Architect Tips has previewed the Becher Chase 2021 and has one ante-post tip for consideration.
Becher Chase 2021 - Winner
Architect Tips writes daily racing tips for oddschecker and is 156.3pts in profit for 2021. Read his tips on our website or app.
Becher Chase 2021 Tips: Ante-Post Preview
Sandown might be the centre stage next Saturday with the feature race of the day being the Tingle Creek Chase but one of the most animated betting markets for one certain race of the whole weekend undoubtedly comes at Aintree - the Becher Handicap Chase. Now seems the right time and ideal opportunity to potentially steal a bit of each-way value with a couple of selections before the market is reformed upon final declarations in the next week, where we expect prices may become thinner.
The Grade Three contest is run over the same fences as Aintree’s most famous race of them all, the Grand National and is often recognised as an early-season trial for the Grand National itself. The race is often used by connections to experiment with their horses and those who do take to the course, tend to come back for the main event in April. The roll of honour, in its own right, has produced two future Grand National winners in the shape of Silver Birch and Amberleigh House who took well to the course over the years. The part of the puzzle will be to filter out those whose primary objective is to get round the course and have an eye on the main event later into the season. In this case, proven course specialists are more often than not there or thereabouts so don’t be surprised to see some familiar faces feature again in this year’s line-up who will be popular picks for some punters.
That list will include the David Pipe-trained Vieux Lion Rouge, who rolled back the years to claim his second title two years ago and currently holds the record for jumping the most fences of this course. The 12-year-old will, however, need to defy 10st 9lb alongside his veteran status to rewrite the history books. He’s currently a 20/1 chance to win it for a monumental third time. Kimberlite Candy has plenty of form and has proved on multiple occasions he can negotiate his way around the National fences after two runner-up finishes over the unique obstacles in the last two renewals of this event. He has been allocated 11st to carry this time around, the same as Scottish Grand National winner Mighty Thunder, who gets his first taste of this endeavour for trainer Lucinda Russell, who saddled One For Arthur in this race prior to winning the world's greatest steeplechase with him in 2017. He has a chance but his new career-high mark may thwart him, though, the eight-year-old made his seasonal return when fourth to Fusil Raffles in the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby at the end of last month and that run should have put him spot-on for the Becher Chase, for which he is currently a best-price 12/1.
Irish raider Chris's Dream heads the weights off 11st 12lb and could bid to provide Henry de Bromhead with further wealth on British soil, who’s fresh off the back of Betfair Chase success, courtesy of A Plus Yard’s heroic efforts last week. Chris’s Dream, however, would be only the second 160-plus rated horse to compete in the event and, although there have been positive comments made about his participation, he’d need an almighty performance to defy his mark. One thing he does have in his favour, though, is a good record fresh which has yielded a wide-margin win in the Troytown and a good second in the Grade One Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal in October last year. In the last ten editions of the Becher Chase itself, all of the ten winners had at least one previous win over three miles so proven stamina over further is not a bad trait to have around here, while nine of them had a preparatory run so fitness is another key part in the strategy of potentially finding the winner, too.
Bear in mind, favourites don’t have a great record in this, with only two winning favourites from the last ten renewals and nine of the last ten winners were aged nine or older so the older brigade tends to hold the edge over the younger generation. If Gordon Elliott’s early-favourite Escaria Ten is to take up this option, he’d have most of these statistics to overcome and seems pretty short in a race that historically is incredibly competitive as this with no preparation run, nor did he manage to complete when last spotted, either. Trainers Paul Nicholls and Nigel Twiston-Davies have the best records in this race as both have secured the race three times, with the former relying on his sole representative at this stage, Highland Hunter, who was last seen running well to finish fifth in the Midlands Grand National. He’s open to further improvement, jumps well, gets in here off a low weight of 10st 9lbs and is of some interest.
Nigel is likely to be double-handed with Badger Beers winner Rocco and subsequent Grade 3 winner Checkitout who have each-way possibilities if taking to the course. The other one who merits a second look, despite not seeing him since finishing down the field in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, is Elegant Escape. This former Welsh National winner has always been touted as a future Grand National player but hasn’t had the opportunity to do that yet. The nine-year-old was limited to just two starts last year but finds himself only five-pound higher than when claiming the Welsh spoils three years ago and he could go well at double-figure digits. Blaklion, now trained by Dan Skelton, is another former winner of that event and enjoys the Aintree challenge. The veteran was the first home of the British when sixth in the Grand National in April and warmed up for this with an eye-catching fifth on seasonal debut at Bangor. He shouldn’t be underestimated and makes a bit of appeal despite his age, while last year’s third Le Breuil, former and current Grand Sefton Chase winner, Hogan’s Height and Mac Tottie alongside Alan King’s Potterman are others to feature among the entries at this early stage.
A more appealing betting proposition, from an each-way point of view, looks to be the Philip Kirby-trained TOP VILLE BEN (best price 25-1) who certainly has plenty of smart form in his back catalogue and could be a serious force if taking to the task ahead. His trainer previously expressed that this would be the ten-year-old’s main target following his seasonal reappearance in the Charlie Hall Chase in which he shaped well for a long way and is expected to leave that run behind. His main asset is his ability to jump with pinpoint accuracy and his best efforts to date have been characterised by his prominent-style of racing, so there’s reason for optimism about him taking to these fences, especially if let-loose on the front-end.
It is mildly surprising to find him available at double-figure odds to me given the fact he ticks a lot of main trends for this race besides having his first examination of these obstacles and is rated 150 who has been allotted a good racing weight of 11st. His sole start on the Merseyside saw him finish an excellent third in the Grade 1 Betway Mildmay Novices' Chase and his dominant display in the Grade Three Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase, his last victory, still lingers in the mind, where he produced some spectacular leaps on the way round to coast home by eight-lengths. I get the impression he’s the sort of horse who will be supported in the market and, knowing that this assignment has been the pinnacle of a long-term plan by connections, backing him each-way with most firms offering four places on oddschecker makes plenty of appeal as it wouldn’t come as a shock if he were to outrun his current double-figure odds.
