18.00

T: Jonjo O’Neill

10/1

Place: £6.60

Form: 7-7745

Last run: 128 days

W: 11st 11lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 130

Form & Verdict

Seemingly back in good form when fourth in strong Cheltenham handicap (2m, good to soft) in November but was well beaten there the following month; had wind surgery during subsequent four-month break and now has a tongue-tie fitted; very well handicapped but has a lot more to prove than some.

Place / No / Draw	Date / Going / Distance / Class	Time + Course Horse + Weight Jockey / Trainer	Verdict	Starting price
8th 11	20th Jul 2024 Good 2m 5f 89y Class 1	15:15 Market Rasen Prince Escalus 11st 5lb J: Jonjo O’Neill Jr T: Jonjo & A J O’Neill	Can be up and down and hasn't shown any obvious benefit for wind surgery in his last two starts; what could help is this step back up in trip and he's historically well treated.	25/1
3rd 8	18th May 2024 Good 2m 1f 77y Class 2	17:40 Bangor-on-Dee Prince Escalus 11st 2lb J: Jonjo O’Neill Jr T: Jonjo & A J O’Neill	Has rather mixed record since latest win in February 2023 but, following a wind op, gave good account when third (behind Fringill Dike) at Kempton (2m2f, good) last month; can't be ruled out.	10/1
3rd 8	18th May 2024 Good 2m 1f 77y Class 2	17:40 Bangor-on-Dee Prince Escalus 11st 2lb J: Jonjo O’Neill Jr T: Jonjo & A J O’Neill	Has rather mixed record since latest win in February 2023 but, following a wind op, gave good account when third (behind Fringill Dike) at Kempton (2m2f, good) last month; can't be ruled out.	10/1

Place /
No / Draw

Date / Going /
Distance / Class

Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer

Verdict

Starting price

8th

20th Jul 2024

Good

2m 5f 89y

Class 1

15:15 Market Rasen

11st 5lb

T: Jonjo & A J O’Neill

Can be up and down and hasn't shown any obvious benefit for wind surgery in his last two starts; what could help is this step back up in trip and he's historically well treated.

25/1

3rd

18th May 2024

Good

2m 1f 77y

Class 2

17:40 Bangor-on-Dee

11st 2lb

T: Jonjo & A J O’Neill

Has rather mixed record since latest win in February 2023 but, following a wind op, gave good account when third (behind Fringill Dike) at Kempton (2m2f, good) last month; can't be ruled out.

10/1

3rd

18th May 2024

Good

2m 1f 77y

Class 2

17:40 Bangor-on-Dee

11st 2lb

T: Jonjo & A J O’Neill

Has rather mixed record since latest win in February 2023 but, following a wind op, gave good account when third (behind Fringill Dike) at Kempton (2m2f, good) last month; can't be ruled out.

10/1

4th

Frere DArmes

J: Harry Skelton

T: Dan Skelton

4/1

Form: 52P6P3 CD BF

Last run: 29 days

W: 11st 11lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 130

Form & Verdict

Unable to justify favouritism when third of five at Ascot (2m1f, good) last month but still ran pretty well, and is now 3lb lower than when going close in very valuable handicap over that C&D in the autumn; respected.

Place / No / Draw	Date / Going / Distance / Class	Time + Course Horse + Weight Jockey / Trainer	Verdict	Starting price
1st 1	5th Feb 2025 Good To Soft 2m 7f 171y Class 4	16:45 Ludlow Frere DArmes 12st 6lb J: Miss Heidi Palin T: Dan Skelton	Snapped a losing run when making all in a 2m5f handicap at Fakenham (good to soft) where the cheekpieces were reapplied; made mistakes when below that level in a Taunton hunter chase where soft ground wouldn't have been ideal; could easily bounce back should conditions remain favourable.	3/1
1st 1	5th Feb 2025 Good To Soft 2m 7f 171y Class 4	16:45 Ludlow Frere DArmes 12st 6lb J: Miss Heidi Palin T: Dan Skelton	Snapped a losing run when making all in a 2m5f handicap at Fakenham (good to soft) where the cheekpieces were reapplied; made mistakes when below that level in a Taunton hunter chase where soft ground wouldn't have been ideal; could easily bounce back should conditions remain favourable.	3/1
2	8th Jan 2025 Soft 2m 5f 150y Class 5	14:45 Taunton Frere DArmes 12st 6lb J: Miss Heidi Palin T: Dan Skelton	prominent, not fluent 8th, soon lost ground, mistake 9th, bad mistake 11th, soon weakened	2/1

Place /
No / Draw

Date / Going /
Distance / Class

Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer

Verdict

Starting price

1st

5th Feb 2025

Good To Soft

2m 7f 171y

Class 4

12st 6lb

Snapped a losing run when making all in a 2m5f handicap at Fakenham (good to soft) where the cheekpieces were reapplied; made mistakes when below that level in a Taunton hunter chase where soft ground wouldn't have been ideal; could easily bounce back should conditions remain favourable.

3/1

1st

5th Feb 2025

Good To Soft

2m 7f 171y

Class 4

12st 6lb

3/1

8th Jan 2025

Soft

2m 5f 150y

Class 5

12st 6lb

prominent, not fluent 8th, soon lost ground, mistake 9th, bad mistake 11th, soon weakened

2/1

5th

Issar dAiry

J: Niall Houlihan

T: Gary Moore

15/2

Form: 1-3115

Last run: 37 days

W: 11st 9lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 128

Form & Verdict

Made very good start to chasing career, winning twice at Newbury (2m, soft) during the winter; made jumping errors when last of five over C&D last month but has plenty of scope to resume his earlier progress if more fluent over the fences today.

Place / No / Draw	Date / Going / Distance / Class	Time + Course Horse + Weight Jockey / Trainer	Verdict	Starting price
5th 6	7th Feb 2025 Good To Soft 2m 4f 110y Class 3	15:25 Kempton Issar dAiry 11st 5lb J: Freddie Mitchell T: Gary & Josh Moore	Has useful 2m form over fences, running well in first-time cheekpieces (retained) at Cheltenham most recently; gained both hurdles wins at about 2m4f and enters calculations back up in distance.	6/1
5th 6	7th Feb 2025 Good To Soft 2m 4f 110y Class 3	15:25 Kempton Issar dAiry 11st 5lb J: Freddie Mitchell T: Gary & Josh Moore	held up in rear, hit 7th, headway 8th, hit 12th, soon went fourth, weakened gradually from 3 out	6/1

Place /
No / Draw

Date / Going /
Distance / Class

Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer

Verdict

Starting price

5th

7th Feb 2025

Good To Soft

2m 4f 110y

Class 3

11st 5lb

Has useful 2m form over fences, running well in first-time cheekpieces (retained) at Cheltenham most recently; gained both hurdles wins at about 2m4f and enters calculations back up in distance.

6/1

5th

7th Feb 2025

Good To Soft

2m 4f 110y

Class 3

11st 5lb

held up in rear, hit 7th, headway 8th, hit 12th, soon went fourth, weakened gradually from 3 out

6/1

6th

9/1

Form: 11-225

Last run: 29 days

W: 12st 0lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 133

Form & Verdict

Ended last season with two wins (1m7f/2m) last spring and began this campaign with two good seconds here (2m2f/2m4f) in the autumn; not at best at Ascot last month, after a break, but still considered.

Place / No / Draw	Date / Going / Distance / Class	Time + Course Horse + Weight Jockey / Trainer	Verdict	Starting price
6th 6	25th Nov 2024 Good To Soft 2m 4f 110y Class 3	15:10 Kempton Thelasthighking 11st 5lb J: Jordan Nailor T: Nigel Twiston-Davies	Solid spell culminated in a second-place finish off 8lb higher in this contest 12 months ago (good to soft); less consistent since but has a fighting chance provided he's back in top form.	9/1
6th 6	25th Nov 2024 Good To Soft 2m 4f 110y Class 3	15:10 Kempton Thelasthighking 11st 5lb J: Jordan Nailor T: Nigel Twiston-Davies	Solid spell culminated in a second-place finish off 8lb higher in this contest 12 months ago (good to soft); less consistent since but has a fighting chance provided he's back in top form.	9/1
4th 5	7th Nov 2024 Good 2m 3f 187y Class 3	15:27 Newbury Thelasthighking 11st 5lb J: Jordan Nailor T: Nigel Twiston-Davies	raced in second, lost position 7th, not fluent and dropped to rear 9th, lost touch after 3 out, some headway run-in	7/1

Place /
No / Draw

Date / Going /
Distance / Class

Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer

Verdict

Starting price

6th

25th Nov 2024

Good To Soft

2m 4f 110y

Class 3

15:10 Kempton

11st 5lb

Solid spell culminated in a second-place finish off 8lb higher in this contest 12 months ago (good to soft); less consistent since but has a fighting chance provided he's back in top form.

9/1

6th

25th Nov 2024

Good To Soft

2m 4f 110y

Class 3

15:10 Kempton

11st 5lb

Solid spell culminated in a second-place finish off 8lb higher in this contest 12 months ago (good to soft); less consistent since but has a fighting chance provided he's back in top form.

9/1

4th

7th Nov 2024

Good

2m 3f 187y

Class 3

15:27 Newbury

11st 5lb