Small field, big hearts - who can land a wide-open Fleur De Lys Chase?

Fleur De Lys Chase | 5yo+ | 2m6f |ITV3/SKY

If you were told a field of six horses rated below 160 were running for £165,000 you would assume it was a handicap. The Fleur De Lys Chase is new to the programme but can hardly be called unheralded, so the turnout is sure to leave race planners miffed.

Punters will be happy as what is effectively a small-field minor Graded race looks a competitive betting heat. All the runners have shown high levels of proficiency at this sort of trip, on this sort of ground, or both.

The last point applies to Two For Gold and Bristol De Mai, first and third in the inaugural running last year. Both did their bit for the form.

Two For Gold chased home Fakir D'Oudairies in the Ascot Chase while Bristol De Mai shaped like the best horse in Haydock's Grand National Trial and was later awarded the race due to disqualification.

Sam Brown and Brave Seasca are the ground types. In the former's case, it is down to fragility, although he has stood more racing in recent years and arrives after a short break, so has no excuses.

Brave Seasca looked ready to take on the world when defying market weakness to win on his reappearance at Aintree, but never landed a blow in a warm premier handicap at Cheltenham on New Year's Day.

SAM BROWN ridden by Aidan Coleman wins at Aintree 9/4/22Photograph by Grossick Racing Photography 0771 046 1723Credit: John Grossick Racing

Second there was Stolen Silver, who has thrived when granted a test at trips just beyond 2m4f. He won a Grade 2 at Cheltenham last April, for which he is the only horse to carry the maximum penalty in this race. He is worst off at these weights but is the runner you could most readily mark as an improver.

On balance, Kalashnikov deserves to be the outsider, but he is one of only two Grade 1 winners in the field and might have achieved even more had it not been for the odd scrappy jump.

Lingfield is not a particularly stern jumping test, even allowing for an unusually high number of omitted fences in recent seasons, and Kalashnikov showed his old engine was there in the Rowland Meyrick before a lengthy absence caught up with him.

There may not be many in the Fleur De Lys but you would not rule out any of them.
Analysis by Keith Melrose

Going for Gold again

Will it be two Fleur De Lys for Two For Gold? Kim Bailey is full of hope that the chaser who won the inaugural running of this £165,000 race in 2022 can retain the prize.

He has aimed the ten-year-old at Lingfield since his fifth place under 12st in the Grand Sefton Chase at Aintree, where he had been pulled up in the Grand National last April.

Bailey is trying visors on Two For Gold, who battled back bravely to pip Dashel Drasher and Bristol De Mai in a tight finish here last year.

"He didn't really enjoy it first time out, the ground was too quick for him, and I think he's had enough of Aintree," Bailey said. "But he's had a good, long break and he's been trained for this race.

"He's been in cheekpieces for a while and we thought we'd try something different with him. We schooled him in a visor earlier in the week and he took to it very well.

"It's slightly annoying that Haydock was off as it brings back Bristol De Mai, but Two For Gold is in a good place and fingers crossed the meeting goes ahead."

What they say

Sam Thomas, trainer of Stolen Silver
On his form with us you'd say he was a better-ground horse but he won a Supreme Trial on heavy at Haydock. He's wrong at the weights because he has a penalty for winning a Graded race last April, but for the prize-money it's worth having a go and if he handles the ground he's likely to run a nice race.

Stolen Silver: Earned an 8lb penalty with his Grade 2 win at Cheltenham last AprilCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Anthony Bromley, racing manager to Simon Munir & Isaac Souede, owners of Bristol De Mai
It will be similar ground to when he ran well in the same race last year and we would be hopeful of him being competitive again despite having to carry the penalty from that awarded race from last February.

Anthony Honeyball, trainer of Sam Brown
This is the perfect race for him, it's two miles six on soft ground and he's the highest rated in the field, so it looks very winnable. He ran awfully in the Many Clouds at Aintree but had a bit of an iffy scope after and wasn't quite right. His scope going into this was spot on and we've put cheekpieces on to help get him on the ball early on.

Venetia Williams, trainer of Brave Seasca
It's a step up in trip, which will be new for him, but it's a decent prize and there's so little racing happening that you have to take the opportunities as they come.
Reporting by David Carr

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