Soft

4:30 RPSport - Read, Watch, Win Handicap Chase (class 3) (5yo+,0-125)

[off 4:30] £6,506.00, £1,910.00, £955.00, £477.00 17 fences (2m4f110y) 2m4½f

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Roznic (FR) P Winkworth 8 11-6 P Hide 5/2F 111 111 122+

2 5 Indian Gunner Dr J R J Naylor 13 11-3 A Thornton 12/1 108 103 107

3 1¾ Biliverdin (IRE) J A Geake 12 11-12 M Foley 10/1 117 110 117+

4 17 Acertack (IRE) R Rowe 9 10-5 P J Brennan 11/1 96 71 83+

5 20 Walcot Lad (IRE) A Ennis 10 10-5 p C Bolger(3) 10/1 99 53 59

UR Myson (IRE) D B Feek 7 10-9 James Davies 7/2 100 — 90

SU Cyborsun (FR) M F Harris 9 10-0 C Poste(5) 11/4 96 — —

7 ran TIME 5m 26.80s (slow by 24.80s) TOTAL SP 111%

1st OWNER: Etoile Racing BRED: Francis Faure TRAINER: P Winkworth

2nd OWNER: Mrs S P Elphick

3rd OWNER: Theo Waddington And Bernard Keay

TOTE WIN £2.90 PL £1.70, £5.20; Ex £42.40; CSF £28.03Place 6 £18.31, Place 5 £11.88

PLACEPOT £22.90 to a £1 stake. Pool: £97,199.15. 3,093.25 winning tickets.

QUADPOT £15.40 to a £1 stake. Pool: £4,437.80. 212.30 winning tickets.

ANALYSIS: Nobody could argue this was the strongest of races, but ROZNIC remains on a distinctly upward curve and made it three wins from three completed starts over fences. He travelled well throughout, and, after taking it up with three to jump, came away readily on the run-in. He isn’t entered at Cheltenham - even when reassessed he wouldn’t be off a high enough mark to get in the handicap in any case, but shapes as if there’s more to come and connections will be looking for something better than this before long.

The 13-y-o Indian Gunner ran a blinder on his return from nearly three years off the track. Having returned from that year’s Topham with a tendon problem, he was on the point of getting back on track when it resurfaced. He has evidently been full of himself at home lately, so connections, who were understandably over the moon, weren’t that surprised to see him run so well. However, they will want to see how he comes out of this before even thinking of another target for him, and a return toAintree is no formality.

Biliverdin had been given a chance by the Handicapper - he was off a mark 8lb lower than when winning here nearly two years ago - and ran easily his best race this season. He made several mistakes - one at the last on the far side caused his rider to lose a rein, but he was already held when making another at the final fence - but for which he would have been even closer. Although he is another who is now in the veteran stage, one couldn’t rule out another win.