Trainer quotes for Becher Chase at Aintree and Sandown Grade 1 Tingle Creek card

Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase Grade 1 - 1.50 Sandown

JPR One has a golden opportunity to provide Joe Tizzard with his first Grade One success as a trainer in the Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown.

The six-year-old has always been held in high regard by the Tizzard team and made a winning chasing debut at Newton Abbot in October.

JPR One was in the process of enhancing his reputation in supreme style in the Grade Two Arkle Trial at Cheltenham last month, before a stumble at the last saw him unseat Brendan Powell with the race at his mercy.

He now has the chance to gain some big-race compensation and establish himself as one of the leading two-mile novice chasers heading into the second half of the season.

“It’s a nice race for him and he’s come out of Cheltenham really well,” said Tizzard.

“It’s not a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination, but on ratings he looks about right and I’m excited to run him in a Grade One.

“I think it happened at a stage at Cheltenham where we knew he was going to be impressive and I’ve been excited about running him over fences for a while now. It’s exciting that he can go there with a decent chance.”

Jamie Snowden has his string firing on all cylinders and has always felt Colonel Harry would eclipse his hurdles achievements once tackling the larger obstacles.

The course winner created a taking impression at Chepstow on his fences bow and is set to relish testing conditions at the Esher track on Saturday.

“He was obviously a very smart novice hurdler last season, winning twice and placed in two Graded races,” said Snowden.

“He’s always promised to be a better chaser and jumped really well down at Chepstow when beating Tahmuras, who had beaten him over hurdles in the Tolworth.

“Tahmuras probably disappointed that day, there is no doubting that, but we did a lot of things right and it has always been our plan to come here since.

“He handles testing ground and is a thorough stayer at this trip – and I thought his comeback run was great. Fingers crossed, he can run a big race.”

Iceo has 13 lengths to find with JPR One from when they met in the autumn, but he was an odds-on favourite that day despite conceding 15lb to the winner and is given the chance for revenge by Paul Nicholls at the scene of his impressive Imperial Cup triumph over hurdles.

“He was always going to be a chaser and made a lovely start over fences with a cosy success at Newton Abbot early in October, before finishing third giving plenty of weight to two decent horses at the same track three weeks later,” Nicholls told Betfair.

“I don’t think he was quite right that day, perhaps I ran him a bit too soon, and I’ve put a line though that run. He is fine now and I’ve always had this Grade One chase in mind for him.”

Dan Skelton’s Unexpected Party claimed the scalp of Ditcheat’s Knappers Hill at Chepstow before running a creditable fifth in a high-class renewal of the Paddy Power Gold Cup, while Petit Tonnerre picked up some pieces following the unseat of JPR One at Cheltenham, battling on for second.

The field is completed by Le Patron, who has won by a combined 30 lengths in two chasing appearances and Gary Moore hopes his stamina could prove an asset dropping back in trip.

“He’s probably an improving horse but whether he is up to that grade, I don’t really know,” said Moore.

“He will probably be better going a bit further but in soft ground, as long as they don’t get him at it down the back too much where the ground is a bit better, I think he will be OK. I see him coming into his own in the straight, hopefully.

“I just hope his jumping keeps him in the race.”

Betfair Tingle Creek Grade 1 - 3.00 Sandown

Click below for trainer quotes and full preview package of the Betfair Tingle Creek

Boylesports Becher Handicap Chase - 2.05 Aintree

Gordon Elliott’s Coko Beach will bid to maintain his recent good form in the Boylesports Becher Handicap Chase at Aintree on Saturday.

The grey gelding may have been pulled up in the Grand National last season, but he was eighth the year before and has returned to action this term clearly in good heart.

His reappearance came in the Munster National at Limerick over three miles, where he was third when beaten just two and three-quarter lengths.

The eight-year-old then headed to Navan for the Troytown Chase and was the winner there from a field of 20, beating Limerick Lace and a whole host of Elliott stablemates in a tough staying victory.

Naturally, the handicapper has taken note and the gelding will now return to Aintree off a British mark of 162, a career-high that will see him carry top-weight of 12st.

Eddie O’Leary, of owners Gigginstown House Stud, said: “He’s got an awful lot of weight.

“He’s up to 161 now (in Ireland, running off 162 in UK) and that is going to be very tough because he’s far from that.

“He’s going for the Becher because he will enjoy the fences, he’s run in the National the last twice and he just hasn’t quite got home.”

The burden he will carry is eased by the booking of jockey Danny Gilligan, who claims 5lb and has ridden Coko Beach in his two prior starts this season.

“Danny is taking 5lb off his back, which will help,” said O’Leary.

“There is no point in him running in something like the Savills Chase (at Leopardstown), because he’d get lapped.

“He’s a lovely horse, he’s only eight, he was second in a Fred Winter as a juvenile but unfortunately he’s got no chance competing against those good horses and his mark now is very tough in handicaps.”

Joe Tizzard has a real chance with The Big Breakaway, fifth in the Badger Beer Chase at Wincanton on his first run of the campaign.

The chestnut ran in the Grand National itself in April, but his bid was cut short when he fell at the second obstacle.

Tizzard believes he will have no issue taking to them this time around, however, and his chances are helped by the drop in his handicap mark to 147.

“I’m looking forward to running him over the Aintree fences and he was unlucky in the National, he just got knocked over at the second,” the trainer said.

“This has always been the plan with him, to get a run into him and then have a crack at these fences and make sure that he takes to them as we expect him to. He’s in lovely form at home.

“The handicapper has given him a chance, that is for certain, and for a horse who has only won one chase, we always felt he was a little bit high. That was a serious run at Chepstow (second in the Welsh National) and that sort of warranted his mark, but now he’s been given a bit of a chance.

“He’s a beautiful jumper of a fence at home and when he is on song. I think he will take to the fences well and if he gives us an answer to the question, then we will give him a proper Grand National campaign.”

Harry Cobden will ride instead of stable jockey Brendan Powell, who heads to Sandown instead, with Cobden having already taken the ride on the horse twice in his earlier career.

Tizzard said: “Harry won two Tophams for us and has actually ridden The Big Breakaway at Cheltenham in his novice days and has schooled him plenty of times, so it’s all worked out perfectly for me because I was worried I was going to have a headache and then got the phone call that Harry could ride all ours up there.”

Dan Skelton’s Ashtown Lad is the reigning champion in the race, having won by two and a quarter lengths from Gesskille in the contest last season.

He was pulled up in the Badger Beer when returning to action this season but has been well-fancied in the ante-post markets to return to form and retain his title.

Laura Morgan’s Percussion, second in the Grand Sefton over these unique obstacles, is another leading contender, alongside Philip Hobbs and Johnson White’s Celebre D’Allen and Fergal O’Brien’s Highland Hunter.

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