The weights for the Listed Sky Bet Chase, staged at Doncaster on Saturday, January 28, are revealed today.

Heading the weights for the three-mile handicap chase are Mad Max, who could have his first start for Neil Mulholland, and the David Pipe-trained I'msingingtheblues, who have both allotted been 11st 12lb.

Course and distance winner Calgary Bay, successful in a Grade Three handicap at Cheltenham on New Year's Day, has been allotted 11st 11lb, while Noland and Aiteen Thirtythree, two of five entries for Paul Nicholls, are both set to carry 11st 10lb alongside Pipe's Tamarinbleu.

The ante-post favourite Hold On Julio, who is 5/1 with sponsor Sky Bet, has won both his starts impressively since joining Alan King and received 11st 4lb. King could also be represented by Araldur (11st 3lb), who was last seen out when 10th in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November.

Fruity O'Rooney, who has been raised six pounds after his runaway success in a three-mile handicap chase at Kempton over Christmas, has been allotted 11st, and trainer Gary Moore is looking forward to running the progressive nine-year-old in the Sky Bet Chase.

The Sussex-based handler said: “Fruity O'Rooney is very much likely to run in the Sky Bet Chase. He's been in good order since Kempton, but he's gone up 6lb, and any time they go up in the weights that's got to be a concern.

“He's not the biggest horse in the race, but he carried a lot of weight at Kempton (11st 7lb) and managed to win. He should be around 10lb off the top horse this time, which will be perfect.

“All ground comes alike to him, you normally get good ground at Doncaster anyway, and that will only change if we get a lot of rain.”

Aerial (11st 9lb), who joined Paul Nicholls from France at the beginning of last year, could step up to three miles for the first time after a comfortable success at Ascot's Christmas meeting. Nicholls could also run Royal Charm (11st 5lb), and the promising Michel Le Bon (11st 4lb), who returned from a two-year absence in the Hennessy Gold Cup last time, where he finished down the field.

Nicholls sent out Big Fella Thanks to win the most recent renewal of the Sky Bet Chase in January, 2009. The past two renewals have been lost due to adverse weather.

Shakalakaboomboom (11st 4lb), a winner at Cheltenham in December, is one of five entries for Nicky Henderson and the Seven Barrows handler has commented that the eight-year-old will swerve a visit to Haydock this weekend in favour of the Sky Bet Chase. The Lambourn trainer has also entered Forzy Origny (10st 13lb), the talented Aigle D'Or (10st 12lb), who was last seen finishing sixth in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas, Simon Munir's Be There In Five (10st 10lb), and Osric (10st 1lb).

Pipe, who won the 2008 Sky Bet Chase with An Accordion, could also run recent Wincanton scorer Consigliere (11st 5lb), and Matuhi (11st 2lb), both of whom would be attempting three miles for the first time in their careers.

Malcolm Jefferson has entered Cape Tribulation (11st 4lb), a staying-on fifth to Calgary Bay at Cheltenham, King Fontaine (10st 1lb), who strung together a four-timer last season, and recent Rowland Meyrick Chase winner According To Pete (11st 2lb).

Rowland Meyrick Chase runner-up Helpston (11st) is more likely to stick to novice company according to trainer Pam Sly, but fourth placed Wayward Prince (11st 6lb) could represent Ian Williams, as could Fredo (10st 6lb), who was second to Hey Big Spender in the Classic Chase at the weekend.

Wymott (11st 2lb) trained by Donald McCain and owned by Trevor Hemmings, is being targeted at the Grand National.

McCain said: “Wymott has an entry in the Sky Bet Chase and that is a possibility. He is a very useful horse.”

Latest odds from Sky Bet: 5/1 Hold On Julio; 10/1 Qianshan Leader, Aigle D'Or, Shakalakaboomboom; Aiteen Thirtythree; 12/1 Michel Le Bon; 14/1 Calgary Bay; 16/1 Pearlysteps, Consigliere, Wayward Prince; Aerial, Noland; 18/1 Fruity O'Rooney, According To Pete, Galaxy Rock, Sa Suffit; 20/1 Shalimar Fromentro; Helpston, Wymott, Exmoor Ranger, Cape Tribulation, Royal Charm; 22/1 Tamarinbleu; 25/1 Matuhi, Araldur, I'msingingtheblues, Osric, Fredo, Nikola; 28/1 Carrickmines; 33/1 The Hollinwell, Schindler's Gold, Tatenen, Mad Max, Riguez Dancer; 40/1 Billie Magern, Forzy Origny, Auroras Encore, Bescot Springs; 50/1 Cool Mission, Merigo, Wogan, King Fontaine; 66/1 Etxalar, Be There In Five

 

THE SKY BET CHASE

Class 1, Listed Race, £75,000 Total Prize Fund. 3.25pm, Doncaster, Saturday, January 28, 2012. For five-year-olds and upwards, three miles. Entries closed January 10, entries revealed January 11 (45 entries), weights revealed January 18. Penalties: after January 15, a winner 5lb. Five-day confirmations January 23, final declarations, 10.00am, January 26. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including Monday, January 16, 2012.

Form Horse Age/Wgt Owner Trainer

1/46306- MAD MAX (IRE) 10-11-12 Carol Skipworth Neil Mulholland

533144 I'MSINGINGTHEBLUES (IRE) 10-11-12 Jo Tracey David Pipe

42F-051 CALGARY BAY (IRE) 9-11-11 Camilla Radford Henrietta Knight

02P/-221 TAMARINBLEU (FR) 12-11-10 The Arthur White Partnership David Pipe

111P-20 AITEEN THIRTYTHREE (IRE) 8-11-10 Paul Barber & The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls

11//(2)P1-5 NOLAND 11-11-10 John Hales Paul Nicholls

4012-41 AERIAL (FR) 6-11-09 Tony Hayward & Barry Fulton Paul Nicholls

P/4-2634 SA SUFFIT (FR) 9-11-07 Alba-Eire Syndicate James Ewart

1134-P4 WAYWARD PRINCE 8-11-06 John & Hilary Parrott Ian Williams

40-0031 CONSIGLIERE (FR) 9-11-05 Elder Scouller David Pipe

3/113-F4 ROYAL CHARM (FR) 7-11-05 Angela & Bill Tincknell Paul Nicholls

1000-11 SHAKALAKABOOMBOOM (IRE) 8-11-04 Liam Breslin Nicky Henderson

3/131/1/-0 MICHEL LE BON (FR) 9-11-04 Graham Roach Paul Nicholls

PP//1-11 HOLD ON JULIO (IRE) 9-11-04 Mr & Mrs F Bell, N Farrell, A Marsh Alan King

P22-5P5 CAPE TRIBULATION 8-11-04 David Abell Malcolm Jefferson

141-31P GALAXY ROCK (IRE) 8-11-04 Michael & John O'Flynn Jonjo O'Neill

0U6P-15 EXMOOR RANGER (IRE) 10-11-03 The Rangers Partnership Victor Dartnall

63100-0 TATENEN (FR) 8-11-03 The Stewart Family Richard Rowe

2211-20 ARALDUR (FR) 8-11-03 David Sewell Alan King

661-B03 MATUHI 9-11-02 Willsford Racing Incorporated David Pipe

11P-6P6 WYMOTT (IRE) 8-11-02 Trevor Hemmings Donald McCain

022-301 ACCORDING TO PETE 11-11-02 Peter Nelson Malcolm Jefferson

2F/1P50- AURORAS ENCORE (IRE) 10-11-01 Alicia Skene & W S Skene Sue Smith

22130-F PEARLYSTEPS 9-11-00 The Glazeley Partnership Henry Daly

121-621 FRUITY O'ROONEY 9-11-00 Heart of the South Racing Gary Moore

32-2112 HELPSTON 8-11-00 Pam Sly Pam Sly

031/20-P FORZY ORIGNY (FR) 10-10-13 Sir Robert Ogden Nicky Henderson

10-5356 AIGLE D'OR 9-10-12 J P McManus Nicky Henderson

20-15PP BILLIE MAGERN 8-10-11 Roger Nicholls Nigel Twiston-Davies

2513P-P BE THERE IN FIVE (IRE) 8-10-10 Simon Munir Nicky Henderson

P-2023P THE HOLLINWELL 9-10-09 Mr and Mrs Neil Iveson Ferdy Murphy

2-P6411 QIANSHAN LEADER (IRE) 8-10-08 The Pick 'N' Mix Partnership Emma Lavelle

F02-000 MERIGO (FR) 11-10-07 Raymond & Anita Anderson Green Andrew Parker

16P-052 FREDO (IRE) 8-10-06 Jacky Allen Ian Williams

21P-42F SHALIMAR FROMENTRO (FR) 6-10-04 Jane Williams Nick Williams

11PPP0 SCHINDLER'S GOLD (IRE) 10-10-04 Dr Richard & Laura Newland Dr Richard Newland

2PP-1P5 NIKOLA (FR) 11-10-03 Graham and Alison Jelley Nigel Twiston-Davies

02-PU33 RIGUEZ DANCER 8-10-03 Let's Live Racing Ferdy Murphy

P50-PP0 KING FONTAINE (IRE) 9-10-01 Trevor Hemmings Malcolm Jefferson

2FP0-06 OSRIC (IRE) 9-10-01 Richard & Lizzie Kelvin Hughes Nicky Henderson

3131F2 BESCOT SPRINGS (IRE) 7-9-13 Jo Tracey Lucinda Russell

3PF131 CARRICKMINES (IRE) 10-9-12 Dr Richard & Laura Newland Dr Richard Newland

4/363-4P WOGAN 12-9-12 Peter Deal Tom Symonds

123-062 COOL MISSION (IRE) 8-9-11 Tim Leslie Donald McCain

0P3-020 ETXALAR (FR) 9-9-09 Elizabeth Ferguson Lucinda Russell

45 entries