good.

9/2

2nd

6

6th Sep 2024

Good

2m 4f 72y

Class 3

15:20 Bangor-on-Dee

Bella Bliss

11st 3lb

J: Alex Harvey

T: John C McConnell

Good second at Cartmel (2m5f, good) on latest chase start in June and placed in big-field handicap hurdles on next two outings; below form when tried in cheekpieces (now removed) for latest hurdling start but has a significant role to play if all goes to plan here.

9/2

OUR TIP

Form: 15123- C BF

Last run: 210 days

W: 11st 5lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 132

Form & Verdict
Developed into useful novice hurdler last season, losing out only narrowly in Haydock Grade 2 (3m, good to soft) in February before creditable third on handicap debut at Uttoxeter (2m7f, soft) the following month; may not be ideally suited by today's drop back in trip but looks a very good chasing prospect.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

16

18th Apr 2026

Soft

3m 7f 176y

Class 1

15:35 Ayr

Collectors Item

10st 13lb

J: Jonjo O’Neill Jr

T: Jonjo & A J O’Neill

Won the Somerset National over an extended 3m2f at Wincanton in January 2025 and second in the Welsh National Trial at Chepstow in December this term; he also showed last season that he stays 3m4f but there have been too many disappointing shows in major long-distance handicaps for him to be greatly fancied for this one.

50/1

4

14th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

4m 2f 8y

Class 1

15:00 Uttoxeter

Collectors Item

11st 9lb

J: Jonjo O’Neill Jr

T: Jonjo & A J O’Neill

Has a National in the bag already having captured the Somerset version over an extended 3m2f at Wincanton 14 months ago (good to soft; fine on softer), and best run since was his second in the Welsh National Trial in December; however, his form has dipped markedly on his last two starts, and his two runs over extreme distances have ended in disappointment.

20/1

4th

2

29th Jan 2026

Heavy

3m 1f 30y

Class 3

15:33 Wincanton

Collectors Item

12st 1lb

J: Jonjo O’Neill Jr

T: Jonjo & A J O’Neill

Has contested some competitive staying chases since winning the Somerset National over 3m3f here last January and found only one too good in the Welsh National Trial in December; offered little when only 11-1 for the real thing over Christmas but capable of bouncing back from that; hasn't shone on heavy ground previously but he's effective on soft.

5/2

Non-runners

Bourbali

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £5.30
Straight Forecast £4.75
Trifecta £16.50

Selections

WEST COUNTRY:

Knappers Hill

SPOTLIGHT:

Unexpected Party

The Times:

Knappers Hill

Telegraph:

Knappers Hill

The Guardian:

Knappers Hill

Daily Mail:

Knappers Hill

D Express:

Knappers Hill

Daily Mirror:

Knappers Hill

Daily Record:

Knappers Hill

RP RATINGS:

Unexpected Party

TOPSPEED:

Unexpected Party

POSTDATA:

Unexpected Party

The Sun:

Unexpected Party

The Star:

Unexpected Party