2024 Southern National Handicap Chase Tips

Most of the field lining up for the Best Southern National Handicap Chase at Fontwell stand a lively chance of landing a victory. It’s an open encounter, with the runners and riders encountering a stamina-sapping three miles, three and a half furlongs in order to get over the line. However, Jubilee Express could be the one to deliver the goods.

Sam Thomas trains a runner who got increasingly better as the previous season went on. At Lingfield in February, there was a second-placed finish over three miles and five furlongs. This was then followed up by a success at Haydock back in March. However, he’ll be up against some more experienced rivals including Musical Slave.

The eleven-year-old was a winner last time out when obliging at Fontwell and now returns to the same track after that early October success. However, River Tyne might be able to produce an even better performance and the Nick Gifford-trained runner has secured consecutive victories this season.

The latest of these successes came at Plumpton, with that coming after a May triumph at Fontwell. The horse has a decent strike rate when finishing in the places, although there might also be more to come from Take Your Time who generally wins when he’s not pulled up. The nine-year-old was last seen scoring at Ffos Las.

2022 Southern National Tips

Let’s start with Full Back who looks to be favourably handicapped despite carrying 12-0 for this encounter over the Fontwell fences. The seven-year-old was most recently seen finishing fourth in the Bateaux London Gold Cup Handicap Chase over three miles, with the horse being able to outrun his odds when finishing behind Our Power and Tea Clipper.

Almazhar Garde also has to be respected and the Charlie Longsdon runner warmed up for the season with a midfield finish in a recent handicap chase at Cheltenham. The horse will benefit from that run and was one of the finishers in a race where several notable runners were pulled up before the finish.

Southfield Harvest is likely to be a warm order on account of being trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Bryony Frost. The difficulty is establishing what sort of order we’re likely to find the eight-year-old who has been out of action for over 500 days, with the horse’s last race coming when winning in a small field at Newton Abbott in May 2021.

Slipway is a seven-year-old that also merits respect. The seven-year-old was able to win on his last outing when obliging at Perth Racecourse, with that April victory coming in the William Hill Highland National Hunt Handicap Chase. There was previously a respectable finish at Newbury in another handicap race.