Peter Marsh Handicap Chase Tips: Big Weight Won't Stop Haydock Specialist

At Haydock on Saturday there are a host of intriguing contests but perhaps none more so than the Peter Marsh Handicap Chase over an extended three miles. With the ground set to ride soft - as usual at the track - Billy Grimshaw can't resist backing the proven performer...

There are few courses in the land that produce so regularly such course specialists as often as Haydock seems to, and with Bristol De Mai now retired ROYALE PAGAILLE has taken on the mantle with zest. A two time Betfair Chase winner as well as a double Peter Marsh hero in 2021 and 2022, this lad is the definition of a real course specialist here at Haydock, although he is by no means a one trick pony as he has run with credit at plenty of other tracks in his illustrious career. It is fair to say though that he saves his best for the north west and although the Venetia Williams yard is not running as white hot as they were at the back end of 2024 right now, I still think he is the one they all have to beat.

His best performance thus far in his career was arguably in this race back in 2021, when he surged clear by 16 lengths demonstrating his liking for both the track and conditions. Behind him that day was a decent field and while it was four years ago, he has shown no signs of slowing down recently with a resounding reclamation of his Betfair Chase crown at this very track just a few months ago. 

He won this race in both 2021 and 2022 before his campaigns aimed higher in the following seasons, with King George and Gold Cup bids, but now back in this sphere I think he is one of the more solid 2/1 pokes you are likely to see. Only one horse has ever bested him here at Haydock and that was A Plus Tard in the season he waltzed to a stunning Gold Cup victory, so there's no shame in that, and despite having to concede weight to most in here I can't see that being an issue for Charlie Deutsch's mount given the sheer size of him and his proven form here.

The race is packed with intriguing rivals but none of the standard of the favourite to my eye, although I am a bit fearful we have seen nothing like the best of Imagine just yet for Harry Derham since he switched from Gordon Elliott and while he flopped badly on debut in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, the weight of money for him that day indicated that someone, somewhere, thinks this horse has a valuable prize in him at some point.

Mr Vango is Royale Pagaille's closest market rival and will be in receipt of almost two stone from the market leader, which obviously will do his chances no harm. He has looked markedly better this season and clearly has stamina in droves, however despite the impressive manner of his Sandown win over the marathon trip last time out I'd be amazed if the favourite and perhaps a few others do not possess a bit more tactical speed for crucial stages of the race in here.

Trelawne would one suspects be much shorter for this race were he not to have run at Ascot last time out, as on his penultimate start here he beat the highly fancied Iroko in what was a good performance. Kim Bailey's nine year old looks to be being primed for a crack at the Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival so whether he'll be fully wound up for this is anyone's guess, but it's a valuable pot in its own right and if he runs as well as he did last time he came to Haydock he could be the main danger.

I also wouldn't totally discount the veteran Iwilldoit for Sam Thomas either, especially if things turn seriously heavy as we know from his Welsh Grand National escapades how much he loves the mud. The trouble is, the heavier it gets the happier Royale Pagaille will get too so despite a batch of dangerous enough looking rivals, I am more than happy to make the market leader a confident selection in here.