Haydock 12.40 Handicap Chase - Class 3 - 3miles 4 and 1/2 furlongs - 11 run - Good to Soft (some possible light showers later)

 

A very competitive field and hard to rule much out of the equation.

 

Defuture Is Bright is an uneasy favourite in my mind due to some concerns about this trip and with some laden with stamina in here I doubt they will want to hang about. Amateur has some excellent form but on seasonal debut off a 233 day break may just need this run but certainly a real danger horse. Chef D'Oeuvre is also making its seasonal debut off a 216 day break and a 3rd successive winter wind operation, so I'll watch that too with interest. Eclair Mag on the other hand should come on for it's recent return but looks in the grip of the handicapper still to me. Trucking Away for the Hobbs yard is another who will surely benefit from the run.

 

At big odds and possibly worth a bit of shrapnel is Bob Mahler, Brian Hughes is an interesting booking, the horse is another who has had a wind operation, needed the recent seasonal debut too, gets this trip and some and with a last win mark of 135 and place mark of 140, todays mark of 125 is something of an eye opener.

 

Silva Eclipse for the in form Sue Smith and Ryan Mania combo who did us a great job last weekend has had a run, some course form over Hurdles and upped in trip could be a real danger but likely to be very well backed and just that stamina niggle for me today. The other one i just left out is Furius Des Cieurges who is race fit, plenty of stamina. Hopefully I've not left the wrong pair out with these pair who were the last to be discarded and worth including in any placepots or Tricast perm for sure.  

 

My pair against the field though are CAPTAIN DRAKE and JERSEY BEAN.

 

Captain Drake had a nice blow over hurdles recently to put it right for this race. Its last Chase win was off a mark of 137, the trip is absolutely no problem and it arrives off a competitive looking mark of 135 with a handy 3lbs claimer. I think this Course will suit and quietly fancy it at nice each way Odds. JERSEY BEAN will also have benefitted from seasonal debut and has won at 3 miles and 3 miles 2 furlongs, crucially the blinkers that have aided those wins return here and and it has won its second seasonal run in the past 2 seasons, some plenty of small pointers there to suggest it holds strong claims here.