'He rates a serious player' - Richard Birch examines a tight handicap chase

Monday: 1.50 FontwellVirgin Bet Handicap Chase | 2m3½f | 5yo+ | Sky

The drop from Class 3 to 4 company makes bang-in-form Foxboro of significant interest.

Robert Walford's seven-year-old travelled throughout the vast majority of a 2m4f Kempton handicap chase last month as the best horse at the weights, but didn't find as much as anticipated off the bridle after the final fence.

He's been dropped 1lb for that length-and-a-half third to Falco Blitz and Champagne Court, who have official chase ratings of 142 and 130 respectively.

Foxboro, who should be suited by the anticipated easing of the ground after Sunday showers, faces nothing of that calibre in this 0-120, and seems sure to prove popular with punters at a venue where his trainer does well.

Cilaos Grace, a course-and-distance winner under 11st 12lb in December, is now 6lb higher in the weights, but that can be countered by the fact that the runner-up has since bolted up by nine and a half lengths on a recent return visit to Fontwell.

Oliver Sherwood's charge has proved competitive off higher marks than 116 and rates a serious player.

Le Cameleon hasn't shown a great deal this term in three starts since wind surgery but, as a result, is able to compete off an 8lb lower mark than when making his seasonal reappearance at Stratford in October.

The seven-year-old would hold strong claims if recapturing his best form, but ideally might require much deeper ground to excel.
Race analysis by Richard Birch

What they say

Nick Williams, trainer of Le Cameleon
He's not done too well this season and things haven't worked out so far, but hopefully it does tomorrow. He's dropped in grade and under top weight the more rain the better for him. It's time he hit some form and the market seems to be giving him a chance.

Gary Moore, trainer of The Flying Sofa and Twenty Twenty
I'm hopeful The Flying Sofa will run a very good race. They both just needed a little time before they came back this season. Twenty Twenty hasn't really come into himself yet and still might need the run, but you would never know with him, he could run well.

Robert Walford, trainer of Foxboro
He's in good form and he should run well. He can be a bit lazy when racing, so I think the cheekpieces just help with that. It's his first run at the track and I hope he'll go well, but you never quite know until they get there.

Oliver Sherwood, trainer of Cilaos Glace
He's won around there before but it wouldn't be the most ideal track for him as he's a big horse, but he was due to run at Market Rasen, which was abandoned. I haven't had many runners as some of mine haven't been 100 per cent right, but he scoped clean and his blood is good, so it's all systems go.
Reporting by Catherine Macrae

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