2023 Byrne Group Handicap Chase
It’s not easy finding the winner of the 2023 Byrne Group Handicap Chase although perhaps Boothill could be the leading contender. Harry Fry trains a runner who secured three victories last season, with wins coming at Newton Abbott, Ascot and Kempton last term. The most recent outing at Kempton back in February saw the charge finish third out of five.
That was over two miles, four and a half furlongs, with a shorter trip potentially to the horse’s liking. However, Frere D’Armes runs for Dan Skelton and perhaps a strong run is on the cards for this horse. The horse didn’t run well in a previous outing at Ayr when finishing seventh out of nine as the 2/1 favourite, although that was preceded by a strong performance at Ascot.
Red Rookie returns to the track after previously finishing third out of seven runners at Kempton Racecourse at the beginning of May. The favourite on that occasion finished over ten lengths off the pace, with a handicap chase win previously coming at Warwick, although some customers might want to back a runner at a bigger price.
Saint Segal could potentially fit the bill and the five-year-old is potentially open to more improvement than other runners in the race. There needs to be an upgrade on that eight length defeat to Red Rookie although the charge has previously run well at Doncaster and merits respect after wins at Chepstow and Hereford.