'She's favourite but she deserves to be on what she did last season' - expert analysis and trainer quotes for Listed mares' chase

The ground will be crucial in this Listed mares’ chase as the forecast drying surface will work against odds-on Galia Des Liteaux.

The Dan Skelton-trained seven-year-old drops in class after contesting three Grade 1s in her previous four outings and has produced her best two Racing Post Ratings on heavy going.

Her peak performance came in the Grade 2 Hampton Court Novices' Chase in the mud at Warwick where she was 13 lengths too good for Complete Unknown, a leading fancy for the Coral Gold Cup who has franked the form since.

On the figures this rests between Galia Des Liteaux and Found On, who met a year ago in a 2m1½f Listed novice at Bangor when the market favoured Found On. However, she was pulled up in attritional conditions while Galia Des Liteaux relished them.

This is a completely different test over a much longer trip and it is easy to see Found On, a ready winner on her return here in September, giving Galia Des Liteaux plenty more to think about on 3lb better terms.

As with Galia Des Liteaux, the 134-rated Burrows Diamond is ideally suited to soft ground, but she is hardly unexposed with 14 chase starts to her name.

If one can progress past their mark it is surely Tweed Skirt, who will need to as she has 7lb to find with Found On and 9lb with Galia Des Liteaux on these terms. This six-year-old stretches out to 3m for the first time following recent wind surgery for Nicky Henderson. As regards the ground, her preference is closer to Found On’s than Galia Des Liteaux’s.
Race analysis by Robbie Wilders

Going latest

The forecast is for good to soft with overcast conditions on Thursday but remaining dry with highs of 10C.

What they say

Dan Skelton, trainer of Galia Des Liteaux
She had some good form last year and we’ve done plenty with her at home. This looks a nice starting point and she’s favourite but she deserves to be on what she did last season. There’s a nice programme of races for these mares so hopefully she can kick off on the right note.

Martin Keighley, trainer of Found On
We were thrilled with her comeback win at this track as it looked a strong handicap and this step up in trip should play to her strengths. Galia Des Liteaux will prove hard to beat but she’s two from two at the track and it looks as if the rain has stayed away which is another plus.

Nicky Henderson, trainer of Tweed Skirt
This race has always been the plan. She's in good form and the better the ground the better she'll go.

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