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| Punter's Diary by Malcolm Heyhoe |
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| Updated: 1st April 2013 - GG.com |
April Jewels
April's main action can only mean the curtain rising once more on jump racing's incomparable Grand National meeting. This time around the three wonderful days on Merseyside begins on April 4, and for the first-time ever the opening day features the Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle, a race that traditionally took place midway through the card on the Saturday of the meeting.
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In the absence of many Cheltenham Festival winners who will prefer to race at Punchestown, the Aintree Hurdle could well be at the mercy of The New One, who may well turn up here under an aggressive piece of placing by trainer, Nigel Twiston-Davies, a man not afraid to duck a challenge.
With a scintillating success in the Neptune at Cheltenham to his name, The New One would surely be too strong for the Paul Nicholls-trained Zarkandar, who was one of twenty-nine losers from thirty runners for trainer, Paul Nicholls, at the Cheltenham Festival.
Lacking burgeoning new talent, the Nicholls team's single winner at Cheltenham came in a handicap for conditional jockeys and the Ditcheat trainer will regard Aintree as a retrieval mission after the disappointments of Cheltenham. Nicky Henderson, by contrast, grows ever stronger and if Oscar Whisky turns up in a bid to land the Aintree Hurdle for a third time, he may provide the sternest test for The New One.
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The supporting highlight of the opening day is the Betfred Bowl Chase over 3m 1f on the Mildmay course and Aintree specialist Silviniaco Conti seems sure to be back competing around a course and distance he was successful over as a novice at this meeting 12 months ago. As expected, his jumping failed to hold up in the Gold Cup but with no Bob's Worth or Sir Des Champs in the line-up, the Bowl looks to be his for the taking.
On April 5, Aintree's second day, the highlight has to be the Melling Chase and this race could feature a tantalising clash between the imperious Sprinter Sacre, Cue Card, the Ryanair Chase hero and Irish talking horse, Flemenstar, who has twice been beaten over three miles on his last two starts and his reputation is very much on the line here. Much will depend on how well the former pair has recovered from their festival exertions, but Sprinter Sacre should win yet again in what promises to be the chase of the season.
The daunting Aintree fences come into play for the Topham Chase on April 5, and this is always a wide-open contest and as ever the advice is to side with a sound-jumping and experienced campaigner while in the Mildmay Novices' Chase, Rocky Creek might be the progressive type who sidesteps Cheltenham in favour of a winning tilt at Aintree.
I doubt whether the deeply disappointing Dynaste will turn out here for David Pipe, who endured a lamentable Cheltenham Festival with a blank drawn from 25 runners and three well-backed favourites well and truly turned over. Sadly successful gambles on Pipe-trained horses seem a thing of the past.
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The Saturday of April 6 features the 2013 Grand National and this time around the Aintree showpiece looks a wide open contest with the strong stayer, On His Own, heading the market for his all-conquering trainer, Willie Mullins, at ridiculously short odds of 6-1.
The Irish challenge is strengthened further by the inclusion of Rare Bob, Seabass and Colbert Station while the home challenge again features the brilliant 2011 winner Ballabriggs alongside last year's unlucky runner-up Sunnyhillboy and Cappa Bleu, the fourth horse home a year ago and one who will need riding closer to the pace if he is to mount a serious challenge this time round.
Extra spice to a compelling heat is added by the presence of Teaforthree and Join Together, both closely-matched during their novice season and possessing the stamina and jumping prowess to make a mark on the National while the Philip Hobbs-trained Quinz is among the best handicapped horses and could run a big race at a massive price of 66-1.
April is also the month when the turf Flat season finally kicks in with the Craven Meeting at Newmarket on April 17 and 18 taking pride of place, with the Nell Gwyn Stakes for Classic fillies on the opening day and the Craven Stakes on the 18th for possible Classic colts.
The search for Classic clues shifts to Newbury on April 20 when the Greenham Stakes heads the bill, and the Marco Botti-trained Moojahim is likely to put his 2,000 Guineas credentials on the line here. Reported to have wintered well, he looks the one to beat at the Berkshire course.
Over at Ayr on the same day the Scottish National takes centre stage. If he misses a tilt at Aintree, Godsmejudge might be the type for this marathon.
The curtain comes down on April's hectic month of action with the traditional mixed jumps and Flat card at Sandown on April 27. Nigel Twiston-Davies has been aiming his rising star Same Difference at the Bet365 Handicap Chase for some time, and he should give a good account in this 3m 5f handicap.
Malcolm Heyhoe writes weekly horse racing articles for GG.COM-Horse racing betting, information, news, results and free daily tips
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