BECHER CHASE
Saturday 9th December, 2:05pm
Ashtown Lad @ 9/2
Percussion @ 11/2
The Big Breakaway @ 7/1
Highland Hunter @ 15/2
view odds
*prices correct at time of writing.
RACE
Because of recent cold and/or wet weather, an unscheduled ‘Super Saturday’ is set to emerge: the biggest names – Jonbon, Edwardstone, Constitution Hill, Shishkin, Love Envoi – top the bill at Sandown’s Tingle Creek Chase meeting, but things also look grand at the home of the National where form over the big fences abounds in a terrific Becher Chase.
MARKET
In the Becher, staged over twenty-one of the Grand National obstacles (2-05), last year’s first and third, split by five and a half lengths, Ashtown Lad and Percussion, meet again with Percussion one of those racing from out of the handicap. The subsequent runs of Ashtown Lad have probably been a bit disappointing, while Percussion which put in another fine display over the fences – form figures: 3–3–2 – in the Grand Sefton.
The well-weighted The Big Breakaway gathered some nice form last season, though he fell early in the Grand National and was quite well-beaten last time. Celebre D’Allen was doing better than most when the stable wasn’t in great order (including in last April’s Topham), however he’s been clobbered by the handicapper after success on the standard Aintree course. Coko Beach relishes the challenge of these fences judged by the manner in which he showed up for a long way in the last two Grand Nationals, but the Troytown winner must concede plenty of weight.
Highland Hunter is right in the mix if building from a decent effort on his only run in the last twenty months. Chambard didn’t exactly shine after winning at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival, until, that is, a better show last time when second back at Cheltenham – with Undersupervision jumping better just behind in third – and it’ll be interesting to see how Chambard adapts to the fences. Now Where Or When offers bits of encouragement, albeit mostly when it’s not too soft, not least when sixth in a big-field handicap at Leopardstown in February; in contrast stablemate Dorking Cock revels in the soft.
CORNELIUS’ SELECTIONS
The stars are out at Sandown where Edwardstone would become the eighth repeat winner of the Tingle Creek (3-00) this century if able to make up the nine and a half lengths by which Jonbon defeated him at Cheltenham in November; as well as Jonbon, Nicky Henderson has a whole heap of others to worry about too, including Constitution Hill as he starts his season a week late in the delayed Fighting Fifth (1-15) alongside the stable’s Ascot non-starter Shishkin – meanwhile, top-notch mares Love Envoi and Your Wear It Well are definitely not there to make up numbers; two of the season’s most luckless losers seek compensation for last-fence mishaps, JPR One (Sandown 1-50) and Hurlerontheditch (Chepstow 2-12) – hunt out the replays if you missed them; and back at Aintree (1-30) last year’s winner Brave Seasca, gets an opportunity to demonstrate that his last run, following a breathing procedure, was too awful to be true.
THE WINNER
Percussion to be fourth time lucky over the big fences at Aintree. Plus Chambard to go well.
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