3 minute read

But ground set to be different to 12 months ago.

Last year's winner Chidswell  is out to repeat the dose in the 888Sport Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster – but conditions are set to be markedly different from 12 months ago.

Nicky Richards' charge handled good ground fine to win in 2019, but with plenty of rain forecast for Town Moor, the going is likely to be at the other end of the spectrum.

"The ground might not be in his favour this year," said Richards of the 11-year-old.

"He has won on heavy, but not at a level as competitive as this. We're planning to run anyway. If it went absolutely rotten, we might have a think.

"He's in grand fettle and ready to run and I thought he ran a fine race in the Sky Bet Chase (third) last time. He made a fair error at the second which slowed him right down, but he finished it out very well.

"He likes the place, he always runs well there so the plan is to run."

Caroline Bailey runs the novice Boldmere, who had a Grade Two novice chase at Wetherby at his mercy recently before falling at the last.

With Definitly Red and Saint Xavier set to head to Kelso in preference to Doncaster, Boldmere will carry top-weight.

"He was put up 5lb for falling over in the Towton which is never very nice, so he's high in the handicap, but that's what it is," said Bailey.

"He jumped beautifully until the last, I've no idea why he fell – it was just one of those things.

"Thankfully it doesn't seem to have dented his confidence at home. We were hoping the ground would be better at Doncaster. but this is an abnormal year."

Neil Mulholland's Cesar Et Rosalie carries bottom-weight, but is not without a chance given how the form of his penultimate run worked out.

He was beaten eight lengths by Copperheard at Wincanton, but the winner is now one of the favourites for the RSA Chase and Mulholland's charge was only carrying 2lb less.

"On bits and pieces of his form you could give him a chance," said Mulholland.

"The time before last looks good now given what Copperhead has done and obviously our own horse Fingerontheswitch was second and he's won at Kempton and nearly won the Great Yorkshire Chase (Sky Bet Chase) since.

"He came down last time and picked up a nasty cut ,which is why he hasn't run since Christmas.

"It was heavy ground that day and he was still travelling well – although it was a long way from home – but at least if the ground gets very testing he should be OK on it."

Dr Richard Newland has been saving Aaron Lad for the spring, but the unseasonably soft ground might not be in his favour despite a win on heavy last time out.

"He's very well and we've been looking forward to putting him into handicap company," said Newland.

"We're going up in trip a bit, so we'll just have to see how he gets on. I'm not sure he'd want it too heavy, that's the thing. I know he won in pretty deep ground last time, but that was only a small race.

"We've been minding him with the spring handicaps in mind and he's in good form, so we'll see how he gets on.

"Good to soft would have been ideal. He's not a quick horse, but he stays well. he's not very big, though, so this ground might expose him, we'll see."