December 30 / 14.00 Haydock

14.00

Heavy

Betfred Goals Galore Novices’ Handicap Chase (GBB Race)

  • Prize money: £6337.2
  • 3m 1f 125y
  • Class 4
  • 6 runners
RTV
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Betfred Goals Galore Novices’ Handicap Chase (GBB Race)

Runners: 6 runners

Type: Chase Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Rain

OUR TIP

9/4 (Won)

  • Win: £4.34
  • Place: £1.80

Form: /22P-3

Last run: 42 days

W: 12st 0lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 117

Form & Verdict
Yet to win over fences but plenty of sound runs to his credit, including on reappearance when third at Wetherby (3m, heavy; jockey dropped his whip on home turn); a possible
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

1

25th Feb 2024

Heavy

3m 1f 44y

Class 4

14:10 Hereford

Southern Sam

12st 0lb

J: Joe Anderson

T: Richard J Bandey

Tired in the latter stages over 3m3f last month; opened his chase account at Haydock (3m1f, heavy; narrow win) the time before and has proved largely consistent; possibilities back down in trip, provided he takes well to first-time headgear.

15/8

3rd

2

28th Jan 2024

Soft

3m 3f 149y

Class 4

15:55 Fontwell

Southern Sam

12st 0lb

J: David Bass

T: Richard J Bandey

disputed lead, led narrowly before 6th, hit 11th

2/1

1st

1

30th Dec 2023

Heavy

3m 1f 125y

Class 4

14:00 Haydock

Southern Sam

12st 0lb

J: Harry Bannister

T: Richard J Bandey

Yet to win over fences but plenty of sound runs to his credit, including on reappearance when third at Wetherby (3m, heavy; jockey dropped his whip on home turn); a possible

9/4

9/2

  • Place: £1.60

Form: 3522-5

Last run: 48 days

W: 11st 6lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 109

Form & Verdict
Winning Irish pointer (3m, good to yielding) who won a Carlisle maiden hurdle (2m1f, heavy) in February 2022: placed on two of his four runs over fences, notably when second at Uttoxeter in April (3m, heavy); not at his best of reappearance but could bounce back.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

10

15th Apr 2026

Good

3m 4f 97y

Class 3

15:50 Haydock

Gold Emery

10st 9lb

J: Theo Gillard

T: Donald McCain

All starts on softer than good; no win from 16 attempts over fences but runner-up in seven, including off this mark when he tried an extended 3m6f in the North Wales National at Bangor on penultimate start; ran creditably over 3m7f at Chepstow latest, so has place claims again but he does not look the percentage call for win purposes.

9/1

3rd

2

26th Mar 2026

Good

3m 6f 136y

Class 4

15:50 Chepstow

Gold Emery

11st 10lb

J: Theo Gillard

T: Donald McCain

All starts on softer than good; no win from 15 attempts over fences but runner-up in seven, including off this mark when he tried an extended 3m6f in the North Wales National at Bangor last time; probably the most likely to give his running and get seriously involved.

9/2

2nd

9

25th Feb 2026

Soft

3m 5f 142y

Class 4

16:00 Bangor-on-Dee

Gold Emery

11st 2lb

J: Theo Gillard

T: Donald McCain

A runner-up on six occasions over fences but 0-14 in this discipline and came up short in a veterans' chase a month ago (3m1f); looks vulnerable.

10/1

Form: 4342-6

Last run: 52 days

W: 10st 13lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 102

Form & Verdict
Beat a decent sort when winning an Irish point (3m, soft) in December 2021; placed a couple of times over hurdles; wasn't entirely fluent and hung left on chase debut at Chepstow and now tried in cheekpieces; quite interesting.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7

21st Mar 2025

Good

2m 7f 177y

Class 3

15:40 Ffos Las

Rouge De LQuest

10st 7lb

J: Ben Jones

T: Rebecca Curtis

Placed four consecutive times (2m7f-3m6f) after his C&D (heavy) win in first-time blinkers just under a year ago; still on a workable mark but was pulled up when tried in a visor last month and is untested on ground faster than good to soft.

9/2

6

7th Feb 2025

Soft

3m 5f 142y

Class 4

14:12 Bangor-on-Dee

Rouge De LQuest

11st 9lb

J: Callum Pritchard

T: Rebecca Curtis

Lightly raced 9yo who has been consistent in staying chases at up to 3m1f but stamina appeared stretched over 3m6f at Exeter (soft) last time; will need to see this out better and the change of headgear is a grey area.

15/2

6

7th Feb 2025

Soft

3m 5f 142y

Class 4

14:12 Bangor-on-Dee

Rouge De LQuest

11st 9lb

J: Callum Pritchard

T: Rebecca Curtis

Lightly raced 9yo who has been consistent in staying chases at up to 3m1f but stamina appeared stretched over 3m6f at Exeter (soft) last time; will need to see this out better and the change of headgear is a grey area.

15/2

Form: 12-32

Last run: 34 days

W: 11st 13lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 116

Form & Verdict
Irish point winner; won a maiden hurdle at Ayr last term (2m4f, soft); two fair runs in small-field handicap chases this season, last time runner-up in a two-finisher event at Uttoxeter (3m, heavy); blinkers now tried.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6

17th Sep 2025

Good

2m 5f 133y

Class 4

17:00 Kelso

Step Above

11st 5lb

J: Patrick Wadge

T: Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore

Off since recording a good second in 2m4f Ayr handicap chase in March but he has run well off a break so can't be discounted; visor goes back on too.

7/1

2nd

2

7th Mar 2025

Soft

2m 4f 110y

Class 4

16:40 Ayr

Step Above

11st 11lb

J: Patrick Wadge

T: Lucinda Russell

Posted a good fourth over C&D in January, but fell heavily back here 24 days ago; ought to be thereabouts in his bid for a first victory in this sphere.

11/4

5

11th Feb 2025

Soft

2m 4f 110y

Class 4

14:10 Ayr

Step Above

11st 5lb

J: Patrick Wadge

T: Lucinda Russell

held up in rear

7/1

Form: -26355

Last run: 49 days

W: 11st 9lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 112

Form & Verdict
Ex-Gordon Elliott; placed in a couple of points in 2022 before winning a maiden hurdle at Tramore (2m6f, heavy) in January last year; bit disappointing over fences, although has excuses for a below-par run at Kelso last time; bit to prove.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

10th

5

23rd May 2026

Good To Soft

2m 5f 34y

Class 5

17:05 Cartmel

Cardamon Hill

11st 4lb

J: Patrick Wadge

T: Miss A M Slack

Three listless performances since returning from 13 months out; 12lb below his last winning mark now, but no good thing to capitalise.

100/1

5

2nd May 2026

Good

3m 0f 41y

Class 5

19:45 Hexham

Cardamon Hill

11st 9lb

J: William Maggs

T: Miss A M Slack

Won twice in November 2024 (2m7f/3m, good/good to soft) but mainly disappointing since including on both runs since a 404-day break; plenty to prove at present.

20/1

5th

3

10th Apr 2026

Good

2m 5f 28y

Class 4

13:57 Sedgefield

Cardamon Hill

11st 9lb

J: Danny McMenamin

T: Miss A M Slack

Stays 3m and acts on the forecast sound surface; 50-1, always behind and pulled up on his return from 13 months off the track at Wetherby on latest start; bit to prove.

9/1

Form: 5353-4

Last run: 55 days

W: 11st 9lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 112

Form & Verdict
£5,500 buy out of Dan Skelton's yard last May; Worcester hurdle winner in May 2021 (2m7f) but that was on good ground and today's conditions may not suit.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4

30th May 2024

Good

3m 0f 0y

Class 5

19:40 Warwick

Presenting Jeremy

11st 11lb

J: Lorcan Murtagh

T: Barry Murtagh

2m7f hurdle winner (good) when with Dan Skelton; has struggled in all three starts for his current trainer; tongue-tie now accompanies cheekpieces; much more is needed from him.

33/1

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £12.40
Straight Forecast £12.34
Trifecta £33.20

Selections

POSTDATA:

Step Above

RP RATINGS:

Southern Sam

SPOTLIGHT:

Gold Emery

TOPSPEED:

Presenting Jeremy

The Times:

Step Above

Telegraph:

Step Above

The Guardian:

Step Above

Daily Mail:

Step Above

Daily Record:

Step Above

D Express:

Southern Sam

Daily Mirror:

Southern Sam

The Sun:

Southern Sam

The Star:

Southern Sam