Grade Two Oaksey Chase Guide

Frodon has been a superstar for the 11 time champion trainer Paul Nicholls winning some huge races including the Old Roan Chase at Aintree and the Ryanair Chase at the 2019 Cheltenham festival.

Stepped up to 3m1f in October the gelding landed the competitive Handicap Chase off top weight at Prestbury Park.

He produced a superb round off jumping giving weight away to the whole field, but last time out stepped back up in Class for the Grade two Many Clouds Chase and was well below par.

There were plenty of fences removed that day which did not suit him, but last time out he gave one of the performances of the season when winning the Grade One King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

He went from the front and gave an expert round of jumping and tried to do the same in the Gold Cup but ultimately faded late one behind the Irish contingent.

Back in a small field and slightly down in trip is a huge positive and also having proven form on good ground he looks a solid contender at the top of the market.

Hailing from Nicky Henderson’s yard, Mister Fisher sealed his first win over fences over course and distance last season as a novice. 

He dropped back down to two miles to win the Lightening Novices’ chase on his next start, he rounded out last season coming fourth in a strong renewal of the Marsh behind Samcro. 

This season started poorly with him failing to complete in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, before bouncing straight back to form to win a Grade Two over 2m4f at Cheltenham again. 

The rescheduled Peterborough Chase win on his second to last start saw him give his career best this season, but at the festival he was poor beyond belief.

Heading into the Ryanair Chase and tipped to go well, the gelding smacked nearly every fence and was pulled up before the finish, with his run to bad to be true.

The Seven Barrows team decided to try him over 3m1f last time out in the Grade One Betway Bowl at Aintree and although going well out in front, his jumping let him down again and he unseated Nico De Boinville.

In this small fielded event he does have a huge chance to get back on track, but he looks vulnerable against Frodon.

Born Survivor has been a rejuvenated character of late having truly lost his way for the Skelton yard and off the back of his seasonal debut he deserves a crack in this small field.

Having not won since April 2019 when taking a Listed Handicap Chase at Ayr, he had put in some seriously bad efforts in worse races than this, but last time out got back to winning ways.

On his first run in over a year he went to Stratford over 2m6f and scored easily beating the second placed horse by 14 lengths.

He should be fit and ready to go again after that run but being dropped in at this level does pose questions for him, but worth a go.

The final runner of the race is the Andrew Martin trained Militarian that looks to have been saved for this event, not racing since December.

The gelding is the big 40/1 outsider of the race, having only been seen three times this season and not showing a great deal of ability at a low level, meaning that being pitched into Grade One company should make him vulnerable.

He made his seasonal debut at Ascot in the Sodexo Gold Cup when finishing a fair third, but after that went to Cheltenham and finished eighth of 17 in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup.

Stepping back up in trip for the Betway Bowl it was always going to be an uphill task and he was pulled up with a fair way to go and again in this he is big outsider.