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Becher Chase |
Hello Bud Returns for Becher Chase
28/11/11
Last year's winner Hello Bud is one of 26 entries for the Betfred Becher Chase at Aintree on Saturday.
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The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained veteran made nearly every yard of the running 12 months ago and will no doubt adopt the same tactics again.
Paul Nicholls has won three of the last seven runnings and has entered Meanus Dandy and Niche Market, while Always Waining, winner of the Topham at Aintree in April, is, along with Ballyvesey and Sun Tzu, one of three possibles for Peter Bowen.
David Pipe looks to hold a strong hand with Swing Bill, Master Overseer and Sona Sasta.
Any Currency, Fine Parchment, Rare Bob, Nicto De Beauchene and Irish challenger Uncle Junior are others of note.
Mad Max is due to make his debut for Neil Mulholland and will this week be schooled over specially-constructed Aintree-style fences.
"We've taken him away for a nice gallop, he schooled last week over normal fences and we're going to build an Aintree fence at home for him this week," said Mulholland.
"He jumps very well and he looks superb. The ground should be good to soft which should be fine for him. People say fresh is the time to catch him but I think a flat track is as much to do with it. He will be fresh but hopefully he can settle.
"If you look at his form he's always run well at places like Aintree and Kempton and never run well at Cheltenham as he can never get in to a rhythm there. The owners wanted a crack at the National and this is the obvious place to start to see if that's realistic.
"If he doesn't get the trip we'll have a discussion and maybe come back to two and a half miles."
Betfred Becher Handicap Chase
£100000.00 added, 5yo plus, 3m 2f, Class 1
26 runners
