The feature on a competitive card at Doncaster this Saturday is the 3m 2f Grimthorpe Handicap Chase (15:35).
Now dropped back down in class, Yalltari looks dcenet value at 6/1 with Bethard to land the spoils.
This Venetia Williams trained eight-year-old is a lightly-raced sort who has won four of his 10 career starts.
He also remains unexposed as a chaser after just four outings over the larger obstacles.
After running well when runner-up on chasing debut at Chepstow first time up last season, Yalltari made all on soft ground at the same venue to give 10lb and a cosy 2 1/2 lengths beating to Bob Mahler.
He then fell at the first when sent off favourite to follow-up at Exeter, before going on to round off the campaign with a cracking third to Mister Malarky in the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase at Ascot off an official rating of 147.
Yalltari tracked the leaders unto taking up the running three from home and was chasing down the leader only to blunder at the final fence.
Ascot run too bad to be true
That error stopped him in his tracks, so it was to his credit that he only weakened late on the run-in to be beaten just over five lengths.
As Mister Malarky won the valuable Grade 3 Betway Handicap Chase at Kempton last time out, it gives the form a solid look.
Yalltari has had just one run this season, but failed to live up to expectations when sent off a heavily backed 100/30 favourite and trailing in a distant eighth of 10 to Regal Encore in a Listed handicap chase at Ascot.
That run was simply too bad to be true. Yalltari has since been dropped 1lb and is able to race in this far less competitive class 2 affair off a revised rating of 144.
It makes the son of Kayf Tara, who is 1-1 in the grade, look a big player at the weights on the pick of his form for a yard operating at a strike rate over just over 23 per cent in the last fortnight at the time of writing.
Boldmere a big player for Bailey
The progressive Boldmere looks a leading contender for trainer Caroline Bailey and is this feared most in a wide-open renewal of the Grimthorpe Handicap Chase.
This seven-year-old was a useful sort over hurdles when in the care of Graeme McPherson, who has taken his form to a new level for his new handler this season since being sent chasing.
After easily landing a handicap chase at Leicester by 12 lengths, Boldmere had little difficulty following up over 3m here off 10lb higher.
The son of Multiplex was produced to take up the running two from home and then shot clear approaching the last.
Despite then idling on the run-in, Boldmere found plenty to easily beat Bob Mahler by 10 lentys off a mark of 133. That success saw the handicapper whack him up another 9lb.
Boldmere was all set to make light of the rise and complete the hat-trick when four lengths clear and travelling powerfully only to come to grief at the last at Wetherby.
There is no doubt that he would have won with plenty in hand that day, so despite being put up another 5lb a revised career-high rating of 147 this upwardly mobile sort could still be ahead of the assessor.
He is also a hold-up sort with a smart turn of foot, so as this is traditionally a strongly run affair it should play to his strengths.
A bold bid by Boldmere to gain compensation for his unlucky mishap last time out, when seemingly jumping the fence fine but crumpling on landing, therefore looks assured.
He can be backed at 11/2 with BetVictor to do just that.
Chidswell out to retain Grimthorpe Handicap Chase crown
Last year’s winner Chidswell is back to try and retain his crown, and off just 5lb higher commands plenty of respect.
Trained in Penrith by Nicky Richards, this 11-year-old powered clear in this 12 months ago to easily beat favourite Dingo Dollar by nine lengths off a mark of 127.
He comes into this year’s renewal on the back of two solid efforts, finishing runner-up at Newcastle before shaping better than the bare result suggests over 3m here when a 14 1/2 lengths third of 14 to OK Corral in a Listed contest off 133.
Chidswell stumbled badly four out in the latter and was staying on again when the same thing happened at the second last.
That put an end to his chances, but it was to his credit that he stuck on again to be nearest at the finish.
But for those costly errors he would have finished much closer, so having been kindly dropped a pound he looks weighted to go well in this less taxing affair.
This is also sure to have been Chidswell’s target for some time and he is versatile as regards ground.
The only negative is that Richards has been quiet of late, but apart from that he has plenty going for him.
At odds of 15/2 with Unibet, Chidswell thus makes plenty of appeal from an each-way punting perspective.
