Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase Ante-Post Tips – Former Winner a 14/1 Standout for Matty Sutcliffe

The Ladbrokes Trophy, historically known as the Racing Post Chase, is one of my favourite contests in the racing calendar at Kempton is very much a horses for courses track, with a plethora of horses plotted for the contest a whole host of familiar names competing who generally need to race right handed to be seen to best effect. The race is run eleven days after the weights for the Grand National are released, and perhaps now more than ever it can provide a useful stepping stone for an Aintree hopeful, for all just two horses have completed the double, Rhyme ’n’ Reason (1988) and Rough Quest (1996). 

Last Five Renewals 

2024 

• Winner – Forward Plan (8yo) 
• Weight – 10-6 
• Rating – 133 
• Cloth Number – 7 
• Seasonal form figures – 612 
• Record in C2 company+ 32612 
• Record going right-handed – 56 
• Headgear – Tongue Tie 
• General track position – In touch with leaders 

2023 

• Winner – Our Power (8yo) 
• Weight – 10-8 
• Rating – 141 
• Cloth Number – 8 
• Seasonal form figures – 1
•  Record in C2 company+ – 496134PU351 
• Record going right-handed – 12331PU51131 
• Headgear – Cheek-pieces 
• General track position – Midfield 

2022 

• Winner – Cap Du Nord (9yo) 
• Weight – 10-0 
• Rating – 127 
• Cloth Number – 14 
• Seasonal form figures – 0483 
• Record in C2 company+ – 165461235PU550483 
• Record going right-handed – 1PU242943642548 
• Headgear – Cheek-pieces 
• General track position – Midfield 

2021 

• Winner – Clondaw Castle (9yo) 
• Weight – 11-8 
• Rating – 154 
• Cloth Number – 5 
• Seasonal form figures – 2132 
• Record in C2 company+ – 87442912132 
• Record going right-handed – 121122 
• Headgear – None 
• General track position – Midfield 

2020 

• Winner – Mister Malarky (7yo) 
• Weight – 11-0 
• Rating – 147 
• Cloth Number – 7 
• Seasonal form figures – 06PU 
• Record in C2 company+ – 0014206PU 
• Record going right-handed – 36317310PU
• Headgear – Cheek-pieces 
• General track position – Prominent 

Notable Ten Year Trends 

• Age – Nine year olds have won five of the last ten renewals. 
• Weight – Six of the last ten winners carried 10-8 or less. 
• Top/bottom weights are just 1/10. 
• Generally you want to be in the middle/lower of the cloth numbers. 
• Rating – The last ratings of the last ten winners read 133, 141, 127, 154, 147, 134, 145, 130, 139, 154 (130-154) 
• SP – The last ten SP’s read 15/2, 11/2, 13/2, 17/2, 9/1, 14/1, 8/1, 25/1, 6/1, 8/1, (Just 1x double figure price) 
• Jockey – Sam Twiston-Davies has won 3/10 renewals (however, only 2/52 in chases at Kempton in the last five years!) 
• Trainer – Tizzard/Mulholland have each won two of the last ten renewals. 
• 9/10 had all finished in the first three last time out. 
• 8/10 winners had either won or placed at least five times going right handed 
• Last year’s winner Forward Plan the outlier along with Rocky Creek in 2015, though the latter had W/P RH on four occasions. 
• 6/10 winners had either won or placed in class two or higher company at least four times, including the last four winners of the race. 
• Headgear – 8/10 winners wore headgear 
• 5/10 wore cheekpieces, 4/10 were applied with a tongue tie. 

Leading Market Contenders 

Iroko (6/1) was the subject of a steward’s inquiry when a tenderly handled fourth last time out at Cheltenham, staying on in an eye-catching manner over a trip short enough. Connections have been very open to the fact his seasonal target is the Grand National and given the weights will already be set come the Ladbrokes Trophy, they’ll be no more ‘minding’ the mark. The son of Cokoriko has been campaigned conservatively at middle distance trips this season, but the step back up to three miles for the first time since his second to Inothewayurthinkin in the G1 Mildmay could easily see him return to the winners enclosure. That said, it would be of mild concern that he fails to tick some of the trends, such as not finishing in the first three last time out or having much form going right handed (only effort was a 17L 4th in the Adonis in 2022). 

Victtorino (7/1) was a comfortable winner of the Howden Silver Cup for the second year running last time out, getting up late to beat The Changing Man who somewhat franked that form when second again next time out in the G3 Great Yorkshire Chase. The fourth and fifth have also bettered their efforts since, and this looks the perfect spot for Victtorino to continue his winning thread. His form going right handed for Venetia Williams reads 41141, with his left handed form reading 7PU3, and a 3lbs rise for his win last time out looked awfully lenient. There aren’t many other options for him off this mark as he’s not quite a graded horse nor does he enjoy going left handed, and the nature of this three mile quick test of jumping can see him creep into the race from rear under Charlie Deutsch to be delivered late on. 

Hyland (7/1) has form figures of 271302112 over three miles and posted a career best effort when beaten two lengths by The Jukebox Man over C&D in the Kauto Star on Boxing Day, with the 16L third posting a big effort next time out to be beaten three lengths off 143 (top-weight) in the Timeform Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham. The son of Turgeon has taking extremely well to fences, racking up a C&D double at Cheltenham earlier in the season with both contests having the four franked very nicely. That said, he’d have to be the first novice chaser since Pilgrim’s Bay in 2017 to win this, and the suspicion is that the Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival will be the prime target thus he wouldn’t want to be ruining his mark for that here. 

Kandoo Kid (10/1) was an impressive winner of the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury over a longer distance in November, staying on strongly to debunk any stamina doubts prior. His form figures right handed read 4311372 and he’s entitled to back up that effort, and given connections have earmarked the Grand National as a potential target he’s similar to Iroko in the sense they can both ‘try’ to win here before going on to Aintree. He’s been kept fresh this season and that’s the angle with him, and he’s also similar to Rocky’s Creek who won this race in 2015 for Paul Nicholls after competing in the Coral Trophy before going on to compete in the Grand National. He appears best on a flat track, and he’s got the natural cruising speed to drop back a couple furlongs here.

Lowry’s Bar (10/1) is a progressive novice chaser who might’ve won the G2 Hampton Novices’ Chase had he not belted the third last there. He’s another similar type to Hyland in that he figures prominently in the Ultima market, but Phillip Hobbs poured some cold water over the warmness of that price suggesting they could miss the festival altogether. The son of Malinas has an excellent record under rules, winning six of his ten starts and placing in three of the other four. I’d be slightly worried whether he lacks the constitution for a race of this nature at this stage as there is still some question marks over his jumping and a mark of 148 looks high enough for him at this stage. 

Outsiders To Consider 

Terresita (10/1) The mare Terresita suggested a step up in trip could bring out further improvement when giving an excellent never-say-die ride by Gavin Sheehan in a 52k Ascot Handicap Chase last month, and given she’s a full sister to our Eider hope O’Connell, this test could be right up her street. She has four figures of 3F131 in class two+ chases, and her form going right handed over fences reads 26131F131. She posted her career best RPR over hurdles at Kempton, and the way she needs to be ridden would be perfectly suited to this test. 

Our Power (14/1) won this in 2023 off a 3lbs higher mark and has steadily worked his way back to form this season. He was a staying on second to the progressive King Turgeon in a 57k G3 handicap at Cheltenham on seasonal debut, and he ran another big race in defeat on New Years Day at Cheltenham when a six length second to Chantry House. I’ve long viewed him as a horse who needs a flat or right handed track to be seen to best effect, with his recored right handed reading 12331PU511311 (10 w/p from 12) as opposed to 14946634PUF507F22 (4 W/P from 15), and all seven of his wins over obstacles have come on right handed or flat tracks. With that in mind, I think we can massively upgrade his two runs at Cheltenham this season particularly as they’ve formed two of his top three career RPR’s, so the return to Kempton will surely see him in a better light. 

Annsam (16/1) was off the track for 545 days prior to returning over obstacles at Cheltenham in October, and ran as well as could be expected over a trip too short. He was pulled up at Newbury over hurdles in November, but those were merely just pipe openers to get him on the right path for a bigger target and he was a huge eye-catcher back over fences when a staying on nine length fourth at Ascot last month carrying 12-2 giving 9lbs, 24lbs and 17lbs to the three ahead of him respectively. The winner wasn’t disgraced in the Masters Handicap next time out (career best RPR), and Annsam is now 2lbs below his last winning mark. He was sent off 15/2 for this contest in 2023 and better could’ve been expected, but it’s worth noting he posted an RPR of 154 over C&D prior when bolting up seventeen lengths, and this race will likely have been in the back of connections’ mind. All of his eight wins under rules have come on either right handed flat/sharp and if he comes on again from that last effort, he’d be a contender here come the off. 

Tipster Blogs

Eider Chase Ante-Post Tips – Matty Sutcliffe on Who Will Win Newcastle’s Marathon Chase

The dour staying contest of the Eider Chase takes centre stage at Newcastle next month, a race first run back in 1952. While it historically was seen as a Grand National Trial, only Highland Wedding (1969) and Comply Or Die (2008) were able to complete the double, which is unlikely to change given the ever…

Wed 05 Feb 2025

Headline Tip – Our Power 14/1 1pt EW 4 places

I tend to look toward the fore of the market in these big race previews, but I think the 14/1 about OUR POWER is far too big to let go. Two of the five leading market contenders are novices which I would be inclined to steer clear of, I don’t like the way Iroko has been campaigned nor does he tick two of the key trends, and I just think Our Power is absolutely rock solid. His course form reads 331531 with the only ‘poor’ effort coming over an inadequate 2m2f on yard debut, his record right handed speaks for itself and given he’s a past winner of the race from only 3lbs higher, this looks the aim and if he can bring the form he’s shown going the wrong way around this season, he’d be a tough nut to crack for the ever improving Sam Thomas, who has already tasted success in some big three mile+ staying handicaps this season with Al Dancer and the 2nd/3rd in the Welsh National.