Timeform Daily: Newbury 2.05, the GPG Novices' Chase (Grade 2)

Race of the Day Preview / Timeform / 26 November 2008 / Leave a Comment

Registered as the Worcester Novices' Chase, this race has a record for producing high-level staying chasers, with 2007 winner Joe Lively looking likely to continue that trend. Field sizes also tend to be small, and this renewal's turnout of six is far from disappointing compared with recent years, say Timeform.

Paul Nicholls has had three winners of the race this century, and is represented this term by The Tother One. A smart novice hurdler last season, The Tother One racked up a hat-trick in handicap hurdles before placing in both the Spa Novice's Hurdle at Cheltenham and the Sefton at Aintree. He made his chasing debut at Exeter last month, where he jumped slightly left and wandered under pressure (he had also wandered badly in the closing stages of the Spa), though held on well to win by just over a length from Gone To Lunch, who re-oppposes today. Very much a chaser in looks, The Tother One is expected to progress and take high rank among the season's staying novice chasers.

Gone To Lunch was another smart novice hrudler last year, finishing ahead of The Tother One at Aintree under an enterprising ride from Tony McCoy. He has had three runs over fences already this season, his best performance coming when second to The Tother One at Exeter, the pair finishing seventeen lengths clear of the remainder. Since then he has opened his account in chases when facing a much simpler task at Hereford a week ago, making all to win by twenty-eight lengths. Stamina will certainly not be an issue, nor will his willingness in a battle.

Despite having only made two starts over the larger obstacles, Hold Em already has experience in Graded company in this sphere. He finished sixteen lengths behind impressive winner Breedsbreeze in the Rising Stars Novice's Chase at Wincanton earlier in the month, despite again not jumping too fluently and shaping as though he would be suited by a greater test of stamina. Granted such a test here, the strength of Hold Em's Wincanton run means that he is more than entitled to take his chance at this level again.

Brought over from France in the spring, Tartak is unbeaten in two British starts so far, returning from a five-month absence when impressing at Huntingdon on the latter occasion. He made all when beating Tarotino under a penalty that day and was merely kept up to his work after jumping the last. Tartak is a useful prospect who has not finished improving yet, and he is far from a forlorn hope in this company, though he may find Gone To Lunch taking him on for the lead.

Crescent Island also has experience in Graded novice chases, having finished a distant third to Arkle favourite Tatenen at Cheltenham's Open meeting. He is a winner over fences, having landed a fairly useful contest at Stratford in October, with runner-up Kia Kaha winning since. Crescent Island probably stays three miles, a poor round of jumping the main reason for his defeat at Chepstow on his only previous attempt at the trip.

Ouste will make his first start since being sold out of Niall Madden's stable last month, though in truth has a lot to find on these rivals and is hard to fancy.