Tony McFadden highlights four horses who didn't run at Cheltenham and might be at an advantage at Aintree in a couple of weeks.
Aucunrisque
Aucunrisque will need to improve to land a typical running of the Top Novices' Hurdle - he's got a Timeform rating of 138 and the average figure posted by the winner across the last ten editions has been around the 149 mark - but he will have a few things in his favour at Aintree.
He's progressed with each run over hurdles, has displayed a teak-tough attitude and will head to Aintree as a fresh horse having been given time following his gutsy success in the Grade 2 Dovecote Novices' Hurdle at Kempton last month.
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Connections had the option of running in the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, but will probably be glad they swerved that assignment given how strong an edition it was at a course where Aucunrisque's forcing tactics are difficult to pull off. His style of running is better suited to Aintree.
Bravemansgame
Bravemansgame was a late non-runner at Cheltenham, where he was pulled out shortly before the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase on account of the easing conditions, but he is likely to be a leading contender in the Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree.
Bravemansgame has made a flawless start over fences and has won his first four starts, earning a rating of 161p for his decisive victory in handicap company at Newbury, where he gave lumps of weight to some useful rivals.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsThat rating places him behind only Galopin Des Champs (175p), Ferny Hollow (166p), L'Homme Presse (162p) and Edwardstone (162) among this season's novice chasers, while it's also higher than the average rating posted by the last ten winners of this race, which comes in around the 157 mark.
Excuses will be hard to find at Aintree as a flat three miles looks ideal and he won't be coming off the back of a tough race.
Good Risk At All
Good Risk At All looked well treated after going up 10 lb for his decisive success at Ascot last month but, as it turned out, connections would have preferred a harsher reaction from the handicapper as it would have at least secured a run in the Coral Cup. Good Risk At All was only a reserve for the Coral Cup, and although there were three non-runners they did not come out in time for him to earn a place in the race.
Connections will have a couple of handicap options at Aintree, but they may well fancy a crack at the Grade 1 Mersey Novices' Hurdle on the back of such an impressive display at Ascot.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsHis rating of 144P would have been good enough to have won four of the last ten editions of the Mersey, and it doesn't leave him far short of the ten-year average winning rating of 147.
The Large P attached to his rating indicates he is capable of much better form, so it would be little surprise were he to make his presence felt at Aintree.
Fakir d'Oudairies
On all known evidence Fakir d'Oudairies would have been no match for Allaho in the Ryanair Chase - that rival has come out well on top whenever they've met - so connections look like they made a shrewd call to swerve the Cheltenham Festival and keep him fresh for the Melling Chase.
A sound beating by Allaho in the Ryanair Chase didn't stop Fakir d'Oudairies from winning the Melling last season, but a break since a hard-fought win in the Ascot Chase last month can only increase his chances of an Aintree repeat.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsHe has shown himself to be a reliable Grade 1 chaser, albeit a Timeform rating of 167 highlights that he's vulnerable against the very top-notchers.
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