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Liverpool Echo

Sport

Chris Wright

Horse Power: Grumpy Charley can win the Classic Chase at Warwick

Paul Nicholls Warwick Newbury (Geopolitical Entity)

GRUMPY CHARLEY can win the Wigley Group Classic Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (3pm) at Warwick on Saturday afternoon.

Chris Honour’s eight-year-old was back on form to win at Newbury last time and can follow up with another victory in the Grade Three feature run at the Midlands track.

Grumpy Charley was a decent hurdler winning three times and has put in some decent performances since his switch to chasing in October 2021. He won at Newbury in December of that year but didn’t quite go on from there being pulled up at the Cheltenham Festival before running reasonably well when seventh in the Betway Handicap Chase on the Randox Grand National day at Aintree Racecourse last April.

He still remains open to improvement and despite being pulled up on his return to action at Bangor in November, he looked as good as ever when being among the leaders for much of the 3m2f Coral Racing Club Mandarin Handicap Chase before going on to beat Shanty Alley at Newbury on New Year’s Eve.

The gelded son of Shirocco appears to be progessing well and is developing into a decent staying chaser.

He has run his best races when conditions are testing and this step up again in trip to 3m4f on heavy ground could see him progress again.

Grumpy Charley may take that next step and possibly book a trip back to Aintree for the Grand National – One For Arthur won this race as an eight-year-old before going on to land the world’s greatest steeplechase three months later in 2017.

There are plenty of others in with a chance of victory in the Classic Chase headed by Paul Nicholls’ top weight Threeunderthrufive; the Charlie Longsdon-trained Guetepan Collonges; and 2021 Welsh Grand National winner Iwilldoit, from the Sam Thomas stable, who is running for the first time since that Chepstow success.

Nicholls has his stable in top form and has won back-to-back Grade One novice hurdles with Hermes Allen and Tahmuras over the past two weeks. KNOWSLEY ROAD may follow suit and book his Cheltenham Festival ticket with victory in the Grade Two Ballymore Leamington Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race) (2.25pm).

He was an expensive buy from the point-to-point sphere but has won both his starts over hurdles, both at Chepstow, the latter of which was by four-and-a-half lengths at the start of last month.

He made all in both his victories and he looks an exciting prospect and can bring up the hat-trick at Warwick.

Nicholls may also take the Grade Two eventmasters.co.uk Hampton Novices’ Chase (GBB Race) (1.50pm) with COMPLETE UNKNOWN, who impressed on his debut over fences when winning over 2m5f at Ffos Las last time, stepping up to three miles.

Dan Skelton’s ASHTOWN LAD was last seen when winning over the Grand National fences in the Becher Chase at Aintree last month, but he may go in again back over the smaller obstacles in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle (Pertemps Hurdle Series Qualifier) (GBB Race) (3.35pm).

The nine-year-old could line-up in the Grand National itself. But he is back over hurdles with a much lower handicap mark. He was third over the smaller obstacles at Aintree in November before his Becher win and with testing conditions he may go a couple of places better to notch up another victory.

Others who may triumph at Warwick are Joe Tizzard’s course and distance winner NON STOP in the opener, the Mark Jackson & Neil Keenan Memorial Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (12.40pm); the Gary Moore-trained HADDEX DES OBEAUX in the Wigley Support Fund Edward Courage Cup Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (1.15pm); and CRAZY MARY, from the Ian Williams’ stable, in the finale – the Wigley Community Fund ‘Newcomers’ National Hunt Flat Race (GBB Race) (4.10pm).

At Kempton champion trainer Nicholls may also be among the winners with PIC D’ORHY likely to bring up a hat-trick of successes over fences in the Grade Two Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase (GBB Race) (2.05pm).

The eight-year-old won three of his six starts over fences last season and has returned to action in fine form scoring again at Newton Abbot in October and in the Grade Two Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon last time.

He looks capable of adding another victory in this Grade Two contest.

Nicholls also holds big chances in the Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (2.40pm) with recent winners Red Risk and OUTLAW PETER, with the latter likely to come out on top.

Outlaw Peter won over course and distance, was second in the Persian War at Chepstow before landing another success at Exeter last time. He makes his handicap debut and looks sure to go close.

Evan Williams’ ANNSAM can win the Coral Racing Club Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (1.30pm).

The eight-year-old has not won over fences since December 2021, but was sixth at Newbury at the end of November and has dropped down to a decent handicap mark and may return to winning ways.

Others who may also win at Kempton are Nicky Henderson’s QUICK DRAW in the Coral Bet Bundles Handicap Chase (3.15pm); the Donald McCain-trained MINELLA PLUS in the Coral Racing Club Join For Free Handicap Hurdle (3.50pm); and MAKIN'YOURMINDUP – another Nicholls’ runner – in the Coral Get Closer To The Action Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race) (12.55pm).

At Wetherby Olly Murphy’s MACKELDUFF can win the Racing TV Anywhere Handicap Chase (Go North Red Rum Series Qualifier) (3.07pm).