At the top of the market here we have the ex David Dennis horse Marquis De Carabais coming off a 900 day break and now with Fergal O'Brien and Cornet De Stage an Irish Raider whose form is patchy to say the least and whose handicap mark looks nothing like a steal. Fergal is an excellent Trainer and a lovely guy but I'm not tempted in at anything like 4/1 and the Irish horse dare I say it looks over-bet and hopefully not about to throw eggs in my face.

 

Tim Vaughan runs a host here and has a decent record in the race. You can give sporting chances to Bermeo who has been recruited from Johnny Farrelly who won the race in 2020 but nearly a stone above the mark that day; Len Brennan off for over 100 days but interesting on one bit of Chepstow form particularly and Madeira Mist off for 160 days offer him other small chances amongst his contingent.

 

Boughtbeforelunch, runner up last year and a nice prospect for Paul Webber may well need the run this time and also to lose a few pounds in its first few warm up runs, Debden Bank is upwardly mobile and won its last 3 for Martin Keighley but this is a different league and although feared may need the run and Super Citizen an Irish raider on UK debut is proven at 3 miles but not an obvious chance were all worthy of close inspection but ultimately rules out.

 

I'll stick with proven Cheltenham form and experience and also a hunch on a promising one who ran up a sequence of good runs early last season and looks primed after a quiet season debut.

 

PETITE POWER is a 12 year old now and Fergals 2nd string having returned to the yard but they'll know how to get this wonderful servant fit and it will no doubt love being back here bowling along and if it gets in to a good rhythm, then who knows what might happen. There isn't a better rider in the race and having won this off a mark of 115 in 2019 and then shooting up the handicap, it's back to a mark of 117 and very much overlooked.

 

STRICTLYDANCER from the Christian Williams yard went 1st ; 2nd ; 3rd last Autumn, mark went from 102 to 110 and having had a run looks ready to step back up and off 110 looks very appealing at a nice each way price. I'll be disappointed if he's not placed at least.