Andrew Asquith has one selection in the Becher Chase at Aintree on Saturday in his latest ante-post column.
Weekend View: Saturday December 6
1pt e.w. King Turgeon in the Becher Chase at 14/1 (William Hill, 888sport, Coral 1/4 1,2,3,4)
It isn’t a straightforward week for ante-post betting, most races not priced up fully, and there are umpteen horses with multiple entries, particularly in the Becher Chase at Aintree and London National Handicap Chase at Sandown. It therefore makes sense to keep selections to the minimum this week.
Only 19 have been entered in the Becher, but with plenty also in at Sandown, it again doesn’t look like being a big-field renewal.
Mr Vango, who is reportedly being aimed at the Grand National this year, is set to have his first crack at the National fences, and he made a winning return on this weekend 12 months ago in the London National Handicap Chase.
The ground is currently soft, good to soft in places on the National course and with further showers forecast towards the end of the week it shouldn’t be too dissimilar come Saturday, so it should be soft enough for Mr Vango, who excels in the mud.
He looks the right favourite, but one horse I didn’t expect to see at around 14/1 is KING TURGEON. Regular readers will know that I put him up as a selection in the Grand Sefton last month and I thought that was a perfectly respectable return to action having undergone another breathing operation.
He had won the Grand Sefton 12 months earlier in grand style, proving himself a natural over the National fecnes, but he was 10lb higher this time around, didn't have the benefit of a run, and shaped like a horse who would take a step forward, not having that extra gear to slip into approaching the last.
King Turgeon raced in a prominent position, his jumping once again standing him in good stead at this track, but he always appeared to be going flat out back down in trip in my opinion, his jockey unable to get a breather into him and I thought it was to his testament he stayed in the firing line for as long as he did.
He showed last season that he’s well suited by further, two of his wins coming over a similar distance to the Becher, and he looks more than ready for this return to further than three miles.
The return to this longer trip will allow him to travel more within his comfort zone and that, paired with his excellent jumping, will make him a force to be reckoned with. The handicapper has relented further following his reappearance and he’s now just 2lb above his winning mark at Cheltenham last season.
- Preview posted 1430 GMT on 2/12/2025
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