Third Race 3.00

The Weatherbys Nhstallions.Co.Uk

Handicap Steeple Chase (Class 4)

for five yrs old and upwards x Total prize fund £12300 Owners Prize Money. 1st £4968, 2nd £2483, 3rd £1242, 4th £621, 5th £310. (Penalty Value £6495.63)

Race Description

This is a two miles and seven furlongs handicap steeple chase for five-year-olds and upwards which have been rated from 0 to 120. In a handicap the weight that each of the runners carries is determined by their official handicap rating which is based on their level of form shown so far The aim is to ensure competitive racing by asking the higher rated horses to carry more weight than lower rated rival. As a guide, horses rated 60 tend to be at the lower end of the scale whilst the very best performers would be rated as high as 170.

no horse

1 STORMY FLIGHT (IRE) (18) 25-0042 C

Br Gr g Cloudings (IRE) - Help Yourself (IRE)

O Mr Ian Murray and Mr Dave Smith

B Mr Christy Buckley

Scott, Dulverton

Powerwashers

TIMEFORMVIEW Winless since early 2021 but he got right back on track after a wind op when clear second of 5 in handicap chase at Chepstow (23.6f) 18 days ago. Holds very good claims nudged up only 1lb.

2 TRIXSTER (IRE) (27) 12-2023 C D

Br B g Beneficial - Our Trick (IRE)

O The Pant Wilkin Partnership

B J. Fitzgerald Dragonbet

TIMEFORMVIEW Won 3m Southwell handicap chase under this rider last spring. Creditable placed efforts here and Catterick last two runs and ought to be in the shake-up.

3 RESERVE TANK (IRE) (18) 43-3PP4 9

Br B g Jeremy (USA) - Lady Bellamy (IRE)

O Mr Roddy Owen

B Mr L. Dunne

TIMEFORMVIEW Inconsistent sort who is winless since 2019 Best of his three efforts for current yard when fourth of 13 in handicap chase at Chepstow (19.4f) 18 days ago. Needs to back it up now.

4 ACROSS THE LINE (IRE) (14) 165300

Br B g Fame And Glory - La Protagonista (IRE)

O Case,Courage,Hosie,Romans,Van Der Horst

B Minch Bloodstock

TIMEFORMVIEWFairly useful hurdler/chaser for Dan Skelton Won a Stratford hunter chase for this yard in May but has found life harder in handicap company since. Blinkers are reached for now.

5 PREMIUMACCESS (IRE) (42) 3-422U6

Br B g Milan - De Loose Mongoose (IRE)

O Mr J. Reed

8 11-10

B John McDowell Coral Racing Limited S

TIMEFORMVIEW Twelve runs since his last win in 2020 and only sixth of 8 in handicap chase at Exeter (24.2f) 42 days ago. Needs a couple of these to falter

6 POTTERS VENTURE (IRE) (15) 3-P1063

9 11-6

Br B g Arcadio (GER) - Starventure (IRE) Harry Kimber (3) J

O Whitcombe Racing Club Keiran Burke, Whitcombe T

B Seamus Cooney

TIMEFORMVIEW Fairly useful hurdler for Philip Hobbs who scored over fences on his yard debut at Newton Abbot (25.8f) in October Well held all three starts since, though, and tried in cheekpieces here.

7 ALL DANCER (FR) (57) 13/4-506

Br Ch g No Risk At All (FR) - Maia Dancer (FR)

TFRHHIII BHA107

6 11-4

Harry Cobden J

O Mr David Maxwell Paul Nicholls, Ditcheat T

B Mr Jean-Philippe Dubois Fitzdares S

TIMEFORMVIEWFairly useful ex-French 17f hurdles winner Is a chaser on looks but yet to match hurdles form in this sphere,only sixth of 8 at Huntingdon last time. Plenty more is required.

8 DOCK ROAD (IRE) (16) P2-52U3

Br Ch g Shirocco (GER) - Representing (IRE)

O Rgl Racing & General Love Quote

B Imelda & Evelyn Vickers

TFRHHIII BHA105

7 10-12

Mitchell Bastyan J

Robbie Llewellyn, Swindon T

TIMEFORMVIEW Winless over fences but arrives in good nick for his current yard, third of 10 in handicap chase at Hereford (25.2f) 16 days ago. Can give another good account.

TFRHHHII BHA99

DECLARED RUNNERS 8

2022: SOME DETAIL (IRE) 8 10 10 Kieren Buckley 9-4 (Nigel Hawke) 9 ran

Blinkers worn first time by No. 4. Sheepskin Cheek Pieces worn first time by No. 6. Tongue Strap worn by No. 2, 4, 7. Blinkers, Tongue Strap worn by No. 5. Sheepskin Cheek Pieces worn by No. 1, 8. Stewards Note: DOCK ROAD: Following its run on 5/2/2023 it was reported that the horse was hampered by an unseated rider

Probable S.P’s: 5-2 Stormy Flight (IRE), 5-1 Trixster (IRE), 11-2 All Dancer (FR), 7-1 Dock Road (IRE), 8-1 Reserve Tank (IRE), 14-1 Premiumaccess (IRE), Potters Venture (IRE), 25-1 Across The Line (IRE)

STORMY FLIGHT showed the benefit of breathing surgery when a clear runner-up at Chepstow last time and is weighted to go one better nudged up just 1lb here. Trixster is proving a reliable sort and can have a say on the back of his solid Catterick third, with in-form Dock Road also in the mix.

The Result

Weatherbys sponsor two of today’s six races, with the feature event being the Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Handicap Hurdle, a 0-145 class 2 event, in which seven go to post.

Paul Nicholls has won four of the past eight renewals – most recently with Capitaine (2019) and Rockadenn (2021) – and with Dan Skelton not declaring former Greatwood Hurdle winner West Cork (ran on Friday), it is Nicholls’ Silent Revolution who has been left with top-weight. Back in trip, he was pulled-up when last seen and needs to return to last season’s form, which saw him win novice hurdles at Newbury and Chepstow. Crucially, perhaps, the ground was good on both occasions, so conditions look right and the champion trainer continues to have his horses in fine form, saddling four winners – across three meetings – on Saturday.

Boombawn represents the Dan Skelton stable and is returning from a winter break, having last run in the Gerry Feilden at Newbury in lateNovember His earlier defeat of Teddy Blue now reads well, as does his second behind Impulsive One, so back on a sounder surface, he is another to note.

Following her fifth placing behind Epatante at Doncaster, Finest View is back down to a more realistic level, whilst Poseidon won a seller over course-and-distance when trained by Gordon Elliott and has his second start for David Pipe here. Colonial Empire steps up in class for Tim Vaughan, whilst Amelia’s Dance is probably the most consistent performer in the field. Three of her four career wins have come over today’s course-and-distance and she ran well in defeat here last time Her form figures at Taunton read 113412, so you can usually set your clock by Robert Walford’s daughter of Flemensfirth.

Galice Macalo completes the line-up for Jane Williams and she finished one place in front of Finest View, when beaten 12 lengths by Epatante in the Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle. The seven-year-old is now 8lbs higher than when successful on soft ground at Chepstow in early-January, although she does have winning form on a sounder surface.

Earlier on the card, eight horses will contest the Weatherbys nhstallions. co.uk Handicap Chase, a 0-120 class 4 event over 2m7f.

Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden team up with All Dancer, who hasn’t really shown a great deal since arriving from France, but has dropped in the handicap as a result and is now fully 15lbs lower than when making his British debut at this track, some 13 months ago This is his first try at the trip.

Top-weight Stormy Flight and Tim Vaughan’s Trixster are the two course winners in the field and the former ran into a progressive young chaser last time at Chepstow. A reproduction of that effort should see the nine-year-old go close under Rex Dingle, whilst the latter was a non-runner at Musselburgh on Sunday due to the ground.

Of the remainder, former Grade 1 winning hurdler Reserve Tank continues to fall down the weights, although his sole chase win came way back in the 2019 Rising Stars at Wincanton, whilst former stablemate Premiumaccess should appreciate returning to quicker ground.

Paul Ferguson

Weatherbys