Last year’s Grand National winner Many Clouds returns to Aintree for his seasonal reappearance in this Listed three-mile chase – but this slick-jumping nine-year-old isn’t the same horse first time out and isn’t an appealing bet.
At 4/1 and behind MINELLA ROCCO in the betting, I reckon the market has this one right.
The 5/2 about Minella Rocco, trained by Jonjo O’Neil, looks worth taking after he’s had a decent comeback run at Cheltenham, when third in a handicap under a big weight, as he stayed on strongly and can only improve.
There’s a theory that the National Hunt Chase at the Festival last season was a stronger race than the RSA Chase, and he won it from subsequent Hennessy Gold Cup and Grade 1 winner Native River.
That looks like proper form and you’ve got to fancy his chances.
His tricky trainer does have a habit of leaving something off his horses for future targets, but this guy looks like a Grade 1 horse and I’d expect more of those, rather than handicaps, featuring in his future plans.
Irish Cavalier will also run well – he beat the mighty Cue Card when in receipt of race fitness and 10lb at Wetherby earlier in the season, and will like the current decent ground.
He’s been aggressively campaigned of late so I’m avoiding.
Paul Nicholls runs Le Mercurey, who has been warmly backed for this at 11/2.
Against such stout stayers I’d be concerned about his stamina, and he’s been well beaten when upped in class in the past; this looks tough for him.
Nicky Henderson runs Cocktails At Dawn, but he’ll have to defy known form to figure.
1pt win Minella Rocco @5/2, 14:40 Aintree, Saturday
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