Donn McClean thinks Chris's Dream could shock Topofthegame at Aintree today while he's happy to back Call It Magic even after the plunge in the Topham.
It wasn’t a bad day for Irish trainers at Aintree yesterday. Supasundae, second in the Liverpool Hurdle in 2017 and second in the Aintree Hurdle in 2018, battled on bravely to win the Aintree Hurdle in 2019. Kemboy made amends for his first-fence departure in the Cheltenham Gold Cup by landing the Betway Bowl, and Moon Over Germany danced in in the Close Brothers Red Rum Chase.
It could be another good day for Moon Over Germany’s trainer and rider, Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore, today, because Chris’s Dream could be a big player in the Betway Mildmay Novices’ Chase. Winner of his maiden hurdle for Eugene O’Sullivan in December 2017, Henry de Bromhead’s horse was seriously impressive in winning a Grade 3 hurdle at Clonmel in February last year on his debut for his new trainer. That was the race in which the trainer’s Albert Bartlett Hurdle winner Minella Indo finished second to Albert Bartlett third Allaho this year.
It didn’t really happen for Chris’s Dream in the Albert Bartlett Hurdle last year, and we didn’t see him again until he made his debut over fences at Navan in December, when he won easily.
Second to Ballyward in a Grade 3 contest at Naas in January when he was ridden aggressively, as he had been when he won on his chasing bow, he stepped forward from that last time when he won the Grade 2 Ten Up Chase at Navan when he was ridden more conservatively, staying on strongly to get the better of the talented Champagne Classic. That was the first time that Rachael Blackmore rode him, and the form of the race was enhanced when third-placed Any Second Now went to Cheltenham and won the Kim Muir Chase.
Chris’s Dream didn’t go to Cheltenham. The decision was taken to by-pass the Festival this year, which means that he comes into today’s race a fresher horse than most of his rivals. Aintree should suit him well, and the soft ground is a bonus.
Topofthegame sets a high standard of course, Paul Nicholls’ horse won a red-hot RSA Chase at Cheltenham, and he is 16lb superior to Chris’s Dream on official ratings. JLT Chase runner-up Lostintranslation is also really interesting, rated 10lb superior to Chris’s Dream, stepping up in trip to three miles for the first time under Rules. Colin Tizzard’s horse ran a fine race at this meeting last year too to finish second to Black Op in the Grade 1 Mersey Novices’ Hurdle. It is a fascinating race, but Chris’s Dream could be better than his handicap rating, and he could run a big race.
Call It Magic could also run a big race in the Randox Health Topham Chase. A lot of the value has gone from him now, he has been really strong in the market since yesterday, but Ross O’Sullivan’s horse ran better than the mere form of the race suggests in the Becher Chase in December. Ridden forward from flagfall that day, he was very good over the big fences for Mark Enright, but he wasn’t helped by the fact that he was taken on for the mid-race lead by Missed Approach. That probably meant that he had to go faster than his rider wanted to go out in the country.
Even so, he travelled like the most likely winner into the home straight, before his earlier exertions and the three-and-a-quarter-mile trip took their toll on the soft ground. He still kept on well enough to finish fourth.
His trainer said afterwards that the Topham Chase, not the Grand National, would be the plan, and today’s Topham could be an ideal race for him, over two miles and five furlongs, on soft ground, over the big fences. Mark Enright can ride him with confident aggression today over the shorter distance.
The handicapper left him on his Becher Chase mark of 135, and that was more than fair. It is 4lb lower than the mark off which he ran a big race in last year’s Irish Grand National. He only finished seventh in the end at Fairyhouse but, again, he travelled really well to the home turn before his stamina started to ebb.
He jumped to his left at Fairyhouse that day, as he did when he went back to Fairyhouse and split Snugsborough Benny and Measureofmydreams in a three-mile chase in February. He will be much happier going left-handed again today.
That Fairyhouse run should have put him spot on for today. He races off an effective mark of 136 today, he is 1lb out of the handicap, but he could still be a well-handicapped horse off that mark.
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