The Aintree Melling Steeple Chase > Friday April 10th @ 3:25pm

[Aidymac]

:ok

[Toast]

Re: The Aintree Melling Steeple Chase > Friday April 10th @ 3:25pm Starting point for this would be the Ryanair. If he runs, UxIzandre will be suited even more to this course than Cheltenham. Trouble is, his riding tactics are now in the open and he surely won't be given carte Blanche to do as he likes. Eduoard is the 1 I'd take from the Ryanair.

[arsenalfh]

Re: The Aintree Melling Steeple Chase > Friday April 10th @ 3:25pm No Uxizandre or Eduard at Aintree which is a shame.

[adamross]

Re: The Aintree Melling Steeple Chase > Friday April 10th @ 3:25pm Though if there is a renewal featuring Champagne Fever, Al Ferof and the return of Cue Card that would be pretty awesome! Signs are that Sire De Grugy won't make it if it is fast ground.

[BillyHills]

Re: The Aintree Melling Steeple Chase > Friday April 10th @ 3:25pm 3.25 Aintree: Betfred Melling Chase (Grade 1) (2m4f) The Melling Chase is often targeted by the two-mile speedsters from the Champion Chase but last year we had a change when Boston Bob stepped back in trip to win the race for Willie Mullins. This time round we have the Ryanair runners turning up such as Don Cossack, Balder Succes, Johns Spirit and Wishfull Thinking. Three horses that had to miss Cheltenham, Cue Card, Champagne Fever and Al Ferof also are in the field along side Sire De Grugy from the Queen Mother. .........Cue Card is the interesting one in the field, he won the Ryanair in 2014 and I think could have ruled this division if it wasn’t for the connections wanting to try and win a Gold Cup and experimenting with the horse over longer trips. It seems like they have now settled on this trip and can hopefully get the horse back to his brilliant best. He can win this if he’s 100% but he may just need it in this company. At the prices he may be worth a risky wager in a cracking contest. Selection: 2pts Cue Card 7/1 William Hill

[beaker1]

Re: The Aintree Melling Steeple Chase > Friday April 10th @ 3:25pm 3:25 Doom Bar Aintree Hurdle Seven horses have been declared to take part in the only Grade 1 hurdle race run over 2m4f in Britain including two former Champion Hurdle winners, Rock On Ruby and Jezki, and this season’s Champion Hurdle runner-up, Arctic Fire and it will be a surprised if the winner doesn’t emanate from this trio who should dominate the market. The down-to-the-wire battle between The New One and Rock On Ruby last year added to the many fantastic finishes that this race has served up down the years but few, however, will argue that the epic duel between Night Nurse and Monksfield who dead-heated in 1977 does not top the bill. The performance of Night Nurse on that occasion is still officially the greatest ever by a hurdler as he was giving 6lb to Monksfield. Last season’s renewal has been a big guide down the years and when successful last year The New One became the eighth Aintree Hurdle winner in the last 14 runnings to have won at this three-day meeting in the past having won the Bumper beating My Tent Or Yours. The New One’s victory also meant that seven of the last 15 winners had contested the previous season’s renewal having finished second to Zarkandar the previous year, six of which finished in the first four. This time it will be Rock On Ruby attempting to go one place better than 12 months earlier and this is surely his best trip so can he become the first British-trained winner that bypassed Cheltenham as all 20 home-based winners ran at The Festival? He was all set to take his chance in the World Hurdle but worked poorly the week before so it was decided to freshen him up for this contest. If successful at the age of ten, he would become the joint oldest winner alongside Mister Morose in a poor year. With Arctic Fire and Jezki in opposition, this is not a poor year. Four of the last five winners had finished second, third or fourth in the Champion Hurdle but given that 26 of the 38 Aintree Hurdle winners in total ran in that race, but only six since 1999, that does suggest it is not as crucial a guide as in its early years, even if it was run over 2m5f in those days and a furlong shorter now which should theoretically suit Champion Hurdle contenders better. Contenders from this season’s Champion Hurdle are Arctic Fire (2nd), Jezki (4th) and Vaniteux (8th). Remarkably, only one of the last 14 Champion Hurdle runners-up to take their chance has won which is a stat against Arctic Fire but I would be more worried whether he will be as effective over 2m4f having not run beyond 2m before as he has plenty of speed and Willie Mullins is even considering the Melbourne Cup for him. That said, Solwhit, Khyber Kim and Zarkandar have won this race recently having not won at 2m before. After he finished second in the Champion Hurdle, Mullins commented that he would only keep on improving. I was keen on the each-way chances of Jezki in the Champion Hurdle but he disappointed me finishing fourth. I also worry about three flights in the home straight and he has belted the final hurdle on four times in his career and it’s a short enough run-in. Unlike Arctic Fire, however, we know he will relish 2m4f having won the Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle over this trip. What I do find significant, however, going back over this longer trip, is that they ditched the hood. Sticking with Cheltenham form and there was a five-year spell between 1997-2001 when, curiously, runners-up in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham in December had a remarkable record with Bimsey, Pridwell and Barton going one place better here but the last three winners of that Grade 2 race to take their chance have both won with The New One emulating Zarkandar and Khyber Kim in completing that particular double. This season’s Stan James International Hurdle went the way of The New One (misses the race through injury) who beat Vaniteux into second. Blue Heron beat a below-par Irving when winning the Kingwell Hurdle and ran okay on his only start over around this trip but he looks at his best forcing it over 2m. A canny ride from the front could see him outrun his odds. Melodic Rendezvous is back to hurdling after a poor round of jumping in the Pendil Novices’ Chase and would prefer it to be much softer than the official good-to-soft at present. The field is completed by Volnay De Thaix who was 2¼l behind Rock On Ruby at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day and then a good fifth in the Coral Cup. If any horse can shake up the big three, it might be him but seven runners rules him out of being a serious each-way option. Shortlist Jezki Rock On Ruby Conclusion Given that there have been as many as 38 runnings of this prize, the Irish have a fantastic record winning 18 of them despite been comprehensively outnumbered and they have a great opportunity to enhance their strong record further still with Arctic Fire and JEZKI likely to occupy to the first two positions in the market. Over this trip I prefer Jezki if he jumps well. The Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown has been their best guide of late in which Jezki finished second to Hurricane Fly with Arctic Fire back in third. Only 1¾ lengths covered all three. ROCK ON RUBY has the strongest form claims of the British defence against a strong Irish challenge having finished second last year splitting the New One and Diakali in a three-way photo (but I think this is a better race) and I think that is more important than the fact that every home-trained winner of this race had run at the Cheltenham Festival.

[Aidymac]

Re: The Aintree Melling Steeple Chase > Friday April 10th @ 3:25pm Wrong race there Beaker.

[Aidymac]

Re: The Aintree Melling Steeple Chase > Friday April 10th @ 3:25pm CHAMPAGNE FEVER sadly had to miss out at the Cheltenham Festival due to another horse biting him on the lip, but he is set and ready for tomorrow's Melling Chase. Willie Mullins absolutely cleaned up at Cheltenham last month, and he could do the very same at Aintree this week, who would back against him? Champagne Fever, a dual Cheltenham Festival winner, will be having his first try here at Aintree before setting off for Punchestown. One advantage he should have is fitness, so even though Don Cossack beat him when they last met, the Gigginstown horse had a tough race at the festival. He likes to bowl along in front and given the fact he likes a sharp track, I think Champagne Fever has an outstanding chance to land the spoils. Don Cossack was all the rage for the Ryanair Chase, and although he finished with plenty of running, he will have to jump much better to have a chance of winning. Al Ferof is very hit or miss, he bolted up in the Amlin Chase at Ascot before finishing 10 lengths in third behind Silviniaco Conti in the King George. He has a good record fresh though, and has been saved for this, so you would be silly to rule him out for Paul Nicholls. I can't have Cue Card, who is not the force of old and he missed the festival due to an injury whilst Balder Success likes it here and has to be respected. Advised Bet: Champagne Fever - 4 Points WIN @ 3/1 Paddy Power http://www.horse-racing.org/friday-aintree-tips--get-the-champagne-out--the-ginge-army-comes-to-town

[Toast]

Re: The Aintree Melling Steeple Chase > Friday April 10th @ 3:25pm Don Cossack 4/1 looks the logical winner. Al Ferof is better earlier in the season. Champagne Fever and Cue Card ( past his sell by date ) will knacker each other out vying for the lead. Balder Sucess wants a low single figure field was Sire de Grugy is also past his best and wont stay.

[arsenalfh]

Re: The Aintree Melling Steeple Chase > Friday April 10th @ 3:25pm 3:25 Aintree I don't think Champagne Fever has done enough over fences to be this sort of price and I also have doubts that Don Cossack will be seen to best effect over this shorter trip on quick ground. This leaves value further down the market but again I don't like the look of Al Ferof who has been disappointing and Cue Card who looks finished although the step back in trip should be in his favour. Sire de Grugy needs cut in the ground and has failed at this trip before while Balders Succes only seems to perform in small fields. In my opinion this leaves Simply Ned as the value in this contest. He finished a good staying on 2nd to an on song Uxizandre in the Shloer Chase back in November and had Dodging Bullets back in third. He then went to Leopardstown and ran well in conditions far too testing for him before finding the Champion Chase too quick for him. He ran well at this meeting last year behind Balders Succes again staying well and I think he'll relish the quick ground and step up to 2m 4f. He was progressing nicely up until the Shloer Chase and I think can continue that progress with conditions in his favour today. It's a wide open contest and the form of that Shloer Chase 2nd looks really strong so I think he has the ability to get involved here. Simply Ned - 0.5pts each-way @ 22/1 Betvictor

[arsenalfh]

Re: The Aintree Melling Steeple Chase > Friday April 10th @ 3:25pm Just a small correction Sire de Grugy hasn't ran over this trip but still don't fancy him at all.