20:20 Aintree

Friday 18 May 2018

All17:3518:0518:4019:1019:4520:2020:50

Smarkets Handicap Chase

Off time: 20:21 | Winning time: 6m 27.10s

1^st

Virgilio

911-12

2/1f

T: D SkeltonJ: Harry Skelton

2nd or 3rd, led after 2 out, stayed on, driven out op 5/2

2^nd

Winter Lion

810-7

11/4

T: F O'BrienJ: P J Brennan

2nd or 3rd until 14th, rallied 3 out, chased winner when mistake last, stayed on op 3/1

3^rd

Monbeg River

911-1

16/1

T: M TodhunterJ: Henry Brooke

Led, ridden and headed after 2 out, 3rd and one pace from last op 12/1 tchd 11/1

4^th

Another Hero

911-3

11/4

T: J & A O'NeillJ: B J Geraghty

Held up in 4th, closed 14th, mistake 3 out, outpaced next, weakened before last tchd 5/2

5^th

2 ¼

Knockgraffon

811-9

8/1

T: O MurphyJ: B S Hughes

Held up well in rear, headway from 15th, mistake 3 out, weakening when mistake 2 out op 13/2

Also Ran

Colms Dream

911-1

16/1

T: K ThorntonJ: J J Burke

Held up, took keen hold, headway 12th, mistake 14th, struggling 4 out, well beaten next, pulled up before 2 out

Bearly Legal

1210-3

20/1

T: K ThorntonJ: Sam Twiston-Davies

Jumped right, held up, slow and dropped to last 7th, not fluent 9th, jumped badly right and well beaten 15th, pulled up before 3 out

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Non-Runners

Ballyalton³⁵

Weight: 11-5| Age: 11

T: Ian Williams J: T J O'Brien

Betting Breakdown

Tote Win:£2.50Pl:£1.70, £1.80EX:£7.40Trifecta:£77.10Tricast:£64.35SF:£8.33Swingers:£5.10, £0.00, £2.60

Forecasts

Virgilio (2/1), Winter Lion (11/4), Another Hero (11/4), Ballyalton (10/3), Knockgraffon (8/1), Monbeg River (16/1), Colms Dream (16/1), Bearly Legal (20/1)

Another Hero ran well on his return at Cheltenham last time out and should go well even though he's gone up a fair bit in the weights, but BALLYALTON is surely capable of winning another race, having gone a couple of years since last getting his head in front. His effort at the Cheltenham Festival two starts ago in particular would give him an excellent chance of going very well off the same mark. If none the worse for falling in the Grand National last time out, Virgilio is another with claims.

Ballyalton
Another Hero
Virgilio

Previous Winners

2017

Virgilio

Weight: 11-12 |Age: 8

J: Harry Skelton | T: D Skelton

9/4

Prize Money

1st: £15,475.002nd: £4,595.003rd: £2,298.004th: £1,145.005th: £575.006th: £290.007th: £145.008th: £70.00