With racing set to continue behind closed doors the Jumps season moves on to Warwick and Market Rasen on Saturday with the former’s McCoy Contractors Civil Engineering Classic Handicap Chase over three miles and five furlongs a recognised Randox Health Grand National trial.
Alan King, who has a fine record in this race, has Notanotherchance, a Bangor winner over three miles in November, entered. Unsurprisingly he heads the market and normal improvement for his first run of the season should mean the 7lbs rise for that victory is no impediment to his chances.
The third home in that race filled the runner-up berth in Saturday’s Coral Welsh National and there’s very little not to like. The trainer had always thought he needed better ground but his form on the current soft going is in the book and he shaped like he’d have little difficulty with the extra distance he’ll encounter here last time. However he’s favourite at around 6/1 and I’m not sure he’ll be much shorter on the day.
The other horse at the top of the market is Kerry Lee’s fast-improving dual Cheltenham winner Storm Control, a solid jumping front-runner who won his last race from just a five pounds lower mark in December when idling on the run in but rallying once the runner up got to his girths.
There were only three finishers in that race which is sandwiched between the Ladbrokes Trophy and Welsh National and may not have been the strongest contest but he should enjoy this test and the five fences down the back straight will play to his strengths at this course.
Nearly Perfect is an improving seven-year-old from the shrewd Neil King operation who do particularly well at Warwick. However he is up significantly in grade and eight pounds higher than for the last of his two wins at Wincanton so has to improve quite significantly to feature here.
A horse who always appears well in but rarely wins is Le Breuil and he disappointed me again at Aintree last time behind Vieux Lion Rouge in the Becher. Fifth last year and eight pounds lower here, he has every chance from a handicapping perspective but the question remains about whether he will deliver when asked.
It seems like Walk In The Mill is having his Aintree prep here after falling at The Chair in his bid for a hat-trick of Becher wins last time and, while I expect a decent run, the trainer will surely have left a bit to work on with April in mind while The Hollow Ginge followed up his excellent Ladbrokes Trophy fourth to Cloth Cap with a less than convincing display in the Welsh National on Saturday before eventually falling.
