TOWTON NOVICES’ CHASE
Saturday 11th January, 1:15pm
Handstands @ 6/4
Cherie d’Am @ 5/2
Saint Davy @ 7/2
Range @ 11/1
Lord Of Thunder @ 12/1
Hillcrest @ 14/1
Karuma Grey @ 50/1
view odds
*prices correct at time of writing.
THE RACE
The Yorkshire village of Towton, renowned for being the scene of the most deadly battle of the Wars of the Roses, also has its name attached to a three-mile Grade Two Novices’ Chase, which has itself seen some fierce encounters over the years, but happily all of them more good-natured. With the race’s usual home at Wetherby in the grip of the icy weather, the £40,000 race (1-15) is being staged nearly 250 miles away in west Wales as Ffos Las comes to the rescue with an eight-race card. However, the feature is shorter than usual at two miles and three furlongs.
THE MARKET
Although successful at this kind of distance in hurdles, the penalised Handstands relished being upped to three miles at Sandown last time (with Saint Davy in third) when putting behind him a chasing-debut fall.
Having made an above average start to chasing when a close third of three at Carlisle, the Dan Skelton-trained mare Cherie d’Am stepped forward at Warwick, again over two-and-a-half-miles, seeing off some nice types in great style despite losing her footing at the second last.
Whatever momentum deserted her was regained strikingly fast. Although Sandown was a great way for Saint Davy to get his chasing career underway, especially as he’s sure to come on for it, he too has excelled at around three miles.
Range is potentially dangerous if allowed to get his own way in front as demonstrated the time before last.
Lord Of Thunder shaped encouragingly as a hurdler, but would maybe need the added tongue-tie to make a difference here.
Hillcrest’s comeback from a monster lay-off when fourth at Haydock was more than satisfactory, and he will also have gained from the experience last time when pulled up on ground that mightn’t have been soft enough.
Karuma Grey was a 100/1 winner on the course before Christmas.
THE WINNER
While anticipating better from Hillcrest, I’m sure that Cherie d’Am will be hard to beat and could give Darren Yates some food for thought re. his plans to quit racing – what do you reckon?
CORN’S QUARTET
Staying at Ffos Las, here’s pretty much a copy and paste from this column last week (when everything was off): the handicap hurdle (1-51) includes Our Dylan, an easy winner at Exeter, and the allowance claimed by the jockey, the leading point-to-point rider but a five-pound claimer under Rules, offsets most of the horse’s latest weight–rise. He should appreciate the extra quarter-mile.
Harry Derham had that blip when his gallops were practically destroyed by a storm, but the stable’s runners are going well now, and Sir Psycho (3-31) has shown he can hold his own in this type of company.
At Newcastle, after a profitable 2024, jockey Callum Rodriguez returns to action (2-00) on the hooded-first-time Lerwick, looks ready for another go at this distance (2-00), while the attempt last week by Streak Lightning (3-45) to concede weight to a very much in-form rival was a laudable one.
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