We've teamed up with Weatherbys to try and unpick the Becher Chase at Aintree using the key trends from the last 10 editions of the great race.
1.30 Aintree - Randox Health Becher Handicap Chase
TRENDS
9/10 - Grand National course experience
9/10 - Won a bumper or point-to-point at start of career
9/10 - Failed to win last time out
9/10 - Had 13 or more chase starts
8/10 - Carried 10-12 or less
7/10 - Aged 9 or younger
BETTRENDS SELECTION: VIEUX LION ROUGE
LAST YEAR’S WINNER: BLAKLION
2016 winner VIEUX LION ROUGE appears to have a great chance of winning the Becher Chase again on Saturday, with David Pipe’s nine-year-old passing all six highlighted trends.
He's only 4lb higher than when successful a couple of years ago, the testing ground shouldn’t pose any problems and he has undergone a wind operation since last seen in the Grand National.
He was having his first start of the 2016-17 season when winning this, again making his first racecourse appearance since the previous season’s Grand National.
Three further horses missed out on just one of those trends, ticking five boxes apiece.
They include another couple of previous winners – Blaklion and Highland Lodge – as well as the latter’s stable companion Just A Par, who is having his first start for Jimmy Moffatt and also his first start since the Bet365 Gold Cup in April last year.
Given his age and how impressive he was 12 months ago, preference is for Blaklion, although Highland Lodge looks attractively handicapped on his old form.
Bettrends 1-2
1. VIEUX LION ROUGE
2. BLAKLION
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