2015 Aintree 3 mile handicap hurdle

[Guest]

FORM	HORSE	AGE	WGT	TRAINER RTF%	JOCKEY	OR	TS	RPR
2696-2	Alaivan60	9		Jonjo O´Neill		132	62	131
13312	Alternatif42	5		David Pipe		132	110	134
16P6P	American Spin62	11		Luke Dace		131	55	66
4315P	Apache Jack29	7		Ms Sandra Hughes		—	73	141
412135	Aqalim28	5		John Ferguson		135	127	135
13P227	Bear´s Affair29	9		Nicky Henderson		151	125	154
973596	Bell Weir54	7		Dianne Sayer		118	91	126
41-136	Brother Brian28	7		Hughie Morrison		144	133	148
1-1514	Buywise28	8		Evan Williams		140	86	132
714110	Bygones Sovereign28	9		David Pipe		137	117	137
21-411	Call The Cops28	6		Nicky Henderson		145	138	145
4-2U50	Clondaw Kaempfer29	7		Donald McCain		145	114	145
2250/3	Crack Away Jack34	11		Emma Lavelle		135	110	124
224110	Dawalan28	5		Nicky Henderson		150	127	150
411-13	Dawn Commander165	8		Stuart Edmunds		142	90	139
32-040	Edeymi28	7		A J Martin		—	94	137
2F432	Fairytale Theatre33	8		Dan Skelton		130	96	129
21-310	Forthefunofit27	6		Jonjo O´Neill		133	84	131
66-351	Golden Milan14	7		Rebecca Curtis		123	40	118
6B6112	Greybougg11	6		Nigel Hawke		128	79	131
F-2206	Hammersly Lake29	7		Nicky Henderson		143	108	145
P2F/21	I Shot The Sheriff23	8		A J Martin		—	97	135
807118	Join The Clan28	6		Jonjo O´Neill		139	121	141
80661	Katgary14	5		Paul Nicholls		137	114	139
15P20	Katkeau28	8		David Pipe		137	109	136
18-P24	Kayf Moss46	7		John Flint		143	105	144
P-11FU	Kaysersberg98	8		Warren Greatrex		142	112	141
1-4349	Lac Fontana29	6		Paul Nicholls		149	104	149
95134	Land Of Vic54	7		Peter Bowen		142	117	142
F1-737	Le Mercurey27	5		Paul Nicholls		143	113	141
151340	Marinero29	6		A J Martin		—	100	138
305411	Master Malt32	7		Jonjo O´Neill		136	124	138
P-8241	Milan Bound50	7		Jonjo O´Neill		132	126	132
551123	Mydor26	5		A J Martin		—	118	135
8403P-	Native Gallery439	10		Ben De Haan		132	—	—
421124	Parish Business117	7		Emma Lavelle		138	111	134
8-5361	Rally20	6		Nigel Twiston-Davies		124	112	126
84017	Regal Encore28	7		Anthony Honeyball		137	123	132
317811	Rolling Maul10	7		Peter Bowen		130	77	137
2U3322	Serienschock34	7		David Pipe		140	131	138
41110	Shanroe Santos27	6		Lucy Wadham		135	73	130
8-1850	Spirit Of Shankly28	7		Charlie Longsdon		136	100	139
211144	Taglietelle29	6		Gordon Elliott		—	85	145
212133	The Tourard Man28	9		Alan King		139	132	139
11-115	Ulzana´s Raid98	6		Alan King		147	108	147
4/1512	Unique De Cotte28	7		David Pipe		141	133	140
26-322	Western Jo19	7		Philip Hobbs		131	124	133
P-11P0	What A Warrior30	8		Dan Skelton		134	-1	—
1514P2	Wicked Spice26	6		Nicky Richards		125	101	125
216441	Wizards Bridge24	6		Colin Tizzard		123	118	123
4-2232	Yala Enki26	5		Venetia Williams		128	64	125
11133	Zeroeshadesofgrey75	6		Neil King		141	116	141

[Yeehaa]

aintree pertemps
Six of the last nine runnings have gone the way of a novice so, in common with the 2m4f handicap at this fixture, this race has proved a happy hunting ground for first-season hurdlers. The four successful novices who won between 2006 and 2009 were all were stepping up in trip. The best novice guide has been the EBF Final at Sandown, a novice handicap that always contains a clutch of highly promising looking chasers in the making and provided the winner three years running from 2007 and 2009 plus last year’s winner, Doctor Harper.

Fourteen of the 27 winners ran at the Cheltenham Festival and this is effectively the Aintree equivalent race of the Pertemps Network Final (minus the 20 qualifying races) so it is no surprise to see that handicap at Cheltenham have a bearing with six winners here having run in that Final since 1988. Five of the last seven winners of that Final also lined up here with Cape Tribulation completing the double in 2012 but only one other winner of the Final has placed since Freetown in 2002. It is worth noting that although the Pertemps Final is the more valuable of the two races, that contest only has Listed status whereas this race was raised to Grade 3 level in 2010 so it should theoretically be the stronger of the two handicaps.

Six of the last nine runnings have gone the way of a novice so this race has proved a happy hunting ground for first-season hurdlers.

Only five of the 27 winners had been successful last time out but that includes four of the last ten. Prior to Battle Group’s win two years ago, the previous nine winners all arrived here with a win earlier in the season behind them as had 18 in all. Only one of the last 17 winners had not run at least four times earlier in the season. As many as ten winners had run over fences earlier in the season, three of which on their last start. That’s a pretty good strike rate in 26 years, especially given how well novice hurdlers have performed as, generally speaking, very few of those will have been chasing at some point in their career.

Eight of the last 11 winners were officially rated in the very narrow band of between 128 and 131 inclusive. This is a better race than it used to be so this trend may become less relevant. There were no qualifiers in 2009 and just one each in 2011 and 2012 for example. Just two five-year-olds have won in 26 runnings. The only five-year-olds to win this handicap were Escartefigue (who was better at Aintree than anywhere else) and Time For Rupert and both went on to make top-notch chasers.

Jonjo O'Neill is best known for his stayers and he has won this race four times in the last 13 years, twice with novices, so it is surprising that he has ran just one horse in the last four years. The Irish have won this handicap just twice, and not since Ross Moff in 2002. Mouse Morris saddled the first Irish winner, What A Question, and has had three others placed, but hasn't had a runner in any of the last ten years.

Three successive favourites obliged before Time For Rupert won at 50/1, the race's biggest-priced winner, and it was the gambled-on Battle Group that gave favourites another victory two years ago, albeit the co-favourite of three at 8/1 leading home another co-favourite in second. Three favourites went in during the 1990s and six in total have finished second so it has been relatively punter friendly given how competitive it is.

http://www.attheraces.com/national/article.aspx?hlid=552563&raceid=866998&day=1

[mayo]

two fancies

Hammersly Lake - BJGs blog and his earlier faith and Master Malt. Jonjo has good record and gets in near bottom of weights.

[MrMcGoldrick]

Oh yes there is a thread, just posted elsewhere that I quite fancy Lac Fontana to run well in this with the boy Bowen in great form for Paul Nicholls lately and available at 16/1 with quarter odds first 4

[mayo]

Oh yes there is a thread, just posted elsewhere that I quite fancy Lac Fontana to run well in this with the boy Bowen in great form for Paul Nicholls lately and available at 16/1 with quarter odds first 4

some value options away from the g1s.

That 5lbs claim is valuable.

[MrMcGoldrick]

some value options away from the g1s.

That 5lbs claim is valuable.

Absolutely, I reckon Sean Bowen is a match for anyone at the moment, the 5lbs claim is a huge bonus

[Faugheen_Machine]

Gordon Elliott's for me. He travelled brilliantly in the coral cup and the step up in trip should be ideal.

[Old Vic]

Gordon Elliott's for me. He travelled brilliantly in the coral cup and the step up in trip should be ideal.

Well done FM

[loveracing]

Gordon Elliott's for me. He travelled brilliantly in the coral cup and the step up in trip should be ideal.

Well done FM.

[Faugheen_Machine]

Thanks - a great ride by PC.

[Morning Glory]

Thanks - a great ride by PC.

It was. I was on Master Malt. Carbs would have won on him too.