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Aintree – Friday, May 7^th

CARRICK OSCAR – 129 rated chaser who ran on well to score on his debut in this sphere at Wincanton a couple of months ago; wasn’t enjoying the Aintree experience when unseating halfway in the Fox Hunters but a return to park fences should help. Not the most reliable and faces a potentially top-class opponent but should give it his best shot.

PORT TALBOT – A non-stayer over anything other than an easy 3m in Points and was unable to win a Restricted prior to winning a fast ground 2m5f Hunter Chase at Newton Abbot a couple of weeks ago; runner-up has since won at Cheltenham but the overall form is weak and faces a mountain to climb against a couple of these.

QUOTICA DE POYANS – Unbeaten youngster who has claimed some useful scalps in Points and produced an extraordinary performance on his Hunter Chase debut at Kelso, destroying some ordinary animals to win with any amount in hand; potentially top-class, not only in this sphere, so surprising that he is running here rather than one of the back-end championship races, but hard to see him getting beaten in any case.

HIVIKOS – Disappointing chaser in 2009; has found low grade Points much more to his liking and coped well with losing a shoe when winning a Woodford Restricted in a fast time late last month; in good heart but this is a big step up in class and still has it to prove over regulation fences.

OSCAR ROYAL – Career highlight when runner-up to Seven Is My Number at Stratford (2m4f, fast ground) last September but has since been tailed off in two Hunter Chases including when fancied for the race won by Port Talbot last month; needs to dominate and may be able to do so here, but still an unlikely winner against a couple of these.

Conclusion – Quotica De Poyans is one of the most exciting performers seen in this sphere for a while and despite this possibly not being the most ideal race for him should still be able to continue his rapid ascent up the chasing ladder, at the expense of Carrick Oscar.

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