Racecards
14:10 Haydock Park
Peter Marsh Handicap Chase (Grade 2) (Class A )
- 7 Runners
- Distance: 3m
- Going: Heavy
- Form F143-54
- Age 9
- Weight 11-10
- Official Rating 160
- Trainer H D Daly
- Jockey M Bradburne
held up, hit 4 out, some headway 3 out, hit next, no impression
- Form 352-305
- Age 12
- Weight 11-7
- Official Rating 157
chased winner, ridden approaching 2 out, one pace from last
- Form 1126PF
- Age 9
- Weight 11-0
- Official Rating 150
- Trainer P & M Bowen
- Jockey S Durack
jumped left and mistake 2 out, held up in touch, chased leading pair approaching 11th, ridden 4 out, no impression when mistake last
Chives (IRE)
25- Form P/4P-213
- Age 10
- Weight 10-13
- Official Rating 149
- Trainer J Parkinson & S Smith
- Jockey D Elsworth
in touch, pushed along after 11th, struggling next
- Form FUP-441
- Age 10
- Weight 10-12
- Official Rating 148
- Trainer Ferdy Murphy
- Jockey K Mercer
held up, hit 6th, mistake 10th, outpaced 12th, kept on from 2 out, no impression
- Form F216B-5
- Age 11
- Weight 10-11
- Official Rating 147
- Trainer N & W Twiston-Davies
- Jockey C Llewellyn
led until after 1st, mistake 7th, chased leaders until lost place approaching 11th, soon struggling
- Form 115/1-4F
- Age 8
- Weight 10-4
- Official Rating 137
- Trainer J Howard Johnson
- Jockey G Lee
led after 1st, mistake 13th, shaken up to go clear after last, eased towards finish
In depth
Verdict
Sue Smith won this event 12 months ago with Artic Jack and is taken to do so again with Chives, who is preferred to Lord Transcend and First Gold. The last mentioned has not won since landing the Heineken Gold Cup April 2003 and, while clearly still capable of decent form, is difficult to recommend on recent evidence. Top weight Hand Inn Hand has proved to be expensive to follow but his stable is back among the winners now and Henry Daly has freshened the gelding up by giving him a break. Grand National winner Bindaree will appreciate the underfoot conditions but has the Aintree marathon as his target again so is unlikely to be fully wound up here and a bigger threat may come from Lord Transcend, who is probably better than his showing in the Roland Meyrick behind Truckers Tavern would suggest. The vote though goes to Chives, who did little wrong in the Welsh National last time, remains well treated and will be well served by the going.