The Aintree Red Rum Handicap Steeple Chase > Thursday April 9th @ 4:40pm

[Aidymac]

:ok

[BillyHills]

Re: The Aintree Red Rum Handicap Steeple Chase > Thursday April 9th @ 4:40pm 4.40 Aintree: Betfred Red Rum Handicap Chase (Grade 3) (2m) ............Last years winner Parsnip Pete attempts to defend his crown off 10lbs extra, more important than that is probably his poor form of late. He has won around here twice so does light up on the track but it will be a good training performance by Tom George if he pulls this off. Of the others Dresden is interesting for Henry Oliver, he fell in the Grand Annual but had been running well prior to that and did come in for a bit of money at big prices at Cheltenham. He is one of the progressive types in a handicap full of exposed sorts and is worth an each way bet in open race. Selection: 1pt EW Dresden 14/1 >bet365 Full Preview

[richard-westwood]

Re: The Aintree Red Rum Handicap Steeple Chase > Thursday April 9th @ 4:40pm was looking for some value ....only one race has thrown a good bet up and thats this one so may as well go all in on the days kitty ....rated this .. astracad 99. 01 dresden 98.98 next sensation 98.78 next sensations chances are obvious ....and even at 6/1 I couldnt put anyone off backing him but top two are available at 12/1 and 18/1 so thats fantastic value and I cant ignore it .....dresden was running well against next sensation and is worth forgiving that run as hes a bit novicy and will have learnt a lot and now is 6lbs better in so got a lot goin for him .....astracad pops up occasionally in a big race like this so top rated he has my full attention ....runs off a very nice mark so the 18/1 just looks too big ....i dont like anything else on the day so lets try and start off witg a boom dresden 10 pts win 12/1 bet365 astracad 10 pts win 18/1 bet365

[beaker1]

Re: The Aintree Red Rum Handicap Steeple Chase > Thursday April 9th @ 4:40pm 4:40 Betfred Red Rum Handicap Chase If down the years you had looked to a novice, preferably aged eight or younger, who came here on the back of a solid run at the Cheltenham Festival and was towards the lower-middle sector of the handicap, then you will have enjoyed a whale of a time of a time of it. Novices have won seven of the last 13 runnings so Royal Regatta, Ted Veale, Dresden, Enjoy Responsibly and Pearls Legend are respected (though Ted Veale and Pearls Legend are second-season chasers). Seven of the last 16 winners had previously taken part in the Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival. No shock of course that the Grand Annual should be the best guide by a considerable margin given that the Red Rum Chase and Grand Annual are the two most prestigious two-mile handicap chases run all season and take place within a month of each other, but to the extent of winning almost half of the last 16 runnings? Yes, the Grand Annual is well represented in the Red Rum but they are still over-performing in a notable way. Representatives this year are Next Sensation (1st), Ned Buntline (4th), Ted Veale (7th), Astracad (11th), Bellenos (13th) and Dresden (fell). This flat track could suit Next Sensation even better than Cheltenham being a free-going front runner. It had proven hard going for the winner to double up until fairly recently but successes for Fota Island and Oh Crick in the last 11 years have changed that. Their recent record reads: 31PF192 but he is off an 8lb higher mark and this season’s Festival was favouring front runners. Bellenos is tried in a first-time blinkers today but if I was to take just one from the Grand Annual it would be the novice, Dresden, who fell four out when disputing a close third. Ned Buntline didn’t get the clearest of passages but also made too made niggly mistakes and that worries me here. Last season’s renewal can also be a good guide and has featured three of the last eight winners and last year’s winner, Parsnip Pete, is back as is the third, Claret Cloak (and fourth, Astracad). The record of the defending title holder over the last decade reads: 27P9RF6 and he is off a 10lb higher mark than 12 months ago. He does love Aintree though having beaten Surf And Turf into second here in October and both look like they have been trained for this race. Surf And Turf has not run since and is interesting having easily won his previous race at Aintree. Claret Cloak has also been off since the autumn and has Sean Bowen taking off a valuable 5lb Short List Surf And Turf Dresden Arnaud Claret Cloak Conclusion Being a novice who was running well in the Grand Annual, then DRESDEN will appeal to trends followers so he makes it onto the short list. SURF AND TURF was second to Parsnip Pete here in October and has not run since having won his only other start at Aintree by an easy 9l and he could be the each-way value of the race for a small yard. The top weight CLARET CLOAK has been threatening to win a quality 2m handicap chase for a while and was third in this race last season after filling the same position in the Grand Annual. He arrives here very fresh and has the boy wonder in Sean Bowen taking 5lb off his back so he also makes each-way appeal. I like it when Henry De Bromhead sends over horses to Britain, especially novices, and Enjoy Responsibly could go under the radar with names like Ned Buntline and Ted Veale travelling over from Ireland. The Irish are chasing a seventh win in this race since it was first run in 1977. However, I have had ARNAUD in mind for this race for a long time who likes a fast 2m and he returned to better form last time out and will appreciate this faster ground than he has been used to this season. He used to hare off in front like in last year’s race where he finished ninth but has been held up for his last few starts.