Novice Chase Opens Grand National Meeting

The Grand National festival kicks off with its regular 20f Grade One novices` chase tomorrow with a six-strong field looking to follow in the hoofprints of such former winners as Menorah (2012), Captain Conan (2013) and Uxizandre (2014).

Nicky Henderson is the current favourite to triumph in the opening race of the Grand National meeting, available at 6/4 with bet365. This follows his coming out of the Cheltenham Festival`s Grade One Arkle in great shape after securing second place behind eight length winner Un De Sceaux. This strengthens the view that says that this horse comes good at around this time of year, last season he was the plucky runner-up in the Supreme Novices` Hurdle (April) before securing Aintree`s Grade Two Novices` Hurdle at this meeting. It is also evidence that he can produce the goods without a need for a lengthy break.

This course win will also be key to Henderson getting the best out of the favourite this time round. Alan Spence`s charge has only had one run around a 20f distance prior to tomorrow`s outing finishing second to Third Intention when odds-on at Kempton.

Despite this, connections will be pleased with the Aintree conditions and have booked Cheltenham Gold Cup winning jockey Nico De Boinville in the absence of injured regular rider Barry Geraghty. His nearest market rival is Paul Nicholls` Vibrato Valtat who is the highest rated horse in the field, his 164 to Josses Hill`s 158. The Voix De Nord-sired six-year-old can be backed at the best price of 2/1 at bet365 and a number of other bookmakers.

Any hesitance concerning the chances of Vibrato Valtat are based on the fact that the horse has not done any distance remotely near 20f since finishing second around 19f at Newton Abbot as a novice hurdler in 2013. He has performed much better at 2m, this season grabbing the Grade One Henry VIII Novices` Chase at Sandown before Kempton`s Grade Two Wayward Lad Novices` Chase and Warwick`s Grade Two Kingmaker. Half-brothers Un Ace and Vroum Vroum Mag have had no such problems with this trip and that gives confidence.

Nicholls` is also hoping that Vibrato Valtat will be able to reverse the form over Josses Hill over this longer distance, he finishing five lengths behind the Henderson horse in this year`s Arkle. With the horses` lack of experience factored in, this is all a matter of conjecture and opinion.

Third in the betting is Clarcam for Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown Stud, the horse the youngest in the field at five-years-old. Clarcam was even further behind Josses Hill in the Arkle and must look to surprise both market leaders should he want to compete.

Whilst this horse is another that has never completed the full 20f, his trainer has been less insistent to aim his charge at just 2m distances. The 151 rated son of Califet was a hurdles winner over 18f and picked up the Grade One Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown at 17f this season. He saw off JLT winner Vautour by 17 lengths in this race but was carrying a burden 11lbs lighter.

Age is also on Clarcam`s side and he is up for grabs at a price of 6/1 at bet365. The fourth and final Arkle entrant in the field is Three Kingdoms for John Ferguson and AP McCoy. Available at 9/1 at bet365 and Skybet, the horse is more than capable of going the distance but perhaps lacks the class to turn over his main rivals. Otherwise, Venetia Williams` novice Cash And Go faces a challenge in trying to secure his hat-trick of victories (20/1-Numerous) whilst Val De Law is the outsider of the six at 25/1 with Bet365, paddy Power and sportingbet.

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08/04/2015     © Frixo 2024