It could pay to look beyond the familiar faces in the Peter Marsh Chase

Peter Marsh Handicap Chase | Grade 2 | 3m1½f | 5yo+ | ITV4/RTV

Tipster analysis

It has long been suspected that having a horse on the sharp end is an advantage in deep ground. The hard evidence to back it up has recently started building.

No surprise, then, that the last four winners of a major mid-winter staying handicap at Haydock have 'tracked leaders', 'led, 'tracked leaders' and 'chased leaders', in the words of Racing Post in-running comments.

That suggests that Sean Bowen will have his work cut out on Acting Lass, who idles badly in front and needs to be presented late. It should also influence Isabel Williams on Prime Venture, who ran a fine race in the Welsh National having been ridden with more dash than usual.

Competition for the lead looks likely to be between Champers On Ice and Midnight Tune, two of the least exposed chasers in a field full of familiar faces.

Tom Scudamore might be the likelier pacesetter on the first-named ten-year-old, as his mount is closer to being a guaranteed stayer. Midnight Tune's only run over three miles in testing ground was a borderline non-race.

Similarly unexposed is Geronimo, who defied an absence and a drop in trip to make a winning return at Newcastle last month. Still only ten runs into his career, he could well improve again returned to three miles.

The only blip in his career to date came in the Scottish National, at a time when his yard was not firing on all cylinders.

Quite a few of the more established names are on marks from which you would do well to argue they are well handicapped. The exception would be Vintage Clouds.

Strictly in form terms, he looked as though h was on the way back when third in the Tommy Whittle at Haydock four weeks ago.

However, his late headway was seemingly made under sufferance, so predicting that he will build on it requires a leap of faith.
Keith Melrose, betting editor

What the stats say

Sue Smith has a great record in the Peter Marsh, with wins from Cloudy Too (2016) and Wakanda (last year), as well as a close second and two thirds from eight runners in the last decade.

She saddles Vintage Clouds, who has slipped back to a mark 1lb lower than when beaten narrowly by Beware The Bear in the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in March and has the assistance of three-time Peter Marsh winner Danny Cook.

What the trainers say

Brian Ellison, trainer of Definitly Red
The Grand National is the main priority, and the plan is to run here, followed by Kelso in February and then Aintree. He’s giving plenty of weight and the ground is going to be bottomless, so it’s going to be difficult, but he’s in good form.

Harry Fry, trainer of Acting Lass
He’ll relish conditions up there, which is the biggest thing in his favour. He ran a career best last time at Ascot and he’s 3lb higher for that effort, but if he can turn up in the same sort of form, then hopefully he can go very close.

Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of Flying Angel
He's been running well all season and there's no reason to think he can't go well again. He's being aimed in the long term at the Grand National.

David Pipe, trainer of Champers On Ice
He's never been a natural over either hurdles or fences, but he's been jumping better and running well over hurdles this season, and his schooling at home has been good for him, so we're having another go over fences. The trip and ground should slow some of them down and give him his best possible chance, but he couldn't win off 140 over hurdles last time and he's now up to 141 and so needs a career best.

Sandy Thomson, trainer of Geronimo
It wasn't so much what he beat but the way he did it at Newcastle, and it was great to see him win like that as the staff had worked really hard to get him back after the Scottish National. He was a bit novicey to begin with over fences but at Ayr he galloped away and jumped away for three miles in one of the most competitive 4m handicaps in the country, and it's no secret our horses were all wrong by that time. We'll find out here how good he is, but it won't surprise me if he steps up again.

Evan Williams, trainer of Prime Venture
This comes quick enough for him after the Welsh National but he seems very well in himself and he loves this ground, so we thought it was worth a try. Isabel's 7lb claim won't hurt it in this ground.

Anthony Honeyball, trainer of Midnight Tune
Midnight Tune is in great form. This race has been the target and is essentially her Gold Cup. She relishes testing ground conditions and, while it's a big test, she is a thorough stayer and I hope she can run a big race.

Clive Storey, assistant to Claud and Goldie's trainer Sandy Forster
He came to racing late and although he's 11, last season was his first proper season. He's low mileage, but he could do with a bit more experience, so we'll see how he gets on. He seems well in himself.
Reporting by Graham Dench

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