Becher Chase at Aintree

An unusually strong card for a Sunday this afternoon at Aintree, where the main feature is the Becher Chase, a handicap over 3 1/4 miles of the Grand National course with17 runners at 14.45 CET. This is wide open but the place to start is with in-form trainers Paul Nicholls and Nigel Twiston-Davies, both on the crest of a wave following yesterday´s results and both with 2 fancied runners here. Nicholls saddles Gullible Gordon (Ryan Mahon) and Meanus Dandy (Ian Popham), both with good claimers aboard and both last-time-out winners at Wincanton, while Twiston-Davies has Hello Bud with his son Sam and Irish Raptor (Paddy Brennan). We prefer the latter pair, who both have experience of thes fences, and especially Hello Bud, who ran a great race in the Grand National to finish 5th.

Maljimar (Nick Wiliams/ Daryl Jacob) was in the process of running a good race in the National when falling at Bechers second time around, while Royal Rosa (Howard Johnson/ Brian Hughes) also failed to complete. Merigo (Andrew Parker/ Timmy Murphy) won the Scottish National in April and is fancied today, while Notre Pere (Jim Dreaper/ Andrew Lynch), one of 2 Irish runners, is the class act in the field but has a huge weight. With so many imponderables, this is not a good betting race, but our tentative suggestion is Hello Bud each way.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Current Event - Midnight Opera - Bollin Felix
2. Race: Magic Sky - Stormin Exit - Private Be
3. Race: Keki Buku - Son Of Flicka - Washington Irving
4. Race: Meanus Dandy - Maljimar - Merigo
5. Race: Fine Parchment - Made In Japan - Categorical
6. Race: Devotion To Duty - Don`T Rush It - Strumble Head
7. Race: With Grace - Inthesettlement - Piggy Back