July 12 / 18.25 Chepstow

18.25

Good To Soft

Cruises Chase Handicap

  • Prize money: £2983.38
  • 0m 5f 16y
  • Class 6
  • 7 runners
SKY
View Course
Cruises Chase Handicap

Runners: 7 runners

Type: Flat Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Mostly cloudy

4/1 (Won)

  • Win: £4.50
  • Place: £2.20

Form: /7-064

Last run: 32 days

W: 9st 8lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 64

Form & Verdict
Better with each of his three runs back from almost a year off, latterly on his first crack at this trip a month ago; that gave something to build on off the same mark.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

2

(4)

4th Sep 2024

Good

0m 5f 10y

Class 5

16:05 Bath

Sovereign Slipper

9st 9lb

J: Trevor Whelan

T: Henry Candy

Pipped So Smart in the final strides at Chepstow in July (5f, good to soft) and he's 2lb better off with that rival today; subsequent Leicester run (6f) less convincing but returning to a stiff 5f should suit, especially with a fast pace looking assured.

6/1

10th

2

(3)

11th Aug 2024

Good To Firm

0m 6f 0y

Class 5

15:00 Leicester

Sovereign Slipper

9st 12lb

J: Trevor Whelan

T: Henry Candy

took keen hold, towards rear, ridden and headway over 1f out

5/1

1st

4

(6)

12th Jul 2024

Good To Soft

0m 5f 16y

Class 6

18:25 Chepstow

Sovereign Slipper

9st 8lb

J: Trevor Whelan

T: Henry Candy

Better with each of his three runs back from almost a year off, latterly on his first crack at this trip a month ago; that gave something to build on off the same mark.

4/1

8/1

  • Place: £2.60

Form: 475713 D

Last run: 18 days

W: 9st 10lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 66

Form & Verdict
The cheekpieces have had a positive effect and the forecast softer ground looks in her favour if anything; doesn't have a great strike-rate but she may be the one to take them along and needs considering.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

3

(4)

16th Jul 2026

Good To Firm

0m 5f 16y

Class 5

14:40 Chepstow

So Smart

9st 6lb

J: Ryan Kavanagh

T: Grace Harris

C&D winner; should be well treated now but that has been the case for a while and he keeps finding one or two too strong; conditions no problem and likely to give his running again; stable also run Savannah Smiles.

7/2

3rd

4

(4)

17th Jun 2026

Good To Soft

0m 5f 0y

Class 6

17:42 Ffos Las

So Smart

9st 10lb

J: Ashley Lewis

T: Grace Harris

Losing run up to 13, but running well in defeat lately and fared best of those on his side when fourth of nine at Chepstow (5f, soft) 11 days ago; record over C&D reads 314; player.

4/1

4th

1

(4)

6th Jun 2026

Good To Soft

0m 5f 16y

Class 6

17:10 Chepstow

So Smart

9st 9lb

J: Cieren Fallon

T: Grace Harris

C&D winner who arrives in decent nick, leading long way when third of five over C&D eight days ago; must enter calculations off the same mark.

11/4

OUR TIP

Form: -12756 D

Last run: 14 days

W: 9st 10lb

4 yo Filly

OR: 66

Form & Verdict
Not much wiggle room off this mark but she's capable of winning off it when things fall her way; shaped nicely back from a break on Tapeta recently; she's odds-on to fluff the start, though, and will need one of her better breaks; still considered.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

2

(1)

20th Jun 2026

Good

0m 5f 8y

Class 4

19:45 Nottingham

Sugar Hill Babe

10st 3lb

J: Ross Coakley

T: Lisa Williamson

Reappeared with a close second at Musselburgh in April and she built on that when forging clear over C&D (good) last month; up 6lb but she has form figures of 3211 at this track and was as good as ever last time; big player.

11/4

1st

2

(7)

31st May 2026

Good

0m 5f 8y

Class 4

15:55 Nottingham

Sugar Hill Babe

9st 11lb

J: Lewis Edmunds

T: Lisa Williamson

Her front-running C&D win last May came off just 1lb lower; ended 2025 quietly but she returned to form after six months off, keeping on well for second at Musselburgh (5f, good) 32 days ago; takes on some less-exposed 3yos but likely to go well.

7/1

2nd

2

(3)

29th Apr 2026

Good

0m 5f 1y

Class 4

15:15 Musselburgh

Sugar Hill Babe

9st 8lb

J: Clifford Lee

T: Lisa Williamson

Reappears off the mark she defied at Nottingham (5f, good to firm) last May and has won first time up before; also a creditable third on previous C&D visit; no surprise were she to go well.

9/1

Form: 341627 D

Last run: 71 days

W: 9st 7lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 63

Form & Verdict
Wins have come on Tapeta and has generally been kept to faster surfaces in turf races since coming over from Ireland; drops from 6f and returns to cheekpieces from a visor after a ten-week break.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6

(1)

16th Oct 2025

Good

0m 5f 215y

Class 6

13:45 Brighton

Thismydream

9st 4lb

J: Tommie Jakes

T: Michael Attwater

Has shown inconsistent form, mostly on AW, this year and ran below par over C&D in most recent turf attempt; far from sure to take advantage of a reduced mark.

20/1

5

(7)

22nd Sep 2025

Standard

0m 7f 36y

Class 6

18:30 Wolverhampton (AW)

Thismydream

9st 5lb

J: Paddy Bradley

T: Michael Attwater

Won off 9lb higher at Bath (5.6f) last August but he's been up and down since then and has been well held in last three starts; has plenty to prove again and he's not run over this trip since 2021.

8/1

4th

1

(5)

11th Sep 2025

Standard

0m 6f 0y

Class 6

15:10 Chelmsford (AW)

Thismydream

9st 9lb

J: Tommie Jakes

T: Michael Attwater

Should be making a big impact off this sort of mark but mixed record early in the year and well held, albeit after 164 days off, at Brighton five weeks ago; others look safer.

12/1

5/1

Form: 543221 C

Last run: 18 days

W: 9st 6lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 62

Form & Verdict
Running consistently since returning from a lengthy absence and justified strong support in a weaker handicap here off 3lb lower last time; the drop back in trip on forecast softer ground shouldn't pose a problem and he ought to go well again.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8th

1

(1)

15th Jun 2026

Good To Soft

0m 5f 182y

Class 6

14:45 Carlisle

Howzak

10st 0lb

J: Jack Garritty

T: Liam Bailey

Seemingly aided by first-time tongue-tie when causing 28-1 surprise on AW in February (6f) but absent since running as though something was amiss the following month and has become far too inconsistent to rely upon; not the percentage call on first turf start since summer 2024.

12/1

8th

2

(1)

6th Mar 2026

Standard

0m 6f 0y

Class 6

20:30 Newcastle (AW)

Howzak

9st 8lb

J: William Pyle

T: Liam Bailey

Returned to form out of the blue when winning a C&D handicap last month (tongue tied first time); fair effort at Southwell (5f) one week later and he will be happier back up in distance.

11/4

4th

1

(5)

11th Feb 2026

Standard

0m 4f 214y

Class 6

13:44 Southwell (AW)

Howzak

9st 10lb

J: Billy Garritty

T: Liam Bailey

Almost a year off was followed by a couple of inauspicious efforts but he came good at a big price in a first-time tongue-tie at Newcastle (6f, Tapeta) last week; has had consistent spells once hitting form in the past and a 4lb penalty means he's still on a handy mark; big player.

3/1

Form: 8-7207 CD

Last run: 18 days

W: 9st 8lb

4 yo Colt

OR: 64

Form & Verdict
Hasn't built on his Ripon second and is still to run well in the (retained) visor; won on soft ground over C&D as a 2yo and is well treated now but does have it to prove.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

2

(3)

7th Jul 2026

Good

0m 5f 3y

Class 5

16:48 Pontefract

Betweenthesticks

10st 0lb

J: James Sullivan

T: Ruth Carr

Dual C&D winner and again ran well when dead-heating for second with Dream Deal behind Hover On The Wind here eight days ago; likely to be bang there again.

5/1

2nd

1

(2)

29th Jun 2026

Good

0m 5f 3y

Class 5

16:30 Pontefract

Betweenthesticks

10st 1lb

J: James Sullivan

T: Ruth Carr

Scored narrowly off 1lb lower over C&D when completing an April double; unable to sustain a good start to the campaign, having shown a dip in form the last twice.

10/1

6th

2

(6)

3rd Jun 2026

Good

0m 5f 0y

Class 5

20:12 Ripon

Betweenthesticks

9st 9lb

J: James Sullivan

T: Ruth Carr

Kicked off the season with back-to-back 5f wins at Wolverhampton and Pontefract before being run down by Vince L'Amour over C&D (Hurt You Never third) next time; nowhere near those same levels at Pontefract (ninth of ten) latest, so needs to bounce back.

9/1

Form: 065187

Last run: 18 days

W: 8st 10lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 52

Form & Verdict
Gets it wrong at the stalls way more often than he nails it and can pull hard, so there will always be risks with him, especially back down from 6f; rain wouldn't have been ideal either.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

1

(1)

1st Jul 2026

Firm

0m 5f 160y

Class 6

19:08 Bath

Neptune Legend

9st 9lb

J: David Egan

T: Tony Carroll

Returned to Tony Carroll and left a couple of quiet AW runs behind when scoring over C&D (beat She Went Whoosh by nearly 3l) and at Brighton (6f) in May; came up short in hat-trick bid at Windsor on Monday but was out of his comfort zone early over the bare 5f before plugging on into fifth; not dismissed if turned out quickly.

9/4

5th

3

(8)

29th Jun 2026

Good To Firm

0m 5f 21y

Class 6

19:30 Windsor

Neptune Legend

9st 11lb

J: Rossa Ryan

T: Tony Carroll

Third run back with Tony Carroll when taking advantage of his reduced mark at Bath (5.7f) last month and he did it in good style; followed up under a 4lb penalty at Brighton (6f, again good to firm) one week later, leading in the final strides, so this 5f could be an issue but he's on a roll again.

11/2

1st

3

(9)

29th May 2026

Good To Firm

0m 5f 215y

Class 6

16:58 Brighton

Neptune Legend

9st 9lb

J: Cieren Fallon

T: Tony Carroll

Third run back with Tony Carroll when taking advantage of his reduced mark at Bath (5.7f) last Friday and he did it in good style; that gives him a big chance under just a 4lb penalty but he's run with credit at Brighton only once from eight visits.

9/4

Non-runners

Bama Lama, Rhubarb

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £24.20
Straight Forecast £21.90
Tricast £155.79
Trifecta £112.80

Selections

The Guardian:

Rhubarb

POSTDATA:

Betweenthesticks

The Sun:

Howzak

Daily Mirror:

Sovereign Slipper

SPOTLIGHT:

Sugar Hill Babe

RP RATINGS:

Neptune Legend

Telegraph:

So Smart

WEST COUNTRY:

Bama Lama

The Times:

Betweenthesticks

Daily Record:

Howzak

The Star:

Sovereign Slipper

Daily Mail:

Rhubarb

D Express:

Rhubarb