3:25 Betfredpoker Handicap Chase (Class 2) (5yo+,0-145) 17 fences (2m4f110y) 2m4½f

[off 3:27] £12,526.00, £3,700.00, £1,850.00, £926.00, £462.00

1 Black Hills J A Geake 8 11-2 tp J A McCarthy 5/2 127 116 —

2 4 Mr Boo (IRE) G L Moore 8 11-0 Jamie Moore 15/8F 125 110 —

3 7 Tikram A King 10 11-11 Robert Thornton 4/1 136 114 —

4 4 Big Rob (IRE) B G Powell 8 10-9 p S P Jones(5) 6/1 125 99 —

5 shd Marcel (FR) D E Pipe 7 11-5 J W Farrelly(7) 15/2 137 111 —

5 ran TIME 5m 4.23s (slow by 2.23s) TOTAL SP 109%

1st OWNER: The Kingfisher Partnership BRED: Dr J M Leigh TRAINER: J A Geake

2nd OWNER: The Hon Mrs C Cameron

3rd OWNER: Mike Charlton And Rodger Sargent

TOTE WIN £3.40 PL £1.70, £1.60; Ex £7.60; CSF £7.78

Another tricky contest despite the small field, but there are not many horses around who deserved a win more than BLACK HILLS, who powered home to score with a fair bit in hand. Narrowly denied at Newbury last month, he bumped into an unexposed sort when second at Cheltenham last week and, although 9lb higher than when last successful, he looked in control after the second-last. Quite lightly raced for an eight-year-old, connections are eyeing a rise in distance for him next season and are looking towards a possible tilt at the Hennessy Gold Cup.

Mr Boo returned to form when second at Ascot towards the end of last month and looked likely to take some beating off just a pound higher mark. Despite having got very warm beforehand, he made gradualprogress to hold every chance rounding for home, but the winner found more and he could not match him. He is in decent form and can be found a small race.

Tikram only got as far as the first in the Grand National and there were doubts as to whether he still has the speed to win over this distance. Those doubts were realised as he became outpaced down the far side, but he kept plugging away and as a couple of early-season efforts suggested, he is still capable of winning off this mark granted a stiffer test.

Marcel, who had too much use made of him in Newbury's Vodafone Gold Cup, unseated in the cheekpieces at Aintree most recently and was running a good race here when clouting the Pond fence. That pretty much ended his chance.