October 25 / 16.20 Fontwell

16.20

Good To Soft

BetMGM: It’s Showtime Handicap Chase

  • Prize money: £4858.52
  • 2m 1f 165y
  • Class 4
  • 7 runners
SKY
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BetMGM: It’s Showtime Handicap Chase

Runners: 7 runners

Type: Chase Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Rain

Form: 63613- BF

Last run: 218 days

W: 12st 0lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 109

Form & Verdict
Won on handicap hurdle debut at Ludlow in March but not seen since later that month; chasing debut and probably needs to have improved in the interim as he's still 7lb above the winning mark.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

5

8th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

2m 5f 5y

Class 4

15:10 Warwick

Thankyourluckystar

11st 7lb

J: Jonathan Burke

T: Alastair Ralph

Returned to form with creditable second at Southwell (2m4f) last time but looks unlikely to go one better; the 10yo faces a difficult task against several younger rivals who are open to further improvement.

14/1

2nd

4

2nd Feb 2026

Good To Soft

2m 4f 88y

Class 4

15:52 Southwell

Thankyourluckystar

11st 9lb

J: Jack Hogan

T: Alastair Ralph

All wins have been on good ground, latest at Worcester in May (2m7f); below-par two runs since and bit to prove at present.

11/1

2

19th Nov 2025

Soft

3m 1f 5y

Class 4

15:10 Warwick

Thankyourluckystar

12st 0lb

J: Harry Skelton

T: Alastair Ralph

Burst back to life with 15l win at Worcester (2m7f, good) in May; absent since and up 11lb, which puts him on clear career-high mark at the age of nine; also has a slight query on this forecast soft ground but Harry Skelton retains the ride; should be in the mix if ready to go.

5/2

OUR TIP

Form: 33234- D BF

Last run: 226 days

W: 11st 13lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 108

Form & Verdict
French bumper/chasing winner; mixed bag in four British starts last season but his two respectable efforts came when wearing a tongue-strap (also worn in the French wins); tailed off when last seen in March but could do much better with the aid restored.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

1

24th Mar 2026

Good

3m 1f 185y

Class 4

14:00 Southwell

Icaque De LIsle

11st 13lb

J: Harry Bannister

T: Richard J Bandey

Overall chase record of 2-16; dug deep to win over a trip just shy of 3m at Lingfield (soft; 5lb lower) and 3m6f on heavy found him out at Exeter a month ago; may prefer softer ground in an ideal world but hard to rule out.

3/1

6

20th Feb 2026

Heavy

3m 6f 153y

Class 3

15:45 Exeter

Icaque De LIsle

10st 4lb

J: Harry Bannister

T: Richard J Bandey

2-2 on heavy going (one in Britain); first chase win was in France in 2022 and it was his 12th attempt in a British chase when he finally won one at Lingfield (extended 2m7f, soft) last month; back up 5lb for this first appearance beyond 3m1f, so others appear more solid.

7/1

Form: 93312- D BF

Last run: 216 days

W: 11st 11lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 106

Form & Verdict
Carlisle winner on handicap hurdle debut in March and it was only four days later when he was a close second at Chepstow; proven on soft ground so could be a major factor on chasing debut, if he takes to it.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

6

3rd Oct 2024

Good To Soft

2m 4f 0y

Class 3

14:55 Warwick

Big Blue Moon

10st 5lb

J: Stan Sheppard

T: Tom Lacey

Off for nearly a year before pulling up on chase debut (jumped poorly) and when reverting to hurdles in March but subsequent efforts back on good ground yielded two wins at around this trip and he didn't run badly off this mark when third in May; needs to cut out the mistakes reverting to fences but interesting back from a break.

11/2

3rd

3

26th May 2024

Soft

2m 3f 207y

Class 4

15:00 Uttoxeter

Big Blue Moon

11st 7lb

J: Stan Sheppard

T: Tom Lacey

prominent, led 6th, headed before 2 out, weakened quickly approaching last

2/1

3rd

3

26th May 2024

Soft

2m 3f 207y

Class 4

15:00 Uttoxeter

Big Blue Moon

11st 7lb

J: Stan Sheppard

T: Tom Lacey

prominent, led 6th, headed before 2 out, weakened quickly approaching last

2/1

Form: 9P21-2 BF

Last run: 169 days

W: 11st 8lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 103

Form & Verdict
Front-runner over hurdles; won a Chepstow maiden in April and runner-up on handicap debut 11 days later; could be a threat on chasing debut but fell in both Irish pointing starts, which tempers confidence.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

1

24th Mar 2026

Good

2m 7f 3y

Class 4

15:45 Taunton

Good Friday Fairy

11st 12lb

J: Toby McCain-Mitchell

T: Ben Clarke

Resumed with victory at Exeter (2m3f) in November and in good form until pulled up in 2m3f handicap chase at Fontwell ten days ago; this course winner is the sort to bounce back in a change of headgear, though.

9/2

1

14th Mar 2026

Soft

2m 3f 104y

Class 4

14:35 Fontwell

Good Friday Fairy

12st 2lb

J: Rex Dingle

T: Ben Clarke

Did well for cheekpieces going on last year, winning three times at 2m3f-2m5f, latterly off 3lb lower, and going a stone and a half up the weights; 2m7f looked to find him out at Newbury last month and this is less competitive back down in trip; holds decent claims.

5/2

4th

3

17th Feb 2026

2m 7f 91y

Class 3

15:55 Newbury

Good Friday Fairy

11st 7lb

J: Sam Twiston-Davies

T: Ben Clarke

All good since the cheekpieces went on, winning three times (2m3f-2m5f, good to soft/soft); kept on well for third off today's mark at Exeter (2m3f, good to soft) last month and returning to further looks the right move.

13/2

Form: 35-611 C

Last run: 18 days

W: 11st 7lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 102

Form & Verdict
Unbeaten in two starts since wind surgery and the fitting of a tongue-strap; both wins in five-runner races and it wasn't much of a contest he won over slightly further here 18 days ago; still hard to knock, however, and hat-trick could be on the cards off 5lb higher.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

2

(5)

7th Oct 2025

Standard

1m 6f 21y

Class 6

19:30 Southwell (AW)

Tamaris

9st 13lb

J: Pat Cosgrave

T: James Owen

Absent since justifying favouritism off only 1lb lower at Wolverhampton (won going away; stable debut) in April 2024 to complete a 2m double; major player provided he returns in similar form; the market signals may offer further guidance.

11/4

Abandoned

Form: /2222- BF

Last run: 185 days

W: 11st 0lb

4 yo Gelding

OR: 104

Form & Verdict
All five career starts over hurdles; second four times in Britain last season which sounds a warning bell; receives healthy 9lb allowance as a 4yo on chasing debut and perhaps going over fences will be the making of him.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

4

24th Sep 2024

Good

2m 3f 104y

Class 4

16:15 Fontwell

Aviles

11st 11lb

J: Niall Houlihan

T: Gary & Josh Moore

in touch with leaders, lost position before 6th, reminders after 7th

10/1

6th

5

12th May 2024

Good

2m 3f 164y

Class 4

15:15 Plumpton

Aviles

11st 8lb

J: Caoilin Quinn

T: Gary & Josh Moore

didn't always jump with fluency, in touch with leaders, lost ground after 9th

9/2

Form: 63-3P3

Last run: 106 days

W: 10st 2lb

7 yo Mare

OR: 80

Form & Verdict
Third over C&D in May and filled same position at Uttoxeter when last seen in July but now 0-23 in her career; 3lb out of the weights and hard to see where the necessary improvement will come from.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6

24th May 2026

Good To Soft

2m 3f 104y

Class 5

16:55 Fontwell

Millies Mite

10st 2lb

J: Marc Goldstein

T: Karen Jewell

Dual C&D winner, latterly on good ground last April; her infrequent going days are difficult to foretell, though, and she was soundly beaten here (2m2f) ten days ago; 1lb out of the weights.

25/1

6th

8

14th May 2026

Good

2m 1f 165y

Class 5

19:40 Fontwell

Millies Mite

10st 2lb

J: Marc Goldstein

T: Karen Jewell

Course regular who has won twice (about 2m3f, good) and been placed on another four occasions from 15 visits; last won just over a year ago but looked to have something to offer when unseating four out in April and it was too far out to tell how she'd have fared when falling, again here, last time; 2lb wrong but she's not dismissed.

20/1

11

24th Apr 2026

Good To Soft

2m 3f 104y

Class 5

19:20 Fontwell

Millies Mite

10st 5lb

J: Marc Goldstein

T: Karen Jewell

Pulled up on her final two outings in 2025 but looked in much better form back from a break here 16 days ago, moving well close to the pace when unseating four out; has won the last two runnings of this race off similar marks and could be set for another bold bid.

10/1

Non-runners

Romanor

Verdict

Tamaris has obvious claims in his hat-trick bid but both wins have come in modest company and on good ground. Big Blue Moon (second choice) appeals most of the chasing newcomers but perhaps ICAQUE DE L’ISLE can return to his best with the tongue-strap back on.[Jonathan Neesom]

Selections

POSTDATA:

Tamaris

The Times:

Big Blue Moon

Telegraph:

Good Friday Fairy

SPOTLIGHT:

Icaque De L'Isle

The Star:

Good Friday Fairy

D Express:

Big Blue Moon

The Sun:

Big Blue Moon

Daily Record:

Big Blue Moon

WEST COUNTRY:

Tamaris

The Guardian:

Tamaris

Daily Mail:

Tamaris

Daily Mirror:

Tamaris