14.00
Good To SoftWeatherbys And Birdie Calendars Handicap Chase (GBB Race)
- Prize money: £20812
- 3m 0f 30y
- Class 2
- 8 runners
Runners: 8 runners
Type: Chase Turf
Surface: Turf
Weather: Rain
Form: 674-15 CD BF
Last run: 17 days
W: 12st 0lb
10 yo Gelding
OR: 142
| Place / No / Draw |
Date / Going /
Distance / Class |
Time + Course Horse + Weight Jockey / Trainer |
Verdict | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
3 |
4th Apr 2026 Good To Soft 2m 3f 203y Class 2 |
11st 10lb |
Runner-up in the Stayers' Veterans' Final at Sandown (3m, good) in January two starts ago and he's not ruled out today; however, he's been inconsistent this season and was soundly beaten at Warwick (2m4f, heavy) in February; he may prefer a longer trip than this nowadays; fourth in this last year. |
9/1 |
|
3rd 2 |
7th Feb 2026 Soft 2m 4f 0y Class 2 |
11st 9lb |
Returned to form with creditable second in valuable veterans' final at Sandown (3m, good) last month and remains only 1lb higher than when winning this race readily by 6l a year ago (soft ground); major player, and his appeal will increase if the ground turns heavy. |
9/4 |
Form: 232P8- C
Last run: 221 days
W: 11st 9lb
9 yo Gelding
OR: 137
| Place / No / Draw |
Date / Going /
Distance / Class |
Time + Course Horse + Weight Jockey / Trainer |
Verdict | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
8th 4 |
14th Feb 2026 Good To Soft 3m 4f 97y Class 1 |
11st 5lb |
10yo whose 13-race losing sequence goes back to December 2023 but he's run some good races in the meantime (including on soft), most recently staying on for a neck second in the Peter Marsh here (extended 3m1f, good to soft); on that evidence he's well worth a crack at a marathon trip. |
8/1 |
|
2nd 7 |
17th Jan 2026 Good To Soft 3m 1f 125y Class 1 |
10st 3lb |
Ran really well when third in this last year (soft) and kept on for second at Aintree (2m4f, soft) last month, albeit no match for the winner; this 10yo has a good record here and, now 8lb lower than 12 months ago, he could be involved back up in trip. |
10/1 |
Form: 33211- D
Last run: 230 days
W: 11st 9lb
8 yo Gelding
OR: 137
| Place / No / Draw |
Date / Going /
Distance / Class |
Time + Course Horse + Weight Jockey / Trainer |
Verdict | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
7 |
2nd May 2026 Yielding 3m 0f 104y |
11st 3lb |
Better chaser than hurdler, third win coming in 3m Kempton handicap in January (good); better again when second in better-class contest over same C&D following month, disappointingly never counted in Ultima at Cheltenham latest; possibly best going right-handed so could go well here, especially if ground continues to dry out. |
12/1 |
|
9th 15 |
10th Mar 2026 Good To Soft 3m 1f 0y Class 1 |
10st 13lb |
Won at Kempton (3m, good) in January and good second in competitive handicap there (3m, good to soft) last month; could give another good account but he didn't quite stay when fifth here (extended 3m2f, good to soft) in December and it's possible he'll again prove vulnerable up the hill. |
33/1 |
|
2nd 5 |
21st Feb 2026 Good To Soft 3m 0f 0y Class 1 |
11st 2lb |
Closely matched with Deep Cave on their Bangor clash in November (soft) and, back at 3m from 3m2f, he dug deep for a course win last month (good); only went up 1lb for that and the runner-up ran well in defeat last weekend at Ascot. |
8/1 |
Form: 55461- D
Last run: 221 days
W: 11st 7lb
7 yo Gelding
OR: 135
| Place / No / Draw |
Date / Going /
Distance / Class |
Time + Course Horse + Weight Jockey / Trainer |
Verdict | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
6th 3 |
9th May 2026 Good 3m 0f 58y Class 2 |
11st 4lb |
3m hat-trick in 2025 started with a success over hurdles at Aintree (good) in April before two chase wins late in the year; three marked backward steps over fences since but he's well handicapped on best chase efforts. |
16/1 |
|
39 |
11th Apr 2026 Good To Soft 4m 2f 74y Class 1 |
10st 2lb
|
Reserve; won a handicap hurdle at this meeting last year, plus over fences at Bangor in November and Ascot in December, all over about 3m; backward steps in two further useful handicap chases, which he needs to reverse in a major way, but arriving late on the scene for those wins offers some potential for going beyond 3m; 3lb out of the handicap. |
100/1 |
|
10 |
11th Apr 2026 Good To Soft 3m 0f 210y Class 1 |
11st 9lb |
3m hat-trick in 2025 started with a success over hurdles on this card (good) and ended with nabbing Leave Of Absence on the line in notable handicap chase at Ascot (good to soft); couple of backward steps since but a bad early error, and perhaps losing a shoe, contributed to a poor effort last time; may well rebound on a significant day in his calendar. |
6/1 |
Form: 21/24-
Last run: 202 days
W: 11st 6lb
9 yo Gelding
OR: 134
| Place / No / Draw |
Date / Going /
Distance / Class |
Time + Course Horse + Weight Jockey / Trainer |
Verdict | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1st 1 |
14th Mar 2026 Good 3m 0f 0y Class 3 |
12st 2lb |
The most recent of two chase wins came at 2m7f (good to soft; has won on good) in March 2023; his career punctuated by layoffs since but he's run respectably in better races than this since the latest of them and should make a bold bid; cheekpieces on. |
13/8 |
Form: -01125 CD
Last run: 32 days
W: 11st 6lb
9 yo Gelding
OR: 134
| Place / No / Draw |
Date / Going /
Distance / Class |
Time + Course Horse + Weight Jockey / Trainer |
Verdict | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
3 |
6th Mar 2026 Good To Soft 2m 3f 48y Class 3 |
11st 8lb |
Three-time chase winner with the form to feature off this mark and a break could have done him good, as his last two efforts weren't great; hard to rule out, for all that this trip is on the sharp side. |
10/1 |
Form: 1PP5-3 D
Last run: 193 days
W: 10st 10lb
7 yo Gelding
OR: 124
| Place / No / Draw |
Date / Going /
Distance / Class |
Time + Course Horse + Weight Jockey / Trainer |
Verdict | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
7 |
15th Apr 2026 Good 3m 4f 97y Class 3 |
11st 10lb |
Won from the front in first-time visor (kept since) at Doncaster in December; back to form when second at Newbury on latest start, his second run after his second wind operation; has a competitive mark but his inconsistency and going beyond 3m2f both introduce doubts. |
5/1 |
|
2nd 7 |
21st Mar 2026 Good To Soft 2m 7f 91y Class 3 |
11st 2lb |
Not easy to predict but he's only 2lb higher than when making all at Doncaster (3m, good) just after Christmas, and he probably went off too fast when beaten 33l there (3m2f, soft) three weeks ago; not discounted. |
11/2 |
|
2nd 10 |
28th Feb 2026 Good To Soft 3m 2f 1y Class 2 |
10st 13lb |
Physical issues came to light after disappointing in a cross-country race last time; wore just a tongue-tie then but the visor that worked so well when a 3l winner here the time before now returns, as does Charlie Maggs with his claim; however, he has become hard to predict and underwent further wind surgery only recently. |
15/2 |
Form: 1P/64- CD
Last run: 292 days
W: 10st 9lb
10 yo Gelding
OR: 123
| Place / No / Draw |
Date / Going /
Distance / Class |
Time + Course Horse + Weight Jockey / Trainer |
Verdict | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
No Results Found |
Betting Forcast
3/1 Le Milos, 5/1 Richmond Lake, 3/1 The Doyen Chief, 10/1 Deep Cave, 6/1 Doctor Ken, 12/1 Pull Again Green, 10/1 Some Scope, 8/1 Hold That Taught
Verdict
It will not be a surprise if C&D winner Hold That Taught bounces back to form on his seasonal debut but the suggestion is RICHMOND LAKE (nap), who ran some honourable races in defeat last season, had wind surgery in the spring and has dropped to a good mark for his reappearance. Le Milos and The Doyen Chief are others to consider.[Chris Wilson]
Selections
Telegraph:
Le MilosD Express:
The Doyen ChiefDaily Mirror:
The Doyen ChiefThe Star:
The Doyen ChiefDaily Record:
The Doyen ChiefRP RATINGS:
Richmond LakeTOPSPEED:
Richmond LakeDaily Mail:
Richmond LakeThe Sun:
Richmond LakeThe Guardian:
Doctor Ken