Analysis and trainer quotes for a fiendishly tricky chase at Ffos Las - plus Chris Cook's three things to note on Tuesday

This Ffos Las handicap chase will take some solving. All ten runners return from absences of 156 days or more and five of those are tackling fences for the first time. 

Of the five chasing debutants, Tune In A Box achieved the most over hurdles. He won four of his first five handicaps, including one at the Punchestown festival, and enhanced his BHA rating in better races last season, despite being winless in his last six starts. 

Tune In A Box jumped soundly over hurdles and may yet rate a good deal higher in this discipline for the in-form Tom Lacey. 

A couple of the other chasing newcomers have bits and pieces to recommend them, in the long-term at least. 

The unexposed Willmount comes from a point-to-point background and was sent off a 9-4 chance for the 2023 Challow on just his second hurdles start. 

Rebecca Curtis may yet find the key to him, while in-form pair Olly Murphy and Sean Bowen are represented by Dangerous Touch, who ended his hurdles career in good nick and also showed ability in points. 

Donnacha and Filanderer, who are at opposite ends of the handicap and have won after breaks, bring the most worthwhile recent chase form into the race.

The pair have won their last five races between them and ran to Racing Post Ratings at least 5lb in excess of their revised marks when victorious on their most recent outings, so are obvious players if ready to rock first time out.
Analysis by Robbie Wilders

Going update

The going was described as soft, good to soft in places on Monday, with showers expected overnight. 

What they say

Nigel Hawke, trainer of Donnacha
This looks the ideal contest to start him back on the soft ground that we’ve been waiting for.

Tom Lacey, trainer of Tune In A Box
It’s his first run over fences and we're expecting a nice run with the primary objective of hoping that he enjoys a nice jump round and gains some confidence. He’s versatile as regards ground, so any ease won’t bother him.

Dan Skelton, trainer of Real Stone 
It should be nice ground for him but I'm not sure he's that well handicapped to be honest, plus he's not getting any younger.

Kerry Lee, trainer of Tommys Charm
He hasn’t run since January as in the spring the ground went against him, so we put him away. We're looking forward to finally getting him on a soft surface.

Olly Murphy, trainer of Dangerous Touch
It’s nice to get him going over fences and he’ll improve for going over them, but I’d imagine he’ll improve from it and I’m sure he’ll end up ahead of his mark come the end of the season.

Hughie Morrison, trainer of Filanderer
He’s our first runner of the winter jumps season and he’s had a nice holiday after surpassing himself last year. He’s ready to start back but needed his first run last year, so will improve for it, as will many others in the race I would imagine.
Reporting by David Milnes

Three things to note

1. Charlie Appleby's two-year-olds account for just over half his winners in Britain this year and they're in especially strong form just now, with 13 winners (from 26 runners) in October, the most juvenile winners he's had in a month for eight years. Godolphin's lead trainer has two more youngsters entered today. There's Beccadelli, promising last month, having his first start since being gelded in a 6f maiden at Leicester. Later, Carnival Queen makes her debut in a fillies' novice at Wolverhampton, where she could give Toby Moore a first taste of success in the saddle.

2. It's a big day for Rebecca Curtis, who has six runners at Ffos Las, including the fascinating Willmount. Now seven, he was so promising in his early days with Nicky Henderson, hacking up in a Newbury novice hurdle in 2023, but bleeding has since been a problem and Curtis got him for just £22,000 in May. She reports him showing signs of promise and he makes his chasing debut in a 2m3f handicap. Curtis gave a good word for Pats Fancy back in March and, although he couldn't make his mark at the spring festivals, he must be dangerous in a staying handicap chase from a rating of 122, down from 140 four starts ago. He has cheekpieces fitted. Jamie Brace, who claims 5lb and has a 38 per cent record for Curtis (5/13), rides both.

3. Just Her Type travelled well for a long way on her reappearance run at Chepstow three weeks ago, which was also her handicap debut. She was a notable market drifter, despite Nico de Boinville being an eye-catching booking, and presumably needed the run. The mare went very close to winning at Market Rasen in April and her small yard has had a couple of winners since she was last seen. She's interesting in a handicap hurdle near the end of the Ffos Las card. 

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