Beluga could be of interest making his chase debut in a handicap but is hard to recommend on recent evidence and a safer bet looks to be Sitting Duck, who is preferred to Twist N Turn. The last mentioned needs to step up on recent form but hails from a stable that can do little wrong at present so is impossible to rule out with great confidence. Shannon Quest has given little sign of encouragement of late, while Huw The News has been well held off similar marks of late and is hard to recommend. The vote then goes to Sitting Duck, who has shown enough in his last two starts to suggest that a reproduction of those efforts would suffice.
Beluga (IRE) 100-1 (11-5) Held up, headway approaching 3 out, soon weakened, 12th of 22, well behind Straw Bear (11-5) at Leicester 2m nov hdl (3) sft.
Sitting Duck 9-1 (10-4) Led, headed before 4 out, chased winner and not fluent 2 out, kept on same pace, 2nd of 16, 2 1/2l behind Moscow Gold (9-13) at Ludlow 2m 4f nov hcp chs 0-95 (F) gd in Dec.
Huw The News 40-1 (10-12) Always in rear, weakened 8th, blundered 4 out, 7th of 9, well behind Advance East (10-2) at Chepstow 2m hcp chs 0-95 (5) sft.
Twist N Turn 14-1 (10-4) Prominent, ridden approaching 4 out, weakened from next, 3rd of 6, 19l behind Word Gets Around (11-12) at Musselburgh 2m 1f nov hcp chs 0-95 (5) gf.
Shannon Quest (IRE) 66-1 (10-9) Prominent, weakened after 11th pulled up in race won by Presenting Express (10-13) at Taunton 2m 7f hcp chs 0-105 (E) gd in Dec, 9 ran.
