The abandonment of the Becher Chase at Aintree could be a big boost for the first day of the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting on Friday, with several of those due to contest the Liverpool showpiece set to be rerouted.
The card includes a revamped race over the Gold Cup distance, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Coming Soon Handicap Chase, a race which, in a former guise, introduced the world to a certain Mon Mome.
David Pipe has entered the front running grey King Turgeon, the Grand Sefton winner and unbeaten over fences this season who was ante-post favourite for the Becher,while eye-catching possible rivals include Chianti Classico, the thrilling winner of the Ultima at The Festival last March, Fontaine Collonges trained by Venetia Williams and Monbeg Genius, who fought out a mud splattered finish to the finale on Betfair Chase day at Haydock. The Newest One boasts strong track form
Elsewhere other notable entries include Gaboriot, third in the Sefton and also due to have run in the Becher and Grade One winner Fakir d’Oudaries, who are in the Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross Country Handicap Chase, while a month after France took the November race over these fences, David Cottin’s Iceo Madrik, owned by Professor Caroline Tisdall, is set to bid to take this prize back across the Channel.
Last year the most memorable race was the SSS Super Alloys Novices' Chase in which we got a clear glimpse into the future as Ginny’s Destiny beat Grey Dawning and Trelawne. The entries suggest Friday’s renewal could be just as strong.
Paul Nicholls has engaged big-money buy Caldwell Potter, who won at Carlisle on stable debut, and lying in wait could be Peaky Boy, an impressive winner under Nico de Boinville at the November meeting, and Gordon Elliott’s Better Days Ahead, a winner on his chasing debut at Navan and who took the Martin Pipe at the Festival.
It’ll be the first days racing of the season on the New Course, where the ground was described as Good to Soft and Soft in Places before the impact of Storm Darragh was fully felt.
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