Races over the National fences are always contests to savour. We’ve analysed the runners in this year’s Becher Chase alongside William Hill’s new customer offer of Bet £10 Get £50 in Free Bets
BECHER CHASE
History
On the introduction of a second meeting over the Grand National fences, the Becher Chase was first run in 1992 and swiftly established itself as a de facto trial for the big race itself.
Two winners of this race have gone on to win the Grand National thereafter, although neither did it in the same season. Indeed both Amberleigh House (Becher 2001, National 2004) and Silver Birch (Becher 2004, National 2007) took a couple of years before winning over the famous fences again. Earth Summit also won both races in reverse, winning the 1998 editions of both, with the National earlier in the year.
Although Silver Birch is the most recent horse to do the double, Black Apalachi, Oscar Time, Blaklion and Walk In The Mill have all placed, while Hello Bud and Vieux Lion Rouge have narrowly missed out on the top four, the latter going off favourite for the 2017 Grand National.
Therefore the race still serves as an excellent indicator for potential Grand National performance and course specialists excel in this event. Vieux Lion Rouge is one of three horses to win this race twice, all of whom having done so since 2010. Never fear either if your selection is nearing the end of their career: 11 winners have been aged 10 or older since the Becher Chase’s inception.
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This year’s field
Vieux Lion Rouge is back once again, as are fellow course winners Hogan’s Height and Mac Tottie. David Pipe’s phenomenal 12-year-old is 5lbs higher than when a wide-margin winner of this a year ago, but having completed 244 fences of the National course without mishap, he finally came a cropper in this year’s big race.
The other two aforementioned could hardly be more different; Hogan’s Height has totally lost his form since winning the 2019 Grand Sefton, while Mac Tottie arrives having won this year’s renewal after it was moved to November. The latter could well thrive over this extra distance and is progressive for the Bowens.
There is a particularly notable Irish contingent in this year’s race, headed by top-weight Chris’s Dream. He is a fascinating runner off a mark of 162, which makes him the highest-rated runner in the race since Scotton Banks ran off 165 25 years ago. Rarely does a horse with that much class run here and he was still in contention in the National in April before unseating four from home.
The 11-year-old Ravenhill has shown precious little form since winning the 2020 National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, but Tout Est Permis and Snow Falcon might both give decent accounts for Noel Meade having run credibly on their separate reappearances.
Course form is a significant plus for Kimberlite Candy, second in the last two runnings of this, including off 3lbs higher, but it is in other staying chases that other principles have made their mark. Snow Leopardess is just 5lbs higher than when a cosy winner on her return and she was fourth in this year’s National Hunt Chase. Meanwhile, Mighty Thunder was enormously progressive over four miles in extreme marathons, winning the Scottish National to conclude last season. He might not be done improving.
It is very possible that Achille will run well after a break as he has before, while Lord Du Mesnil is finally running in a race over the National fences with suitable conditions. Didero Vallis is very in and out, but would be dangerous on a going day.
Meanwhile, other fascinating entrants all hail from David Pipe’s yard. Via Dolorosa, Abaya Du Mathan and El Paso Wood all transferred to Pipe from Arnaud Chaille-Chaille’s yard in France. They are all significantly out the weights here, but the first-named was fourth on his first effort for his new yard in the Grand Sefton. That flag-bearing effort was respectable and all will be worth keeping an eye on here.
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Big Race Verdict
It’s good to see a bumper turnout, boosted by a useful irish contingent. Chris’s Dream can make a good fist of this off top-weight, but MIGHTY THUNDER has endless bags of stamina and might not be done improving just yet. He was set a massive task in the Charlie Hall on his reappearance, but he’s only 6lbs higher than for winning the Scottish Grand National and though this may be shorter in distance, it’s just as taxing on stamina. This is much harder than the race Snow Leopardess took on her return, but she’s unexposed in this company and also improving, while Kimberlite Candy, Lord Du Mesnil and Tout Est Permis are others worthy of the shortlist.