13:30 Aintree

Saturday 5 December 2020

All11:4512:2012:5513:3014:0514:4015:15

William Hill Becher Handicap Chase (Grade 3) (National Course) (GBB Race)

Off time: 13:30 | Winning time: 7m 17.12s

Yala Enki²⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: Bryony Frost| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 159| BF| D

15/2

Resumed winning ways over 28f at Taunton in January and matched the very pick of his form when narrowly denied on reappearance at Cheltenham. Very smart effort required on debut over these fences.

Form: 7/0313-2

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Jett^p⁵²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-11| J: Mr Sam Waley-Cohen⁽³⁾| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 158

28/1

Very smart effort when landing 6-runner Grade 2 chase at Punchestown in October 2019. Couple of heavy defeats this term and this is probably on the limit of his stamina.

Form: 1264-P7

Aso²¹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-8| J: Charlie Deutsch| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 155

14/1

Placed twice in the Ryanair but didn't look the force of old last season. Plugged on for seventh in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham and this the longest trip he's encountered.

Form: 2/3547-7

Ramses De Teillee^t²⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-6| J: T Scudamore| T: D Pipe| OR: 153

13/2

Enhanced good strike rate and better than ever in process when narrowly seeing off Yala Enki at Cheltenham 3 weeks ago. Well held in 2019 Grand National but well worth another go over these fences.

Form: 4110-51

Kimberlite Candy^p³²⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-6| J: R P McLernon| T: T Lacey| OR: 153

14/1

Excellent second in this race (from the foot of the weights) a year ago and responded really well when a wide-margin winner of the Classic Chase at Warwick. Off since but revised mark is justified.

Form: 935P/21-

Minellacelebration⁴¹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-5| J: Benjamin Poste| T: Katy Price| OR: 152| C| D

16/1

Better than ever when getting up in the dying strides to land Summer Cup at Uttoxeter in July and improved again when readily following up in a veterans' event here in October. Clearly thriving.

Form: 6072-11

Walk In The Mill^p³⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 11-2| J: James Best| T: R Walford| OR: 149| CD

5/1

Excels over these fences, winning this the last 2 seasons. Looked rusty on reappearance but this race clearly his target and by no means handicapped out of things in re-fitted cheekpieces.

Form: 34/P12-7

Calett Mad^t⁶⁹³

Age: 8| Weight: 10-9| J: D A Jacob| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 142| D

14/1

Prolific over hurdles in 2017/18 and improved his form over fences the following season as stamina was drawn out, despite failing to add to tally. In good hands but off since January 2019.

Form: 194522/

Smooth Stepper²⁷

Age: 11| Weight: 10-9| J: Harry Bannister| T: A M Hales| OR: 142| D

25/1

Better than ever at the age of 11 when snapping a near 2-year losing run in Grand National Trial over 3½m at Haydock in February. Matched that form on reappearance and step back up in trip will help.

Form: PP/261-5

Le Breuil⁴²

Age: 8| Weight: 10-8| J: Kielan Woods| T: B Pauling| OR: 141

5/1

Smart staying chaser who landed NH Chase at Cheltenham in 2019. Promising first go over these fences when seventh from 9 lb higher in this a year ago and should be spot on with return under his belt.

Form: 1/P750-4

Vieux Lion Rouge^p,t⁴¹

Age: 11| Weight: 10-7| J: C O'Farrell| T: D Pipe| OR: 140| CD

12/1

2016 Becher Chase winner. Cashed in on a falling mark at Chepstow in October 2019, but hasn't come close to that since, albeit he may have needed his reappearance here in October.

Form: 0/1997-5

Joe Farrell⁴¹

Age: 11| Weight: 10-4| J: B S Hughes| T: Miss R Curtis| OR: 137

33/1

Won 2018 Scottish National winner from 2 lb lower. Performed with credit in defeat last term but a brace of heavy defeats upon return in October raise a fair few questions.

Form: P/373-6P

Coo Star Sivola²⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 10-4| J: T J O'Brien| T: Nick Williams| OR: 137

8/1

No stranger to big-field handicap wins having landed the Ultima at Cheltenham in 2018. Struggled for form the following season but shaped with quite a bit of promise on belated return. Interesting.

Form: P837P/5

Calipso Collonges^t³⁵⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 10-0| J: Danny McMenamin⁽³⁾| T: O Murphy| OR: 130

28/1

Just the one win to his name over the larger obstacles and it's hard to make a compelling case for him from 3 lb out of the handicap on return from a year off.

Form: 126/462-

Non-Runners

Give Me A Copper³⁵⁰

Weight: 10-13| Age: 10

T: P F Nicholls J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Le Breuil (5/1), Walk In The Mill (5/1), Ramses De Teillee (13/2), Yala Enki (15/2), Coo Star Sivola (8/1), Give Me A Copper (10/1), Vieux Lion Rouge (12/1), Kimberlite Candy (14/1), Aso (14/1), Calett Mad (14/1), Minellacelebration (16/1), Smooth Stepper (25/1), Calipso Collonges (28/1), Jett (28/1), Joe Farrell (33/1)

LE BREUIL offered plenty to work on at Kelso on reappearance in October and given he shaped well in seventh from 9 lb higher in this a race year ago (during a barren period for the yard) he looks very interesting. Coo Star Sivola isn't an easy one to assess but he's dropped to an appealing mark, while Walk In The Mill demands a mention chasing a third Becher win.