BALLABRIGGS HEADS 16 IN BETFRED BECHER HANDICAP CHASE

KEIGHLEY LOOKING FORWARD TO RUNNING ANY CURRENCY OVER GRAND NATIONAL FENCES

 

The £110,000 Betfred Becher Handicap Chase (2.10pm), the highlight of an exciting seven-race card at Aintree this Saturday, December 8, Betfred Becher Chase Day, will see 16 runners face the starter.

The three and a quarter mile contest over the Grand National fences has proved a good pointer to John Smith's Grand National glory with 2001 scorer Amberleigh House and 2004 winner Silver Birch annexing the world's famous chase in 2004 and 2007 respectively.

The 16 contenders for this year's Betfred Becher Chase are headed by 2011 John Smith's Grand National hero Ballabriggs, who was sixth in last season's John Smith's Grand National in April.

Donald McCain's charge has to concede weight on his seasonal debut to some classy rivals including lightly raced seven-year-old Join Together, who is bidding to give trainer Paul Nicholls a fourth Betfred Becher Handicap Chase success.

The field also includes the two past winners of the Betfred Becher Handicap Chase, with last season's impressive victor West End Rocker lining up for Alan King and Hello Bud, who triumphed for Nigel and Sam Twiston-Davies in 2010, running in the Listed contest for the fourth time.

Any Currency will be having his first start over the unique fences and comes into the race in good form after a staying-on fourth in the £50,000 Henrietta Knight Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on November 17.

The nine-year-old, who will be partnered by Aidan Coleman, had previously recorded a comfortable nine-length success in the Desert Orchid Handicap Chase over three and a half miles at Wincanton in late October.

Trainer Martin Keighley said: "Any Currency has been in really good form since his run at Cheltenham.

"He had a wind operation over the summer which seems to have really helped him because he used to hit flat spots in his races. He was impressive when he won the Desert Orchid at Wincanton and then was a good fourth at Cheltenham in a competitive race.

"He missed getting in the John Smith's Grand National by one last year and it will be good to see him over those fences as it will be a real test in the ground and I can see him running a big race.

"The testing conditions will be fine for him as he stays so well and Aidan Coleman gets on really well with him, so he must go there with a big chance. He has his own way of jumping but I think that will really suit him around Aintree.

"He has an entry at Sandown, which is probably the easier option, but I am very keen to see him over those Grand National fences and I'm looking forward to it."

Other notable contenders include Big Fella Thanks, who has successfully navigated the course on three occasions, Problema Tic, trained by David Pipe, and Peter Bowen's Mumbles Head.

Betfred Becher Handicap Chase, Betfred Bet: 5 (from 7) West End Rocker, 7 (from 8) Join Together, 8 (from 9) Ballabriggs, Problema Tic, 8 (from 12) Big Fella Thanks, 12 Any Currency, 14 (from 16) Hello Bud, Mumbles Head, Swing Bill, 14 (from 20) In Compliance, 16 Fabalu, Midnight Haze, 20 Minella Theatre, Poker De Sivola, 33 Ballyvesey, Gullible Gordon.

1/4 the odds 1-2-3-4 NRNB

"This year's Becher looks an absolute belter.  We're delighted a field of 16 will go to post which makes it a terrific race for each-way punters," said Betfred spokesman Andrew Griffiths.

Aintree's seven-race card on Saturday, December 8, which starts at noon, also features the £60,000 Betfred 'Goals Galore' Grand Sefton Handicap Chase (3.20pm) over two miles, five and a half furlongs. Also run over the Grand National fences, it has attracted 24 entries including 2011 Grade One Betfred Bowl winner Nacarat, classy performer Calgary Bay and two former Paddy Power Gold Cup winners in Little Josh and Irish raider Tranquil Sea. Declarations for this and the other five remaining races on the card will be made tomorrow.

GOING

The going at Aintree remains:

National Course - Soft, Heavy in places

Mildmay Course - Good to Soft, Soft in places

Hurdle Courses - Soft, Good to Soft in places

Andrew Tulloch, Aintree's Clerk of the Course and Director of Racing, said today at 2.00pm: "We have been dry so far today but the forecast is for rain to arrive this afternoon, with 10 millimetres plus the current prediction.

"Friday's forecast is for drier conditions, with a possible shower, while Saturday is predicted to be dry."

 

BETFRED BECHER CHASE DAY, AINTREE RACECOURSE

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

  

£110,000 BETFRED BECHER HANDICAP CHASE

Year   Horse     Owner     Trainer    Age/Weight  Jockey   SP  RAN

1992   Kildimo      Lady Harris       Sue Smith    12-10-03    Lorcan Wyer     9/1   9

1993   Indian Tonic     Joanne Richards    Nigel Twiston-Davies  7-10-06    Chris Maude     4/1  11

1994   Into The Red      John Huckle       John White     10-10-04    Richard Guest  13/2  9

1995   Young Hustler    Gavin MacEchern    Nigel Twiston-Davies  8-12-00    Chris Maude     2/1F  10

1996   Into The Red      John Huckle       Mary Reveley     12-10-00    Tony Dobbin     9/2  8

1997   Samlee      White Lion Partnership  Philip Hobbs     8-10-00    Rodney Farrant  6/1  11

1998   Earth Summit     The Summit Partnership  Nigel Twiston-Davies  10-12-00   Tom Jenks     6/1  8

1999   Feels Like Gold  Independent Twine Man. Co Nicky Richards   11-10-00   Tony Dobbin     9/1  12

2000   Young Kenny  Trevor Hemmings    Peter Beaumont   9-12-00    Russ Garrity     9/4F   11

2001   Amberleigh House Halewood International Ltd Ginger McCain   9-10-09    Warren Marston  33/1  15

2002   Ardent Scout  Alicia Skene & W S Skene Sue Smith     10-9-11    Dominic Elsworth 14/1  15

2003   Clan Royal      J P McManus       Jonjo O'Neill    8-10-12    Liam Cooper     11/2  15

2004   Silver Birch     Des Nichols       Paul Nicholls     7-10-01    Ruby Walsh     4/1F  14

2005   Garvivonnian  Angela Long      Ned Mitchell IRE  10-10-04    Garrett Cotter     33/1  19

2006   Eurotrek      Paul Green       Paul Nicholls     10-11-07    Liam Heard     25/1  21

2007   Mr Pointment  Stockton Heath Racing  Paul Nicholls     8-11-05    Sam Thomas     15/2  19

2008   Black Apalachi   Gerard Burke     Dessie Hughes IRE  9-10-05   Denis O'Regan   15/2   13

2009   Vic Venturi  Seamus Dunne  Dessie Hughes IRE  9-11-12  Paddy Flood  7/1 8

2010   Hello Bud   Seamus Murphy  Nigel Twiston-Davies 12-10-05         Sam Twiston-Davies 15/2F  17

2011   West End Rocker Barry Winfield & Tim Leadbeater Alan King  9-10-10          Wayne Hutchinson 10/1 14

  

BETFRED BECHER HANDICAP CHASE HISTORY

The inaugural running in 1992 of the Betfred Becher Handicap Chase over the Grand National fences went to the Sue Smith-trained Kildimo, who comfortably saw off 1990 Scottish Grand National winner Four Trix for a seven-length success. The Yorkshire-based handler gained a second success a decade later when Ardent Scout prevailed under an excellent ride from Dominic Elsworth to beat 2004 John Smith's Grand National hero Amberleigh House by 24 lengths. 

Amberleigh House won this prestigious handicap chase over three and a quarter miles in 2001 when driven out by Warren Marston to prevail by two lengths from Smarty, who had filled the same position in the previous season's Grand National. Three years later, Amberleigh House went on to give Red Rum's trainer Ginger McCain a memorable fourth success in the Grand National when coming from a near impossible position under Graham Lee to score by three lengths from Clan Royal.

Clan Royal had beaten Amberleigh House by a head in the 2003 renewal of the Betfred Becher Handicap Chase, which was his second victory over the unique fences after landing the 2003 Topham  Chase. Jonjo O'Neill's charge also went on to finish third in the 2006 running of the John Smith's Grand National.

Earth Summit, with top-weight of 12 stone, captured the Betfred Becher Handicap Chase seven months after he had won the world's most famous chase in 1998, defeating the previous year's Betfred Becher Handicap Chase winner Samlee by 16 lengths. In addition to saddling Earth Summit, trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies has won the Becher Chase on three other occasions, courtesy of Indian Tonic in 1993, Young Hustler who defied top-weight two years later, and Hello Bud in 2010.

Indian Tonic scored unchallenged by six lengths and went on to win the Topham Chase later in the same season, while Young Hustler, who won the Grade One RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 1993, put in a superb round of jumping to score by the same margin. Hello Bud, winner of the Scottish Grand National in 2009, made nearly all the running under Sam Twiston-Davies to score by a length and a quarter from Royal Rosa.

Top-weight Young Kenny was cheered home in 2000 as the market leader, beating subsequent winner Ardent Scout by half a length for popular Yorkshire-based trainer Peter Beaumont. The Ardross gelding fell on his only attempt at the John Smith's Grand National, but he did win the Scottish version in 1999.

Into The Red is the only dual winner of the Betfred Becher Handicap Chase so far. He was victorious for trainer John White in 1994, when coming home unchallenged by 15 lengths from Feathered Gale and then, two years later, when under the care of Mary Reveley, he ran on well for Tony Dobbin to score by three and a half lengths and deny 1995 victor Young Hustler successive wins. Dobbin was on the scoresheet again three years later aboard the Nicky Richards-trained Feels Like Gold. The 11-year-old galloped clear of his opponents and eventually won eased down, with Him Of Praise taking the runner-up spot.

The Paul Nicholls-trained Silver Birch justified favouritism in the 2004 Betfred Becher Handicap Chase under Ruby Walsh to master Just In Debt by a length in a thrilling renewal. He also captured the Welsh National in 2004 and, after being sold out of Nicholls' stable for just 20,000 guineas, made one of the greatest comebacks to win the 2007 John Smith's Grand National for Irish trainer Gordon Elliott.

Ned Mitchell's Garvivonnian became the first Irish-trained winner of the Betfred Becher Handicap Chase in 2005. He held on in a thrilling finish from the fast-finishing Nicholls-trained Le Duc by three quarters of a length, with Just In Debt a neck away in third.

Nicholls claimed his second win in the Betfred Becher Handicap Chase in 2006 with Eurotrek, who defied top-weight to defeat Bewleys Berry and 19 others in decisive fashion under Liam Heard, though there was drama after the last when it momentarily looked as if the winning jockey was going to take the wrong course. The champion trainer was back for more in 2007 when saddling Mr Pointment. The eight-year-old excelled over the Grand National obstacles, beating the previous year's runner-up Bewleys Berry by a length.

There was a fine front-running performance in 2008 from Black Apalachi, under Denis O'Regan, who galloped resolutely all the way to the line to secure success in the Betfred Becher Handicap Chase. The 15/2 chance, trained by Dessie Hughes in Ireland, came home a distance clear of the second Mr Pointment in the three and a quarter mile event, with his stablemate Oulart a further half-length back in third. Black Apalachi was several lengths clear and going well when unseating Denis O'Regan at Becher's Brook on the second circuit in the 2009 Grand National but returned the following year to finish a gallant second to Don't Push It.

Top-weight Vic Venturi, also trained by Hughes, became the third Irish-trained winner when scoring by five lengths under Paddy Flood in 2009. The Old Vic gelding, who captured the Grade Two Bobbyjo Chase later in the  season, failed to complete in three attempts in the John Smith's Grand National, unseating his rider in 2010, being brought down in 2011 and refusing in 2012.

West End Rocker gave trainer Alan King his first Betfred Becher Handicap Chase success last year, drawing away impressively under Wayne Hutchinson in the heavy conditions to score by 22 lengths from 2009 Irish Grand National hero Niche Market.

The Betfred Becher Handicap Chase attracts plenty of runners, many of whom are having their first start over the Grand National fences and the race is seen as one of the best John Smith's Grand National trials, with two winners -  Amberleigh House and Silver Birch - going on to success in the world's greatest chase. Four favourites have prevailed - Young Hustler (1995), Young Kenny (2000), Silver Birch (2004) and Hello Bud (2010) - but there have also been three shock results - Amberleigh House was a 33/1 chance in 2001, while Garvivonnian (33/1 - 2005) and Eurotrek (25/1 - 2006) also caused upsets.

£60,000 BETFRED 'GOALS GALORE' GRAND SEFTON CHASE - AINTREE

Year  Horse     Owner      Trainer  Age/Weight  Jockey  SP  RAN

2003   Dark Room       J P McManus       Jonjo O'Neill    6-10-06    Liam Cooper      7/1  11

2004    Forest Gunner    John Gilsenan      Richard Ford    10-11-02    Peter Buchanan 7/1F  15

2005    Hakim        T N Siviter       John Spearing  11-10-12    Paddy Brennan  18/1   23

2006    I Hear Thunder    Nick Elliott       Bob Buckler    8-11-02    Daryl Jacob      12/1  20

2007    Lampion Du Bost  The Dodoz Partnership Jim Goldie    8-9-11     Phil Kinsella      66/1   22 

2008  Endless Power   Fyffees      Jim Goldie   8-10-00   James Reveley  11/1  13

2009 Dev   Liam Mulryan  Michael Qinlan 9-10-07 Jamie Moore 14/1 11

2010 Frankie Figg          Andrea & Graham Wylie  Howard Johnson 8-11-05 Brian Hughes 10/1 16

2011 Stewarts House       Double Trouble Partnership Tim Vaughan 9-11-08 Aidan Coleman 11/2 14

HISTORY OF THE BETFRED 'GOALS GALORE' GRAND SEFTON CHASE

The Betfred Grand Sefton has attracted good fields since its revival nine years ago after a 38-year break. The handicap chase is run over one circuit of the Grand National course, two miles, five and a half furlongs. The old Grand Sefton took place over further - just under three miles - and ceased after the 1965 renewal, which was won by The Fossa.

The Betfred Grand Sefton Chase was re-established in 2003 and well-known Irish owner J P McManus saw his famous green and gold colours carried to victory by the Jonjo O'Neill-trained Dark Room. Partnered by Liam Cooper, the six-year-old was one of eight in with a chance jumping the final fence and kept on best of all after the elbow to score by three lengths from Scotmail Boy. The fourth home, Cassia Heights, went on to land the John Smith's Topham Chase at Aintree the following April.

The Richard Ford-trained Forest Gunner, under Peter Buchanan, scored the following year becoming the first and, so far, only favourite to prevail. Forest Gunner had earlier taken the John Smith's Fox Hunters' Chase at the John Smith's Grand National meeting when ridden by the trainer's wife, Carrie. That pairing subsequently finished fifth in the 2005 John Smith's Grand National.

The 2005 renewal of the Betfred Grand Sefton saw the John Spearing-trained Hakim completed a four-timer under Paddy Brennan, with a superb round of jumping from the front to defeat Fiori by two and a half lengths. The New Zealand-bred returned to Aintree in the spring for the John Smith's Topham Chase and put in another bold display, finding only Liberthine a length and a half too strong.

There were 20 runners in the 2006 contest which went the way of the Bob Buckler-trained I Hear Thunder, a 12/1 chance, who jumped well and stayed on strongly for then conditional jockey Daryl Jacob to come home seven lengths clear of Shannon's Pride. Hakim, attempting to land the race for a second year in a row, again tried to make all the running, but this time got no further than the eighth fence.

The race was even more popular in 2007 when 22 lined up before the starter. There was a shock result as 66/1 chance Lampion Du Bost, ridden by Phil Kinsella and trained by Jim Goldie in Scotland for the Dodoz Partnership, which included ex-Scotland striker Billy Dodds, won on merit, jumping exemplarily.

There were shades of the famous finish to the 1973 Grand National between Crisp and Red Rum as 11/1 chance Endless Power tired rapidly after the last in the 2008 Betfred Grand Sefton Handicap Chase. However, the leader held on by two and a half lengths from Brooklyn Brownie under 3lb conditional James Reveley for Goldie, gaining a second Grand Sefton success. The winner jumped for fun over the famous fences, soon built up a commanding advantage and was still around 15 lengths in front over the last.

Dev was in the first two all the way in 2009 and emerged victorious under Jamie Moore. The race wasn't without drama though, with the winner wandering around approaching the elbow and conceding an eight-length lead before rallying gamely in the run in to score by one and a half lengths. 

Frankie Figg put in a superb round of jumping in 2010 to score comfortably by five lengths under Brian Hughes. The eight-year-old, having his fourth start over the famous fences, was completing for the first time.

The 2011 renewal produced a thrilling finish between Tim Vaughan's Stewarts House and Irish raider Linnel, from the stable of Arthur Moore, with the former prevailing by a neck under Aidan Coleman. The Overbury gelding became the shortest priced winner of the Grand Sefton, having been sent off an 11/2 chance.