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The Grand National isn’t an easy race to bet on at the best of times. With the handicappers pulling out all the stops and a generally level field in terms of talent, Aintree’s big race sometimes seems only one step removed from a lottery.
To complicate matters it appears as if the 2008 Grand National will serve up one of the most competitive fields in the event’s history. With Bewley’s Berry, Mr. Pointment, Butler’s Cabin and Simon all looking like genuine contenders for the race, punters around the world are resigning themselves to picking names out of a hat.
Enter the Becher Chase. Named in honour of the Grand National’s pond-diving jockey, the Becher Chase showcases the talents of some of the finest Grand National runners in November every year. In many ways this race is the test run for the Grand National.
A touch over a mile short of the Grand National distance, the Becher Chase gives horses the chance to take on the Grand National circuit at Aintree. It therefore pays to take note of performances in the race, particularly given that 2003 Becher Chase winner Amberleigh House went on to win the 2004 Grand National.
The 2007 Becher Chase saw Bewley’s Berry enter the starting gates as 11/2 joint favourite. However the day belonged to Mr. Pointment, who took an early lead that he never conceded, holding Bewley’s Berry in second place for the duration of the race to claim the winner’s share of the £100,000 pot.
Bewley’s Berry’s owner Howard Johnson pinned his horse’s substandard performance at Aintree on a dead turf and the horse’s fall at the 2007 Grand National. Nevertheless he believes Bewley’s Berry is still firmly in the running, and will rest the horse until his big day in April.
With Mr Pointment likely to attract special attention from the Grand National handicapper after his Becher Chase win, Johnson’s optimism may be justified – weights could well give Bewley’s Berry the edge come Grand National day. Interestingly neither third placed Pack Jak or fourth placed Le Duc have been confirmed as runners for the Grand National.
If you’re wondering what Butler’s Cabin has been up to, the answer is that he recently raced as favourite at the Quality House Builders Chase at Leicester. He achieved third place in the race, a decent result given that the race at Leicester was his first since his win at Fairyhouse in April 2007. Race winner and recent convert to chases, Jack the Giant, looks like an interesting Grand National prospect – provided he is able to make it onto the runners lists by April.
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