Stuart Williams takes an in-depth look at the runners for the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster on Saturday.
Sky Bet Chase Preview & Runners Guide
Doncaster's Sky Bet Handicap Chase is always a tricky puzzle to solve and this year's renewal looks no different, well if you're prepared to look beyond the well touted favourite who had his form significantly boosted by Royale Pagaille at Haydock last weekend, that is!
Clearly Christian Williams' progressive eight-year-old boasts very strong claims and will undoubtedly be well supported in the betting. However, there are many contenders in this race whom possess the scope for improvement, and a few that could easily bounce back to form. Therefore let's take a look at all thirteen contenders and try to draw a conclusion thereafter.
Sky Bet Handicap Chase Runners
Cap Du Nord
Cap Du Nord won in the manner of a very well handicapped horse at Newbury in November before bumping into Saturday's imperious Peter Marsh Handicap Chase scorer Royale Pagaille at Kempton, which naturally makes him a very tempting proposition heading into this valuable handicap contest.
The form of his Kempton effort was further enhanced when the third-placed Double Shuffle went two places better next time out. Therefore there is every reason to believe that Cap Du Nord is still ahead of the handicapper in spite of his 6lbs rise.
Christian Williams' eight-year-old will appreciate the drying ground and will have the assistance of talented conditional jockey Jack Tudor, who will take a handy 3lbs off his back. Therefore it's hard to envisage anything but a very bold effort.
Canelo
Canelo is another contender whom boasts a progressive profile this season and arrives on the back of a cosy success in the Grade 3 Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase at Wetherby, where he travelled strongly and defeated a similarly progressive type in the form of Snow Leopardess.
The JP McManus owned eight-year-old actually chased home the aforementioned Cap Du Nord at Newbury in November and is 9lbs better off with that rival on Saturday, which could easily be enough to turn the tables in his favour.
Canelo is versatile in terms of ground and remains open to further improvement over staying trips, therefore his place in the market is warranted.
One For The Team
One For The Team more than held his own in competitive handicap hurdles last season and it's fair to say that he has kept good company since heading over fences this term, which may well have left him on a competitive mark for his handicap debut in this sphere.
Indeed, Nick Williams' seven-year-old could easily be well treated off a mark of 141, and his one-and-a-half-length defeat against the 153 rated Next Destination in Grade 2 company at Newbury reads particularly well after Paul Nicholls' stayer successfully conceded 5lbs to his two rivals in the Grade 2 Hampton Novices' Chase at Warwick two weeks ago.
There was no shame in being outpaced around a track like Kempton when placing fifth in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices' Chase and, like Cap Du Nord, he will be suited by the drying conditions.
His experience in competitive handicap company over hurdles should stand to him and a fluent round of fencing could see him go close.
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Aye Right
The up-and-coming Aye Right placed third in the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby prior to fending off all bar the front-running Cloth Cap in the Grade 3 Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury in November, demonstrating that he is more than capable of landing a valuable prize at some stage this season.
Harriet Graham's progressive eight-year-old will compete off a 1lb higher mark on Saturday and has been given plenty of time to recover from his exertions at Newbury, while those towards the head of the market have all endured tough races in December.
Aye Right was only narrowly denied by subsequent Grade 2 Old Roan Chase scorer Nuts Well over a trip short of his best at Kelso in October and he does boast winning form on varying types of ground. Therefore he has plenty going for him and could easily play a leading role on Saturday.
Musical Slave
Musical Slave remains unexposed over staying trips and looks potentially well treated off a mark of 137 in light of his runner-up effort behind Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase scorer Sam's Adventure over 3 miles on heavy ground at Uttoxeter in March.
Philip Hobbs' eight-year-old was beaten a shade over three-and-a-half-lengths off his current rating at Newbury last time out. However, that was a competitive race for the grade over two-and-a-half-miles, and it suggested that he could have plenty more to offer when stepping back out in trip.
Philip Hobbs landed this race with If In Doubt in 2015, who also carried the green and gold bands of JP McManus. Therefore this race may well have been the plan for some time.
Give Me A Copper
Paul Nicholls lightly raced eleven-year-old chased home Rocky's Treasure over this course and distance last month and will look to turn the tables on Saturday. However, he will meet that rival on 3lbs worse terms when factoring in Angus Cheleda's 7lbs claim last month.
Last season's Badger Beers Silver Trophy scorer has always been held in high regard and could easily have a decent prize in him at some stage this season. However, he does appear to perform better when given time between his races and four of his five career victories to date have been achieved on right-handed tracks, which may or may not be relevant but does provide food for thought.
There is also a suspicion that he would prefer better ground.
Rocky's Treasure
Rocky's Treasure is 3-4 at Doncaster and 2-2 over this course and distance following his defeat of the aforementioned Give Me A Copper last month, therefore he makes obvious appeal in spite of his 7lbs rise.
That represented a return to form for the ten-year-old, who had been in the doldrums since a productive novice campaign, and it comes as little surprise given the level of success that Kim Bailey, whom saddled First Flow to land the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase at Ascot last Saturday, is enjoying this season.
All seven of Rocky's Treasure's career victories have been achieved on ground officially described as good to soft or quicker. Therefore better the ground, the better his prospects.
Mister Malarky
Mister Malarky will attempt to defy a career-high mark of 156 after receiving a 6lbs rise in the weights following his defeat of last season's Ultima Handicap Chase hero The Conditional at Ascot last month - a victory that confirmed his ability to handle very testing ground.
However, it should be noted that his last three victories have all been achieved on right-handed tracks and Colin Tizzard has gone 36 days without a winner at the time of writing, with his last 43 runners all tasting defeat. Therefore Mister Malarky has plenty to overcome.
Boldmere
Boldmere placed fourth behind the aforementioned pair Rocky's Treasure and Give Me A Copper over this course and distance last month, and Caroline Bailey's up-and-coming stayer will meet those rivals on significantly better terms this weekend.
Boldmere was successful over this course and distance as a novice last term and was sent off as the 9/2 favourite to land a competitive contest at Bangor on his seasonal reappearance that was won by subsequent Classic Chase scorer Notachance, with Welsh Grand National runner-up The Two Amigos back in third.
That contest is clearly working out very well and Boldmere has dropped 4lbs in the ratings since. Therefore he looks poised to strike and could easily run a big race if the ground continues to dry out.
Yorkhill
Dual Cheltenham Festival scorer Yorkhill holds an engagement in the Grade 2 Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday (first preference), which is a clear indication of where connections feel is following his return to form in the Listed Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle in November, when defying a price of 66/1.
The enigmatic eleven-year-old will compete off a 5lbs higher mark on Saturday and will naturally be suited by going right-handed. Therefore he rates a fascinating contender given his substantial back-class.
The Butcher Said
The Butcher Said failed to land a blow when placing sixth in the aforementioned Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle but retains plenty of potential given his lightly raced status in this sphere.
Indeed, Olly Murphy's scopey eight-year-old boasts some very solid form in novice company, including a gutsy defeat of subsequent scorers Cool Destination and Snow Leopardess, who received 6lbs and 13lbs respectively, at Bangor in September.
The experience that he gained at Newcastle should stand to him going forwards and a mark of 139 could easily underestimate his ability. However, he does require good ground in order to be seen to best effect, which is naturally a concern on this occasion.
Takingrisks
Takingrisks, who will be having just his second start since undergoing wind surgery, ran respectably when placing fourth in the Rehearsal Chase in November and he doesn't look badly treated off a mark of 146, which is just 3lbs above the rating from which he landed the aforementioned Newcastle contest in 2019.
Nicky Richards' battle-hardened twelve-year-old landed the Scottish Grand National in 2019 and will not be inconvenienced by whatever the weather may do, therefore the conditions of this race are no problem whatsoever. However, he is potentially vulnerable to his younger rivals who have greater scope for improvement.
Guitar Pete
Nicky Richards will also saddle 2017 Caspian Caviar Gold Cup winner Guitar Pete, whom is clearly more than capable when everything falls right and isn't badly handicapped on the pick of his form.
However, he is without a success since November 2019 and is yet to conclusively prove his stamina over staying trips, which does make him hard to fancy.
Sky Bet Chase Tips
The verdict
Cap Du Nord is understandably a short-priced favourite following Royale Pagaille's impressive success at Haydock last weekend, and the drying ground will only further aid his prospects. Therefore he is a rock-solid contender who may take all of the beating if running up to form.
Yorkhill is a fascinating contender given his back class and the fact that connections are/were prepared to tackle Grade 2 company at Cheltenham clearly indicates that they are very happy with him at present.
One For The Team is at the other end of the spectrum as his best days are seemingly still ahead of him. Nick Williams' seven-year-old looks potentially well handicapped off a mark of 141 and he could easily feature prominently if the ground continues to dry out.
However, JP McManus has won this race twice in the last six years and the leading owner looks to have two solid contenders on Saturday in the form of Musical Slave and CANELO, whom both remain open to improvement over this staying trips. However, preference is for the latter, who travelled strongly when defeating a similarly progressive type in the Grade 3 Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase at Wetherby, and who is 9lbs better off with Cap Du Nord on their Newbury running in November.
Alan King saddled Ziga Boy to land back-to-back renewals in 2016 and 2017 and clearly knows what it takes to plunder Doncaster's valuable contest. Canelo landed a two-and-a-half-mile novices' hurdle on his only previous visit to Doncaster and he will not be inconvenienced by whatever ground conditions he will encounter.
The master of Barbury Castle once again displayed his prowess for landing valuable Saturday pot's when saddling Notachance to land the Classic Chase at Warwick two weeks ago. Therefore there are plenty of reasons to be positive about Canelo's prospects on Saturday.
Sky Bet Chase Entries
- Cap Du Nord
- Canelo
- One For The Team
- Aye Right
- Musical Slave
- Rockys Treasure
- Give Me A Copper
- Mister Malarky
- Boldmere
- The Butcher Said
- Yorkhill
- Takingrisks
- Guitar Pete
