February 26 / 16.15 Wincanton

16.15

Heavy

Pointing Pointers Dick And Sue Woodhouse Memorial Hunters’ Chase (For The Dick Woodhouse Trophy)

  • Prize money: £3228.55
  • 2m 4f 35y
  • Class 5
  • 9 runners
RTV
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Pointing Pointers Dick And Sue Woodhouse Memorial Hunters’ Chase (For The Dick Woodhouse Trophy)

Runners: 9 runners

Type: Hunter Chase

Surface: Turf

Weather: Light rain

Form: 2-180P D

Last run: 163 days

W: 12st 6lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 123

Form & Verdict
Made a splash in 2m4f hunter chases in spring 2023 and won a handicap at Hereford (2m5f, good) last May, his only win from nine starts for Neil Mulholland; has changed trainer and has not proved himself on soft or heavy ground in Britain; big player if judged on best efforts, not his last three.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

5

22nd Apr 2026

Good

2m 7f 171y

Class 4

17:05 Ludlow

Fix At All

11st 12lb

J: Mr T Walsh

T: Callum Bickers-Price

Back to form with some respectable efforts this spring but his second at Kempton (2m4f, good) was in a match and he was well held when third here last time; record for current yard is now 0-7 and he looks vulnerable again back up in trip.

13/2

3rd

3

30th Mar 2026

Good

2m 4f 11y

Class 4

16:57 Ludlow

Fix At All

11st 12lb

J: Mr T Walsh

T: Callum Bickers-Price

Won this in 2023; somewhat resurgent at Catterick this month but in a weaker race than this and he was beaten fair and square in a match at Kempton last week.

7/1

2nd

2

23rd Mar 2026

Good

2m 4f 110y

Class 5

17:15 Kempton

Fix At All

12st 2lb

J: Mr B T Stone

T: Callum Bickers-Price

Unconvincing record for current yard; somewhat resurgent at Catterick last time but that effort is well short of his fairly useful best form.

13/2

OUR TIP

Form: 2116-7

Last run: 284 days

W: 12st 6lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 119

Form & Verdict
Had 2m and 3m wins in his last campaign for Nigel Twiston-Davies and has a big shout judged on some of that form, including on soft (ran once on heavy, in 2022); sold for £42,000 last May and placed in two points in December, before a heavy defeat on latest start in that sphere.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3

23rd Jan 2026

Good To Soft

3m 0f 0y

Class 5

16:18 Warwick

One True King

12st 6lb

J: Miss Anna Johnston

T: Miss B Coward

Not the force of old and might be better suited by right-handed tracks but ran well from the front when close fourth in open point at left-handed Chaddesley Corbett (3m, good to soft; also suited by soft) last month; considered each-way.

14/1

1

2nd Apr 2025

Good

2m 4f 11y

Class 4

16:48 Ludlow

One True King

12st 6lb

J: Mr Martin McIntyre

T: Miss B Coward

Useful handicapper chaser when trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, with a good record at this track; this season's pointing form for new stable has been underwhelming, though, and he was safely held when fourth in a Leicester hunter chase (2m, good to soft) last month.

10/1

1

2nd Apr 2025

Good

2m 4f 11y

Class 4

16:48 Ludlow

One True King

12st 6lb

J: Mr Martin McIntyre

T: Miss B Coward

Useful handicapper chaser when trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, with a good record at this track; this season's pointing form for new stable has been underwhelming, though, and he was safely held when fourth in a Leicester hunter chase (2m, good to soft) last month.

10/1

Form: U43-3F C

Last run: 8 days

W: 12st 6lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 112

Form & Verdict
Won twice early in 2023 and looked set for the hat-trick in February 2024 only to unseat at Plumpton's final fence when well clear; those three runs were over 3m1f-3m2f but his backward steps since are the chief worry; fell early on at Taunton (2m7f; 28-1) last week in his first hunter chase.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

6

24th Apr 2026

Good To Soft

2m 7f 136y

Class 5

19:37 Chepstow

Windance

11st 12lb

J: Mr Jack Stenhouse

T: Martin Sweetland

Landed back-to-back Fontwell and Wincanton staying handicap chases three years ago (good to soft); blameless exit behind Stumps Or Slips latest (hampered) but capable of throwing in his own errors or jumping right; form of this year's completed efforts falls well short of the required.

33/1

9

7th Apr 2026

Good

3m 0f 54y

Class 4

17:10 Exeter

Windance

11st 12lb

J: Mr Jack Stenhouse

T: Martin Sweetland

Four wins under rules divided between hurdles and fences but at an ordinary level; 66-1 when tailed off behind Macklin here last month.

66/1

5th

11

17th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

3m 0f 54y

Class 5

17:13 Exeter

Windance

11st 12lb

J: Mr Jack Stenhouse

T: Martin Sweetland

Dual handicap winner in 2023 but last year's point/hunter chase form was uninspiring and he was a long way behind Crawter when reappearing in a Larkhill point this month.

50/1

Form: P1-110 D

Last run: 221 days

W: 12st 6lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 133

Form & Verdict
Won two hunter chases over about 2m5f last spring before adding a handicap in June; not seen since heavy defeat in a valuable handicap in July; more to prove on heavy but one of those 2024 wins was by a street on soft ground, and he has a fine chance on that form.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

2

25th Aug 2025

Good

2m 5f 34y

Class 3

16:43 Cartmel

Yccs Portocervo

12st 0lb

J: Miss Ellie Holder

T: Dr Richard Newland & Jamie Insole

Potentially well handicapped but had been hunter chasing before pulling up on his return to handicaps at Market Rasen.

12/1

4

6th Jul 2025

Good

2m 5f 89y

Class 3

16:20 Market Rasen

Yccs Portocervo

11st 10lb

J: Sam Twiston-Davies

T: Dr Richard Newland & Jamie Insole

C&D winner last summer off 4lb higher and ran to a fair level when runner-up in a hunter chase in May; likely to run well.

11/2

1

28th May 2025

Good

2m 4f 216y

Class 5

16:48 Newton Abbot

Yccs Portocervo

12st 8lb

J: Miss Ellie Holder

T: Dr Richard Newland & Jamie Insole

Won this last season on soft ground; this year's two non-completions came over a trip too short and over the National fences at Aintree; got back on track with a respectable fourth at Ludlow; should go well.

7/4

Form: /544-4

Last run: 299 days

W: 11st 12lb

11 yo Gelding

OR: 95

Form & Verdict
Mostly modest form under rules (best effort 2m4f on good ground in May 2023) and pulled up this winter in his last three points.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

6

3rd May 2024

Good

2m 0f 62y

Class 5

16:35 Cheltenham

Funky Sensation

11st 12lb

J: Mr Jake Bament

T: Mrs Helen Bament

Three-time point winner; excelled himself when fifth over 2m4f at this meeting a year ago and put in fairly good front-running shift when fourth of seven at Exeter (3m, good) recently but will probably be vulnerable at the business end again.

20/1

4th

6

3rd May 2024

Good

2m 0f 62y

Class 5

16:35 Cheltenham

Funky Sensation

11st 12lb

J: Mr Jake Bament

T: Mrs Helen Bament

Three-time point winner; excelled himself when fifth over 2m4f at this meeting a year ago and put in fairly good front-running shift when fourth of seven at Exeter (3m, good) recently but will probably be vulnerable at the business end again.

20/1

Form: 5U/3/2

Last run: 27 days

W: 11st 12lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 115

Form & Verdict
Failed to win over hurdles for Nicky Henderson but took a maiden point (3m, good) by 10l in January 2023; not seen again until four weeks ago when second of six to a red-hot favourite in hunter chase here (3m1f, heavy; 40-1) was up with his best form; seriously considered despite others having better form.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5

29th Jan 2026

Heavy

3m 1f 30y

Class 5

16:03 Wincanton

Go Sacre Go

11st 12lb

J: Mr Paddy Barlow

T: Robert Walford

40-1 second behind Mr Glass in this 12 months ago; just two runs in the meantime, winning a small-field point at Badbury Rings two months ago; a repeat of last year's run in this race should see him competitive.

8/1

5

10th Mar 2025

Good To Soft

2m 4f 205y

Class 5

16:50 Stratford

Go Sacre Go

11st 12lb

J: Miss Natalie Parker

T: Mrs S Alner

Point winner (3m, good) in January 2023 who was off for two years before finishing second of five in an open hunter chase at Wincanton (3m1f, heavy; 40-1); could take some catching if again positively ridden over this shorter trip.

5/1

Abandoned

Form: /3/354

Last run: 27 days

W: 11st 12lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 100

Form & Verdict
Finished 41l behind Go Sacre Go here (28-1) four weeks ago, which was over 3m1f on heavy but he's an outsider on all other form as well.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

3

30th Jan 2025

Heavy

3m 1f 30y

Class 5

15:25 Wincanton

King Orry

11st 12lb

J: Mr James Shaw

T: J Shaw

The balance of form under rules and in points doesn't look good enough to win this and his latest third was very remote.

33/1

Form: 333-36 D

Last run: 271 days

W: 11st 12lb

13 yo Gelding

OR: 109

Form & Verdict
Now a 13yo and although lots of his old form reads extremely well in this context, he was not at that level when third in two hunter chases last spring; no win since April 2022 and he's slipped down the pecking order.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

10

2nd May 2025

Good

2m 4f 127y

Class 5

20:05 Cheltenham

Solomon Grey

11st 12lb

J: Miss Ellie Holder

T: Miss V Collins

pressed leader, prominent from 2nd, lost position after 7th, outpaced from 3 out

40/1

7th

10

2nd May 2025

Good

2m 4f 127y

Class 5

20:05 Cheltenham

Solomon Grey

11st 12lb

J: Miss Ellie Holder

T: Miss V Collins

pressed leader, prominent from 2nd, lost position after 7th, outpaced from 3 out

40/1

4th

5

13th Apr 2025

Good

2m 6f 125y

Class 5

16:28 Stratford

Solomon Grey

11st 10lb

J: Miss Ellie Holder

T: Miss V Collins

prominent, briefly led 5th, lost position 10th

33/1

Form: 2252/F

Last run: 27 days

W: 11st 12lb

11 yo Gelding

OR: 110

Form & Verdict
In forlorn pursuit of Go Sacre Go when falling three out here (3m1f, heavy; 8-1) four weeks ago; brighter prospects over this trip judged on his three placings in handicaps in 2023, including on heavy; still has work to do but he is very lightly raced despite being an 11yo.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5

30th Jan 2025

Heavy

3m 1f 30y

Class 5

15:25 Wincanton

Upton Road

11st 12lb

J: Mr Toby McCain-Mitchell

T: T G Scudamore

Three seconds to his name in handicap chases but only as far as 2m5f and he's making his hunter chase debut after a long absence.

6/1

5

30th Jan 2025

Heavy

3m 1f 30y

Class 5

15:25 Wincanton

Upton Road

11st 12lb

J: Mr Toby McCain-Mitchell

T: T G Scudamore

Three seconds to his name in handicap chases but only as far as 2m5f and he's making his hunter chase debut after a long absence.

6/1

Verdict

Three wins last April-June suggest that YCCS PORTOCERVO is very much the one to beat if all is well on this first run for 221 days, and one of those wins was on soft ground. Go Sacre Go put up a bold show for a 40-1 shot over 3m1f on heavy ground here four weeks ago and looks the chief danger. Upton Road was 8-1 in the same race but well held when taking a heavy fall three out. This shorter trip should be much more his cup of tea.[Richard Austen]

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Yccs Portocervo

Telegraph:

Fix At All

Daily Mail:

Upton Road

The Star:

Go Sacre Go

TOPSPEED:

One True King

D Express:

Fix At All

RP RATINGS:

Yccs Portocervo

POSTDATA:

Yccs Portocervo

The Times:

Yccs Portocervo

The Guardian:

Yccs Portocervo

Daily Mirror:

Yccs Portocervo

The Sun:

Yccs Portocervo

Daily Record:

Yccs Portocervo