Trainer Sandy Thomson believes Hill Sixteen has a "great chance" of going one better this year in Saturday’s Boylesports Becher Handicap Chase at Aintree Racecourse. While Randox Grand National hero Noble Yeats returns to the scene of his greatest triumph in the Grade Two Boylesports Many Clouds Chase on the same card on Merseyside.
Thomson's Hill Sixteen was narrowly denied by Snow Leopardess by just a nose in last year's Becher Chase – run over the famous Aintree obstacles – and both horses were among the bumper final 23 entries for this weekend's renewal of the 3m2f contest.
The nine-year-old was pulled up in the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow following his fine effort last December and unseated rider Jack Andrews five out in the Scottish version at Ayr in April. But he made a solid return to action in the Edinburgh Gin Chase at Kelso in October to be third behind Sounds Russian and Aye Right.
Hill Sixteen is a 12-1 chance with Coral for the Becher this time behind 9-2 favourites Ashtown Lad and Gesskille – although the former is a best-priced 5-1 with Coral and William Hill. He will also line-up off a 13lb higher mark than 12 months ago and will carry 11st12lb – 2lbs below the joint top weights, Emma Lavelle's De Rasher Counter (16-1 Skybet, bet365) and the Peter Bowen-trained Francky Du Berlais (33-1 generally).
Scottish trainer Thomson said: “When we went last year, we didn’t really know much about him because we hadn’t had him long. I’d been delighted with the way he’d run at Carlisle before he went to the Becher and I thought he could run a nice race if he took to the fences with the weight he had.
“Obviously, it was gutting to get beaten like that and because of the way things have worked out he’s got quite a lot more weight this year. But we know a lot more about him and we’ve been training him specifically for this day. Last year it was a case of put him in and see what happens. Granted a bit of luck in running, I think he must have a great chance.”
Trainer Oliver Greenall eyes 'special' Aintree win with Gesskille
Another horse who was runner-up over the Aintree fences to Al Dancer in last month's Boylesports Best Odds Guaranteed On Racing Grand Sefton Chases – the Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero-trained Gesskille remains at the head of the market at 9-2 with several bookmakers. He is sharing favouritism with Dan Skelton's Ashtown Lad.
Skelton has won the two big chases over the last two weekend's with Proktektorat in the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park and Le Milos taking the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury last Saturday. Ashtown Lad, who was third over hurdles to Remastered at Aintree earlier this month on his seasonal return, will bid to give him another big-race success in the Becher Chase. The eight-year-old, a winner as a novice at Wetherby last season, finished fifth in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr in April.
Last year's winner Snow Leopardess – who is 12-1 with most firms including sponsors Boylesports – will bid to become the fifth dual winner of the race after Into The Red (1994, 1996), Hello Bud (2010, 2012), Walk In The Mill (2018, 2019), and Vieux Lion Rouge (2016, 2020). Snow Leopardess will now carry second top weight of 11st12lb. Charlie Longsdon's grey became the first mare to win the Becher Chase, but was pulled up in the Grand National itself in April. She was also pulled up on her return at Warwick last month.
Although Ireland have claimed the last four Grand Nationals the last Irish-trained winner of the Becher was the late Dessie Hughes' Vic Venturi in 2009. There are two entries from Northern Ireland this year – Ronan McNally's The Jam Man and the Stuart Crawford-trained Now Where Or When, who won at Down Royal on his seasonal return. But the two entries from the Emerald Isle come from Ireland’s champion Jump trainer Willie Mullins' yard. Impressive Cork Grand National winner Captain Kangaroo, who is a 9-1 chance with Paddy Power and Betfair, will now carry 11st2lb, and Recite A Prayer, who also won a National back in May – the Killarney version – and was third behind his stablemate, are his entries. Recite A Prayer is a best-priced 18-1 with William Hill.
Trainer Olly Murphy hopes The Wolf can put down a Grand National marker
Others leading entries among the 23 runners in the Becher include Olly Murphy's The Wolf – who was seventh in Scottish Grand National at Ayr in April; the Christian Williams-trained Five Star Getaway; and Fortescue from the Henry Daly stable.
Saturday's card also features the Grade Two Boylesports Many Clouds Chase, won last year by Proktektorat.
Grand National winner Noble Yeats was among the final six declared for the Grade Two contest run over the Mildmay fences. Trained by Emmet Mullins he has run twice since his Aintree success, bouncing back from a disappointing effort to France to win at Wexford last time out.
And although he faces a stiff task against former Grade One novice chase winners Ahoy Senor and Chantry House, Mullins is excited to return to Aintree this weekend. He said: “It is exciting coming back to Aintree on Saturday and hopefully he will show the same love for Merseyside once again, just as he did back in April. The win in the Grand National has still not sunk in to be honest and I think it will probably take a bit longer for it to really hit me properly and dawn on me how big an achievement it was.
“It is not until a few plans go awry that you really appreciate the ones that have gone through. I know how fortunate we are to have won the race.”
On the challenge the seven-year-old faces in the Many Clouds Chase, Mullins added: “The Many Clouds Chase is a very solid race and it looks very competitive. It certainly isn’t a one horse race and it is great to be part of it.
“He has won his Listed race at Wexford and he is now taking another step up the ladder into a Grade Two. He appears to have taken his last race well and hopefully he can take another step forward.
“In the Grand National we were fortunate that we had a sound jumper along with a nice handicap mark of 147. This will definitely be his hardest test in an open class race.”
On Noble Yeats recent victory under new regular rider Sean Bowen, Mullins said: “We had all the plans in the world going to France but then we came back with nothing. The horse was none the worse for his trip to France and James (Reveley, jockey) sensibly looked after the horse and that showed back in Ireland when he won two weeks later at Wexford.
“It was a brilliant round of jumping he put in under Sean at Wexford. They got into a great rhythm and hopefully they can do something similar again this weekend. He is a funny enough old character and I’m sure Sean would have been delighted to have had the chance to sit on him and learn a bit more about him. Now Sean has that ride under his belt on him he will be more the wiser for this weekend."
Noble Yeats is as low as 12-1 to defend his Grand National crown on April 15 in the new year. But he is also a general 50-1 chance for the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival in March. His County Carlow handler sees this weekend’s contest as a marker to where his chief aim will lie this season. He added: “We didn’t really plan this race as he ran quickly back after his trip to France at Wexford, but it fits well in the calendar. He is on a tricky rating (160) and this will tell us a lot more about where we go in the future. We have no major plans at the moment and will take things one race at a time.”
Lucinda Russell's Ahoy Senor is the likely favourite despite a below-par effort on his seasonal reappearance in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in October. But he has two Grade Ones to his credit, over both hurdles and fences, at Aintree.
Nicky Henderson's Chantry House, the Ruth Jefferson-trained Sounds Russian, Anthony Honeyball's Sam Brown and Jeremy Scott's Dashel Drasher, who won over hurdles at Aintree last month, are the other entries.
Scott has rerouted Dashel Drasher to Aintree despite him holding an entry in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on December 17, due to the ground. He said: "We have been really pleased with him since he last ran and are just in search of his ground really, but we need to run him again. My worry is, although he has an entry in the Long Walk, the forecast isn't great going forward. He seems to like Aintree and, at the moment, if the ground stays similar to how it is, that will pretty much be the plan.
"The owners and us are keen to see him run over a bit more of a trip, because the three-mile hurdling division does not look as strong as some of the others."
The seven-race card on Boylesports Becher Chase day sees the action start at Aintree at 11.45am with the opening contest, the Boylesports Best Odds Guaranteed Novices Hurdle. The finale, the Boylesports Extra Places Daily Handicap Hurdle, is due off at 3.15pm. Gates open at 10.15am and tickets are priced from £25 for adults, if booked in advance. For more information and to buy tickets go online at https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/aintree/events-tickets/becher-chase/
Final 23 entries for the Boylesports Becher Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) 3m1f188y at Aintree Racecourse on Saturday, December 3 (2.05pm)
(Number, horse name, age, weight, owner, trainer, jockey)
1 De Rasher Counter 10-12-0 Makin' Bacon Partnership Emma Lavelle Tom Bellamy
2 Francky du Berlais (FR) ts 9-12-0 Mr Roddy Owen Peter Bowen James Bowen
3 Snow Leopardess 10-11-13 Andrew Fox-Pitt Charlie Longsdon Brian Hughes
4 Hill Sixteen ts 9-11-12 J Fyffe & S Townshend Sandy Thomson Ryan Mania
5 Fortescue 8-11-12 Mrs L Nixon Henry Daly Hugh Nugent (3)
6 Recite A Prayer (IRE) ts 7-11-11 The Turner Family WP Mullins (Ireland) Brian Hayes
7 The Jam Man (IRE) ts, p 9-11-11 Ronan MP McNally Ronan MP McNally (Northern Ireland)
8 Fantastikas (FR) 7-11-8 Imperial Racing Partnership 2016 Nigel Twiston-Davies Sam Twiston-Davies
9 Cloth Cap (IRE) ts, p 10-11-7 Exors of the late Mr Trevor Hemmings Jonjo O'Neill Richie McLernon
10 Dr Kananga ts 8-11-7 Tootell, Tomkies & Tory Ben Clarke Ben Jones
11 Ashtown Lad (IRE) 8-11-5 Darren & Annaley Yates Dan Skelton Harry Skelton
12 The Wolf (FR) ts 8-11-5 McNeill Family & Stone Family Olly Murphy AP Heskin
13 Gesskille (FR) p 6-11-4 The Nevers Racing Partnership I Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero Henry Brooke
14 Rapid Flight 6-11-4 Mr D Mills James Moffatt Danny McMenamin
15 Fagan 12-11-4 Stowe 100 Club Alex Hales Derek Fox
16 Captain Kangaroo (IRE) ts 7-11-2 Kanga Racing & Brett Graham Syndicate WP Mullins (Ireland)
17 Enqarde (FR) ts 8-11-1 Off The Clock Partners & Dr RDP Newland Dr Richard Newland Charlie Hammond
18 Domaine de L'Isle (FR) bl,ts 9-10-13 Mr L M Power and Mr Ian Hutchins Sean Curran Kevin Sexton
19 Five Star Getaway (IRE) 8-10-13 Carl Hinchy and Mark Scott Christian Williams Jack Tudor
20 Now Where Or When (IRE) ts, p 7-10-11 Mrs Margaret McCrudden SRB Crawford (Northern Ireland) Sam Ewing
21 Percussion ts, p 7-10-11 Mr ER Hanbury L J Morgan Gavin Sheehan
22 Didero Vallis (FR) 9-10-8 Normans, Ramsay, Tufnell & Bishop Venetia Williams Miss Lucy Turner (5)
23 Minella Bobo (IRE) ts, p 9-10-2 Moran, Outhart, McDermott, Hyde & Hill Rebecca Curtis Sean Bowen
23 entries (Two Irish-trained)
Boylesports Becher Handicap Chase, Boylesports bet: 9-2 Ashtown Lad, Gesskille; 8-1 Captain Kangaroo; 10-1 Hill Sixteen; 12-1 Snow Leopardess, The Wolf, Five Star Getaway; 14-1 De Rasher Counter; 16-1 Fortescue, Dr Kananga, Didero Vallis, Fantastikas, Recite A Prayer; 20-1 Enqarde, Percussion; 22-1 Cloth Cap; 28-1 Now Where Or When; 33-1 Francky du Berlais, The Jam Man, Rapid Flight, Domaine de L'Isle; 40-1 Fagan; 50-1 Minella Bobo.
