The Peter Marsh Chase is a Grade 2 Limited Handicap for runners aged 5 years and older which is run over 3 miles and 24 yards at Haydock.
The race has produced some fine Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup winners over the years including Little Owl (1981), The Thinker (1987) and Jodami (1993).
In 1997, a 12-year-old Jodami came back to Haydock as a former Gold Cup winner and took top honours for a second time.
The 1995 winner, Earth Summit, went on to win the Aintree Grand National three years later in 1998, and many trainers now use this race as a National prep.
This year a total of ten runners go to post.
Peter Marsh Chase: Trends
- 10/10 winners had run at least twice already that season and 5/10 had registered at least one win.
- 10/10 had won on ground described as soft or worse previously.
- 10/10 Carried between 9st 11lbs and 11st 3lbs.
- 10/10 had a rating of 135 or higher.
- 7/10 had run at Haydock Park previously with 4/10 having at least one win there already.
- 1/9 faves/joint-faves have won with 3/10 winners coming from the top three in the horse racing betting.
Runner-By-Runner Guide:
Definitly Red (Brian Ellison)
The classiest runner in the field with victories such as the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree (twice), the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham and Charlie Hall at Wetherby, all on his C.V.
The eleven-year-old finished fourth to dual Becher Chase scorer Walk In The Mill on his most recent start at Aintree and the Grand National itself it is the main objective for him this season.
With the National weights yet to be compiled a watching brief may be the order of the day for the fans of this runner.
Acting Lass (Harry Fry)
A lightly raced gelding who has sprung right back into form in his last couple of outings, taking the Welsh Grand National Trial at Chepstow and finishing a gallant runner-up in the Silver Cup at Ascot proving he shouldn’t want for stamina.
His trainer boasts a 33% strike rate in the past fortnight which is certainly a positive for his supporters.
Flying Angel (Nigel-Twiston Davies)
Former Grade One Aintree Novices' Chase winner Flying Angel is certainly no back number but he will have to prove that he can stay this kind of distance after a disappointing run, when sent off the favourite, in the Grand Sefton.
A difficult horse to catch right but this father/son combination tends to do very well at this venue.
Vintage Clouds (Sue Smith)
After one almighty sulk at Aintree in the Becher Chase, Sue Smith’s ten-year-old put in an altogether better performance in the Tommy Whittle Chase but was never a danger to the winner coming down the home straight.
Once a habitual front runner, the talented Trevor Hemmings-owned grey has suddenly become a temperamental sort and now tends to drop himself out. He’ll do well to come from behind at a heavy Haydock Park however.
Red Indian (Kelly Morgan)
He tends to race prominently and was last seen being well beaten by Aux Ptits Soins in a handicap hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National meeting.
Red Indian kicked off last season with a 15 length spanking of No Hassle Hoff at Ayr but there are certainly stamina concerns for him over this trip.
Champers On Ice (David Pipe)
The ten-year-old returns to chasing after a successful first half of the campaign over hurdles. After handicap successes at Ffos Las and Newbury, he was last seen finishing third at Cheltenham in the middle of December.
In the absence of their other entry –Daklondike, the connections of Champers On Ice will be expecting a big run from their staying chaser.
Geronimo (Sandy Thomson)
Geronimo won two of his races over fences last season before being pulled up in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr last April.
The nine-year-old made a winning seasonal reappearance taking a 2m4f handicap chase at Newcastle in December and will be stepping back up in trip here.
The son of Kadastrof should have stamina in abundance as he showed when he saw off Teddy Tee at Ayr this time last year.
Prime Venture (Evan Williams)
Evan Williams’ charge has finished fourth on both his starts this season, most recently in the Welsh Grand National where he was only just over four lengths away from the winner, Potters Corner.
The nine-year-old also finished fourth behind Potters corner in the Midlands Grand National last season, confirming that he can deal with attritional conditions over a marathon distance.
Regular pilot Adam Wedge is replaced on Saturday by Williams’ daughter- Isabel, who will be claiming a valuable 7lbs for the Vale Of Glamorgan training team; an important horse racing betting strategy to remember.
Midnight Tune (Anthony Honeyball)
Nicknamed “the tractor” by her jockey Aidan Coleman, the nine-year-old mare is in a rich vein of form at the moment and her connections will be hopeful she can farm this major staying Chase.
Her trainer, Anthony Honeyball, is having by his own admission one of his best seasons ever and Midnight Tune can take every advantage of her lenient mark of 10st 4lb.
Claud And Goldie (Sandy Forster)
The joint-oldest runner in the field at eleven along with Definitly Red, but is showing no signs of any diminishing ability just yet.
The Scottish-trained gelding was the winner of a competitive veterans' contest at Kelso last month and has finished in the top three places in his last five races under Rules.
He shouldn’t be underestimated down at the bottom of the weights.
Peter Marsh Chase: Prediction
The 156-rated Definitly Red should be far superior to this field but Haydock’s version of heavy is a great leveller and I believe they will let “Red” do everything in his own time on Saturday due to there being even bigger fish to fry down the road for him.
Originally entered up for the Tommy Whittle, Midnight Tune’s connections sent her to Exeter instead where she picked up a nice little purse in an EBF Mares’ Chase.
That was quite a clever financial move and she now comes up to Merseyside to contest a more open race than the Tommy Whittle was.
Based on what I personally see as something of a plot, I make Midnight Tune my nap selection.
888sport suggests: Midnight Tune (win).
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Jon Super / AP Photo*
