Three miles and half a furlong, with 19 fences to be jumped, is the challenge facing the runners in the first handicap of the festival, the 3rd race on Tuesday. A number of horses may end up running here as a Grand National prep so are perhaps best watched, but a horse needs to see out the trip very well to be winning this and clearly jumping at pace will be required. The event was originally known as the National Hunt Handicap Chase, but its title has included the name of a sponsor from the early 1980s. It was backed by Ritz Club from 1981 until 1996, Astec Buzz Shop in 1997 and William Hill between 1998 and 2010. In 2011 the race was run as the Stewart Family Spinal Research Handicap Chase and sponsored by the Stewart family, headed by businessman and racehorse owner Andy Stewart to raise awareness of, and highlight the work done by, the charity Spinal Research. In 2012 and 2013 the race was sponsored by JLT Specialty Ltd, and in 2014 Baylis & Harding were the sponsors. Since 2015 the race has been sponsored by Ultima Business Solutions. Un Temps Pour Tout became just the third horse to complete the double in 2017, the others being Sentina (1957/8) and Scot Lane (1982/3). Robert "Choc" Thornton and Tom Scudamore are the most successful jockeys with 3 wins apiece and the 2 most successful trainers, long-since retired, are Fred Rimmell and Fulke Walwyn. It is also worth noting that Jonjo O'Neil has trained 3 of the last 10 winners. I’ve listed recent winners below with their BHA rating and it does seem that most years you are looking for something in the 140-150 range (Un Temps Pour Tout's second victory being a standout performance): 2018 Coo Star Sivola 142 2017 Un Temps Pour Tout 155 2016 Un Temps Pour Tout 148 2015 The Druids Nephew 146 2014 Holywell 145 2013 Golden Chieftain 132 2012 Alfie Sherrin 128 2011 Bensalem 143 2010 Chief Dan George 142 2009 Wichita Lineman 142 2008 An Accordion 143 2007 Joes Edge 130 2006 Dun Doire 129 The 2019 renewal has 105 entries and current top weight is Alpha Des Obeaux on 11-12 with a rating of 162. He ran a nice 2nd place in the Bobbyjo Chase, with Rathvinden collaring him late on. I would think he will go straight to the Grand National and miss this, so expect the weights to go up. Next in the weights is The Storyteller but this is just one of five entries he holds at the festival, as well as the Grand National entry. Pretty much anyone's guess which horse will be top weight so better to focus on the betting. Current market leader is Paul Nicholls' Give Me A Copper at around the 6/1 mark. After falling on chase debut he won a match race and then ran a creditable 4th off 11-11 in a class 2 handicap chase at Sandown. He was giving plenty of weight to those in front of him (Classic Ben, Ami Debois and Kimberlite Candy) and it was a very nice performance from a thoroughly unexposed stayer. I just wonder whether his lack of experience might tell in this and at his current price I am happy to pass. We then have any number of experienced, hardened veterans who look like likely winners - Minella Rocco, Mister Whitaker (interesting up in trip and his trainer confirms he will run here, not in the Ryanair), Singlefarmpayment, Tout Est Permis and Mister Malarkey. Expert opinion seems to be that you will need a horse rated at least 137 to get in this year as the quality of the field continues to increase year-on-year.
You have to look a long way down the entries to find horses in the mid to low 140s!! If you took the 150 mark as a boundary you’d need to go down to 29 in the entries, which either means we are going to get a vintage renewal or that many at the top of the handicap will be running elsewhere. I’d guess it’s the latter and I’d suggest we want to be looking at the horses in and around the plotted up Coo Star Sivola in the handicap. The one I’d like to see run in this is Up For Review who looks a proper type for the GN and I think his handicap mark is very fair.
For this I have a bet Coo Star Sivola 33/1 e/w. If I didn't have it long ago agree with you on Up For Review. I'm afraid that I'll be here. I hope not. I have a bet 33/1 e/w for the GN, maybe go straight to Aintree.
