BECHER 'CHASE.

The race is next Saturday and the winner usually holds a
prominent position in the Grand National betting as a
result, yet the people who run racing have not given out the entries, why are these useless people so tardy?

ballyvesey looks worth an interest 66/1-finished 5th and 4th last two years.

Alfie sherin looks interesting,  this is either a prep 4 the big 1 in april were he will finish 4th or 5th or o,neil will let the handbrake off if the money is down an it will win comftable

Fabalu the interesting one for me.

Do we know which of the Irish horses will come over? Would like Alfie Sherrin if trained by anyone else but can see Jonjo just asking for a nice ride before aiming for the National

i like alfie sherrin as a national horse on good to soft at worst think w e r will win again on soft

Has to be West End Rocker.

yes looks a good bet for me hosed up last year in heavy only 5lb higher

AINTREE RACECOURSE MEDIA RELEASE

for immediate release, Tuesday, December 4, 2012

SAINT ARE MAY BID TO CONTINUE EXCELLENT AINTREE RECORD IN BETFRED BECHER HANDICAP CHASE

Saint Are could make a quick return to action in the £110,000 Betfred Becher Handicap Chase at Aintree this Saturday, December 8, after coming down at the fifth fence in last Saturday's Hennessy Gold Cup.

The Tim Vaughan-trained six-year-old has a tremendous record at Aintree and is among 23 entries for the three and a quarter mile contest over the famous Grand National fences.

The Network gelding, a 12/1 chance with race sponsor Betfred, won the Grade One Sefton Novices' Hurdle at Aintree's Grand National Meeting in April, 2011, and followed up at the same fixture last season in the Listed John Smith's Handicap Chase, both over three miles and a furlong of the Mildmay Course.

The Listed John Smith's Handicap Chase is a good pointer to the John Smith's Grand National, with 2006 scorer State Of Play going on to make the frame in three John Smith's Grand Nationals (2009, 2010 and 2011) and 2010 John Smith's Grand National hero Don't Push It winning the race in 2009.

Vaughan said: "Saint Are has come out of the Hennessy absolutely fine. We are going to school him on Wednesday morning and Thursday morning to see how he jumps and, if that goes well, we will definitely give the Betfred Becher Handicap Chase serious consideration.

"It was very frustrating on Saturday because everything had gone really well in the build up to the Hennessy and we were anticipating a big run from him. It was a soft fall as he just nudged the top of the fence but couldn't get his legs out.

"He jumped brilliantly at Aintree last season and after that Dougie (Costello) said we should look at the Grand National with him because he will jump around there all day long. Dougie was bemused why he fell on Saturday as he said he is normally so nimble and careful but it's just one of those things.

"We might need to give him a couple more runs for experience before we look at a race like the Grand National but it's one day at a time and we are grateful he has come back in one piece."

Other notable entries for the Betfred Becher Handicap Chase include 2011 John Smith's Grand National hero Ballabriggs, last year's impressive winner West End Rocker, the 8/1 joint-favourite with Betfredand Alfie Sherrin, who won the Grade Three JLT Specialty Handicap Chase at last season's Cheltenham Festival. The other 8/1 joint-favourite is the Paul Nicholls-trained Join Together, who was confirmed as a likely runner yesterday by the champion trainer.

Betfred Becher Handicap Chase, Betfred Bet: 8/1 (from 9/1) West End Rocker, Join Together, 9/1 Alfie Sherrin, Ballabriggs, Problema Tic, 10/1 Planet Of Sound, 12/1 Any Currency, Big Fella Thanks, Saint Are, 14/1 Swing Bill, 16/1 Fabalu, Hello Bud, Midnight Haze, Mumbles Head, 20 bar 1/4 1-2-3-4


Aintree's seven-race card on Saturday, December 8, also features the £60,000 Betfred 'Goals Galore' Grand Sefton Handicap Chase over two miles, five and a half furlongs. Also run over the Grand National fences, it has attracted 24 entries including 2011 Grade One Betfred Bowl winner Nacarat, classy performer Calgary Bay and two Paddy Power Gold Cup winners in Little Josh and Irish raider Tranquil Sea.

GOING

Following 12 millimetres of rain in the last 36 hours,the going at Aintree is now:

National Course - Soft, Heavy at Canal Turn

Mildmay & Hurdle Courses - Good to Soft, Soft in places

Tomorrow is forecast to be dry with sunny spells while there is predicted to be up to another six millimetres of rain on Thursday.

The forecast for Friday and Saturday is for dry and bright conditions.

Andrew Tulloch, Aintree's Clerk of the Course and Director of Racing, said today: "With the recent rain, the ground is heavy from the Canal Turn down to Valentine's but overall I am delighted with the condition of the course."

West End Rocker Shocker
R Thornton 0/13
W Hutchinson 4/7

Would also question them expecting "another 6 mill of rain expected thursday", would be very surprised if this isnt at least double that amount..

Planet of Sound ran and jumped really well in the National for along way. Would like to see him prominent and in a nice rhythm.
Has a touch of class and I reckon he can close, and not dismissing Swing Bill either

planet of sound wasnt declared mate...

I'm trying to find something to put me off Big Fella Thanks in this.  He clearly relishes the course, having jumped round the National three times and, seemingly, only been done for stamina at the end of that extended trip.  It's a mile and a quarter shorter in the Becher...

7/1 IN COMPLIANCE, FROM 14/1, WITH HILLS TODAY

Do like Ballabriggs here:

April may seemingly be his aim but he's rising 12 now and I reckon he'll be primed to the eyeballs for one last hurrah.

Certain stayer, ground no bother

yep

Big Fella thanks interests me too. A little worried about his stanima on this ground given he finished tired when hammered by Carruthers in similar conditions over shorter. If it was better ground I would be all over him.

West End Rocker does look solid, Also think Hello Bud has place claims even if he is out of the handicap.

Agree with armpits about Big Fella Thanks. However the long layoff is putting me off him at such a short price in a competitive race as this. Therefore from the punting angle I will be going in with Any Currency ew. He will stay for the trip and importantly he's never fallen or unseated before and is a solid jumper. He's run in a lot of top class competitive chases and I'm sure he can at least run in to a place off a nice low weight.

Also if Swing Bill drifted like a barge tomorow to 25/1+ I'd be interested ew too. He jumped pretty well in the national last year and only a bad error cost him a chance of a place. However he was running on late in the day as I remember and with a clear round of jumping on drying ground he could be in the frame.

Problema Tic will take all the beating!

had a tenner on problema tic, he traveled very strongly for a long way at cheltenham a few weeks back, i think the combination of soft ground and carrying a big weight stopped him in his tracks when they hit the hill

if he takes to the fences he has a big chance off 10st 12lbs.

What an absolute shocking display from WER - surely too bad to be true ? Horse not right ?

without a doubt facts, beaten after 4 fences, everything in it's favour today, something amiss...

choc now 0/13 on the horse.

No shocks with WER performance surely. Previous 7 outings have been PU, BD, PU, 1, F, PU 3. Whats the shock about today.

^ That he won the race last year in the same ground conditions.
Was obviously fancied ( i.e Fav) to win this today !! I'd suggest far better was therefore expected today. Hence the 'shock ' Not that difficult to comprehend surely ?



Good point yeast

Not sure at your dismay tbh facts. As Billy has pointed out, the horse is not consistent at all and after the way he worked himself up at the start of the national (and not getting further than 2 fences) anyone taking the 5/1 on him would be a braver man than me. Never a safe option, and after a couple of times over the aintree fences thats enough for some horses (would put ballanbriggs in that catogory too) and it seems that enough is now enough for West End Rocker.

After talking up both Swing Bill and Any Currency, I decided to go with my brain and not my heart so backed Any Currency. In all fairness, I stand by the decision in hindsight and Any Currency was jumping very well and looked booked for a place at least until unseating at the canal turn. He will be a VERY interesting runner come April if connections can protect his rating and get him in off a nice low weight.

Swing Bill, a great round of jumping by the proven stayer. I would much rather of backed him at 20/1 today than West End Rocker at 5/1 because he has a pretty straight forward attitude. He isn't the best horse in the field or the best handicapped but you know what you are going to get from him. Well done to connections. Would be nice to see him get another tilt at the national and who knows, could maybe run in to some minor place money in that too...

Of the other runners, I can't see any of them troubling the rostrum come the national. The only horse from today I would take would be Any Currency who by and large jumped the fences superbly. Even after he unseated Aidan, he jumped with enthusiasm with the rest of the pack and did not hit one fence. I will probably get a small antepost bet on Any Currency now!

Not difficult to comprehend if you back horses by following bookmakers odds which is a one way street to the Poor House. But impossible to comprehend if you actually watch racing and study form with your own eyes. The ony shock here is that a man of your experience got shocked and sucked in.

Took 10/1 AP about WER( I never 'follow money') - and as I back only in Hcaps with proven course winners - I just expected a better show than this. I was wrong.

Peace. For what its worth my distrust of WER was based on a fair old AP punt on him in the National last year straight after his Bechers win.......so emotions may still be a bit raw. which I guess means our judgement aint that far apart !!!

Facts ........I just spotted this on the Grand National 2013 thread. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr..........drives you bonkers doesnt it.

BJG     01 May 12 10:41 
Alan King has vowed not to run West End Rocker over the Grand National fences again after the Becher Chase winner failed to end the season on a high at Sandown.
The 10-year-old was pulled up in the bet365 Gold Cup on Saturday, two weeks after he fell at the second fence in the John Smith's Grand National.

"Aintree had clearly left its mark, and Wayne (Hutchinson) said that the horse did not even want to go down to the start at Sandown," the Barbury Castle trainer told www.alankingracing.co.uk.

"Granted, he won a Becher Chase over the big fences, but you never know how much running in a National has taken out of a horse until you roll the dice again.

"We live and learn at this game, and one thing is certain and that is that 'Rocker' will not be going anywhere near Aintree again.

"He will have a good summer off, and there are plenty of other good staying chases around for him. He loves Newbury and Warwick and seems to perform best on left-handed flat tracks."

What ? Alan King states this in May - and then runs him at Aintree anyway. !! I don't trust this guy. There have been many times when I've backed his horses( often AP)only for him to withdraw them, or - if they run -  give an excuse as to why they ran badly.

Thank for this info. HB.Might just post it to AK - and ask for explanation!

Ended up backing WER and didn't touch Hello Bud not even to place :-( Ah hindsight is a wonderful thing but Hello Bud always been the more consistent of the two and had only dropped in weight due to age.

Bad luck GCW

Posted that above ^^^ about not runnin at Aintree ever again and still backed WER too oh well, didnt expect him to run that fkin bad!

I've e mailed Alan King - still awaiting a response.