October 17 / 16.25 Fakenham

16.25

Good

Axe The Racing Tax Handicap Chase (GBB Race)

  • Prize money: £4488.85
  • 2m 5f 44y
  • Class 4
  • 5 runners
RTV
View Course
Axe The Racing Tax Handicap Chase (GBB Race)

Runners: 5 runners

Type: Chase Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Light rain

OUR TIP

Form: 21333P D

Last run: 21 days

W: 11st 8lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 110

Form & Verdict
Most consistent win or lose over either obstacle for this stable until finding a brush hurdle series final at Worcester all too much last time (2m4f, good); swimming in calmer waters again on this return to fences, albeit still above any class he's ever won in.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6

15th Jan 2026

Good To Soft

2m 7f 91y

Class 4

14:00 Newcastle

Shadows In The Sky

11st 12lb

J: Alex Chadwick

T: James Owen

10yo whose form has been mixed this season but he's edged back down the weights and his Newmarket yard is 3-6 here; capable of a big run.

10/1

1

17th Oct 2025

Good

2m 5f 44y

Class 4

16:25 Fakenham

Shadows In The Sky

11st 8lb

J: Alex Chadwick

T: James Owen

Most consistent win or lose over either obstacle for this stable until finding a brush hurdle series final at Worcester all too much last time (2m4f, good); swimming in calmer waters again on this return to fences, albeit still above any class he's ever won in.

3/1

12

26th Sep 2025

Good

2m 4f 0y

Class 2

14:42 Worcester

Shadows In The Sky

11st 2lb

J: Nathan Howie

T: James Owen

Consistent over fences and hurdles for new stable this season, winning once under each discipline; suited by this C&D but may find less exposed rivals better handicapped today; swaps cheekpieces for refitted visor.

20/1

Form: 4125-5

Last run: 162 days

W: 11st 5lb

7 yo Mare

OR: 107

Form & Verdict
Race came too soon after her emphatic Plumpton handicap/chase debut win (good) when a beaten C&D favourite off today's mark in March; yet to appear wholly comfortable in Class 4 company, including in debuted cheekpieces (discarded) when last seen in May, and still needs to find more.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

10

15th May 2026

Good

3m 0f 210y

Class 3

18:55 Aintree

Taxus Baccata

10st 10lb

J: Charlie Price

T: Robbie Llewellyn

Has improved since undergoing wind surgery for her new trainer this year and went back-to-back at Leicester (2m4f, good to soft) and Wincanton (3m1f, good); last run was too bad to be true but she did go up 7lb for that last win in a race that fell apart.

10/1

3rd

1

4th Apr 2026

Good

2m 7f 129y

Class 4

16:17 Huntingdon

Taxus Baccata

11st 13lb

J: Charlie Price

T: Robbie Llewellyn

Won a bumper and over fences for Matt Crawley last season but has improved since undergoing wind surgery for her new trainer this year; appreciated the step up in trip when winning for the second time in succession at Wincanton (3m1f, good) 12 days ago; up 7lb but should be hard to beat.

5/4

1st

3

23rd Mar 2026

Good

3m 1f 30y

Class 4

16:22 Wincanton

Taxus Baccata

10st 11lb

J: Charlie Price

T: Robbie Llewellyn

Built upon a satisfactory stable debut when scoring by a neck at Leicester (2m4f, good to soft) this month and is now 2-7 over fences; only 2lb higher here and will be suited by the faster ground; strong claims if stamina holds out over the new trip.

6/4

Form: 4-7544 D

Last run: 18 days

W: 11st 3lb

11 yo Gelding

OR: 105

Form & Verdict
Now 43lb below his 2022 peak chasing mark, and new connections' switches of disciplines and headgear (all left off today) have not yet inspired an upturn in fortunes; back down in trip but can't be confident.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

7

4th May 2026

Good

3m 5f 24y

Class 3

16:38 Fakenham

Enjoy Dallen

11st 4lb

J: Miss Lily Jones

T: Neil King

Won three times from the front (once over C&D) last season and lost out only narrowly in refitted cheekpieces at Plumpton (3m1f, good) a fortnight ago but this veteran is nothing like the force of old, and might find this race to competitive.

8/1

2nd

3

19th Apr 2026

Good

3m 1f 157y

Class 4

16:02 Plumpton

Enjoy Dallen

11st 12lb

J: Miss Lily Jones

T: Neil King

Veteran chaser who landed his third win of the season, over C&D (soft) in February when getting the better of Lumi Plugin; found the Sussex National back here 13 days ago a tad too competitive but cannot be dismissed here back in the right grade.

7/2

7th

11

6th Apr 2026

Good

3m 4f 104y

Class 2

16:25 Plumpton

Enjoy Dallen

10st 6lb

J: Miss Lily Jones

T: Neil King

Three wins in small fields this season (2m5f-3m5f, good/soft) and another good run when second of three at Sedgefield (3m2f, good) recently; however, there's a suspicion this 12yo will find today's race too competitive.

20/1

Form: 256-5D1 D

Last run: 134 days

W: 11st 2lb

8 yo Mare

OR: 104

Form & Verdict
Unlucky to lose June's hard-fought Uttoxeter chase win (3m, good) off this mark, when an ovarian tumour removed a month later was found to have increased her testosterone levels; effectiveness at today's shorter trip is long proven and this looks an easier contest than the 0-120 last time.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

6

1st May 2026

Good

3m 1f 100y

Class 4

18:50 Warwick

Police Academy

11st 8lb

J: Miss Ellie Callwood

T: Kelly Morgan

Unlucky to lose last June's Uttoxeter chase win (3m, good) on a medical technicality; wheels came off in the autumn but she has revived for current yard, keeping on well for Higham and High Easter open successes on good to firm; could prove the answer.

6/4

4

17th Oct 2025

Good

2m 5f 44y

Class 4

16:25 Fakenham

Police Academy

11st 2lb

J: Mr Ben Sutton

T: Fergal O’Brien

Unlucky to lose June's hard-fought Uttoxeter chase win (3m, good) off this mark, when an ovarian tumour removed a month later was found to have increased her testosterone levels; effectiveness at today's shorter trip is long proven and this looks an easier contest than the 0-120 last time.

11/8

Form: P2-354 D

Last run: 10 days

W: 11st 2lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 104

Form & Verdict
Couldn't get any piece of the lead he'd have preferred at Huntingdon last week (2m4f, good), and he's never gone too close returning from absences of triple digits anyway; uplift likely this time, though he'd have been able to run off 4lb lower in a few days' time; all headgear taken off.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1

18th Jul 2026

Good

2m 1f 43y

Class 5

16:05 Market Rasen

Catchim

12st 0lb

J: Charlie Todd

T: Charles & Adam Pogson

Won a C&D handicap in April and was runner-up at Southwell last month but he's not easy to predict and was well below form at Stratford last time; that took his chase record to 1-15 and he needs to bounce back again.

9/1

4th

1

29th Jun 2026

Good To Firm

2m 3f 98y

Class 5

15:10 Stratford

Catchim

12st 0lb

J: James Bowen

T: Charles & Adam Pogson

Record of 1-14 over fences but that win came at Market Rasen (2m1f, good) in April and he was a front-running second behind a major improver at Southwell (2m, good) last time; this is a different test but his hurdles win was over 2m4f and he still looks feasibly treated; interesting contender.

5/2

2nd

2

9th Jun 2026

Good

1m 7f 182y

Class 5

15:00 Southwell

Catchim

12st 0lb

J: James Bowen

T: Charles & Adam Pogson

Front-runner who was left clear just after final fence to score at Market Rasen (2m1f, good) in April, opening his chase account at the 12th attempt, but needs to bounce back quickly from a poor run there 12 days ago.

8/1

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £25.00
Straight Forecast £23.78
Trifecta £63.80

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Police Academy

TOPSPEED:

Taxus Baccata

RP RATINGS:

Shadows In The Sky

The Times:

Taxus Baccata

Daily Mirror:

Taxus Baccata

Telegraph:

Police Academy

The Guardian:

Police Academy

Daily Mail:

Police Academy

D Express:

Police Academy

The Sun:

Police Academy

The Star:

Police Academy

Daily Record:

Police Academy

POSTDATA:

Shadows In The Sky

NEWMARKET:

Shadows In The Sky