Racecards
14:05 Cheltenham
Victor Chandler Handicap Chase (Grade 2) (Class A )
- 10 Runners
- Distance: 2m 110y
- Going: Good to Soft
- Form 111-23F
- Age 6
- Weight 11-10
- Official Rating 176
- Trainer M C Pipe
- Jockey Timmy Murphy
patiently ridden and settled well in rear, steady headway from 9th, tracked leading pair from 3 out, challenged 2 out, soon led, kept on well run -in
- Form 41-1U46
- Age 11
- Weight 10-9
- Official Rating 159
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey B J Geraghty
held up in rear, mistake and lost touch 8th
- Form 24-1143
- Age 8
- Weight 10-6
- Official Rating 158
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey Christian Williams
chased leaders, ridden and blundered 7th, soon well behind
- Form 322P-55
- Age 11
- Weight 10-5
- Official Rating 157
- Trainer P Hobbs & J White
- Jockey R Johnson
not fluent, always behind, struggling from 9th
- Form 510-226
- Age 10
- Weight 10-4
- Official Rating 156
close up, driven along to hold position from 9th, weakened 3 out
- Form 14P-232
- Age 8
- Weight 10-4
- Official Rating 154
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey P J Brennan
tracked leaders, went 2nd before 3 out, led before 2 out, headed soon after 2 out, weakened before last
- Form 42-2F04
- Age 10
- Weight 10-4
- Official Rating 150
- Trainer T D Easterby
- Jockey D O'Meara
tracked leader, losing place when pecked 3 out, kept on run-in
- Form 1F22-22
- Age 9
- Weight 10-4
- Official Rating 151
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey Ruby Walsh
held up in touch, hit 5th, ridden and headway before 4 out, challenged 2 out, chased winner before last, stayed on same pace run-in
- Form 50203-3
- Age 11
- Weight 10-4
- Official Rating 144
led, ridden and headed before 2 out, weakened before last
- Form 0/112-FF
- Age 7
- Weight 10-4
- Official Rating 140
- Trainer N J Henderson
- Jockey M A Fitzgerald
keen, held up mid-division, promising headway on inside when not fluent 4 out, blundered and not recover next
Previous results
In depth
Verdict
It is hard to get away from Well Chief in this marvellous race, and he is taken to score, with possibly Thisthatandtother proving to be his biggest danger. The presence of Martin Pipe's Queen Mother Champion Chase hope has frightened off a lot of would-be opponents in this race and, as things stand, only half of the field will be racing from their proper mark. With talent and courage in abundance, Well Chief, who won last season's Arkle Chase, ran a blinder to be third behind Moscow Flyer and Azertyuiop in the Tingle Creek Chase before falling when going really well in Wetherby's Castleford Chase last time out. He has been given time to get over those exertions and looks the one to beat today. Not that it will be a cakewalk for we have those hardy perennials Cenkos, Kadarann, Flagship Uberalles, Armaturk, Seebald and Turgeonev in the field, along with Paul Nicholls-trained Paddy Power and Tripleprint Gold Cup runner-up Thisthatandtother, who gets a handy 20 pounds from Well Chief. However, the class act, one who has youth on his side, is Well Chief, and he looks the one to beat in this valuable affair.