IROKO IS READY TO STEAL SHOW
1:45 Aintree - Huyton Asphalt Mildmay Novices Chase (Grade 1) 3m210y
IROKO impressed me and many others when a facile winner on his chase debut at Warwick but was then announced to have picked up an injury which would end his season.
In the end he was back in time to run in the Turners at Cheltenham but shaped as if the run would bring him on, and he makes more appeal with that under his belt.
A winner of the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham last year, he ran a cracker upped to 3m in Grade 1 company here subsequently, and jumped like an old hand at Warwick. The return to this trip will suit and he’s open to plenty of improvement.
2:55 AINTREE - TOP NOVICES’ HURDLE (GRADE 1) 2M103Y
GORDON Elliott eased fears about his stable form with a win from Gerri Colombe yesterday and I put FIREFOX in the notebook as an unlucky loser in the Supreme, where I thought he travelled best before going for a run on the wrong part of the track and meeting trouble as Mystical Power made his move out wide.
He was beaten 3½ lengths by that rival at the finish, so has a bit to do, but I believe that a clear run would have made a big difference at Cheltenham and am happy to back him at the current odds.
3:30 AINTREE - MY PENSION EXPERT MELLING CHASE (GRADE 1) 2M3F200Y
PROTEKTORAT (NAP) was a revelation dropping back to 2½m in the Ryanair and, while he stays 3m just as well, I believe the key to him is having pace to run at, and he had looked unsuited by being forced to make the running earlier this
BACK ON TRACK: Iroko’s return from injury under Jonjo O’Neill was a boost season. This is a slightly sharper test, but he has shown a liking for this track in the past, with two wins here over fences including the Manifesto over C&D as a novice.
The danger on paper is the ultra-consistent Pic d’Orhy, who won this last year and missed Cheltenham again to be kept fresh for this.
His preferred style is to go from the front and that will suit the selection ideally.
4:05 AINTREE - RANDOX TOPHAM HANDICAP CHASE 2M5F19Y
MY original fancy Lounge Lizard is out here and I thought about switching to Festival Plate winner Shakem Up’arry, who is sure to be suited by the track, but if you fancy Ben Pauling’s chaser, then there is a strong case to be made also for FRERO BANBOU, who was second to that horse at Cheltenham in January and is able to meet his old rival with a whopping 18lb turnaround at the weights.
I’m not a massive fan of Frero Banbou as a rule, as he rarely gets his head in front, but he has the right run-style for this race, is a very sound jumper and has been given every chance by the handicapper, who has eased him 9lb for his last three runs.
Two of those were disappointing, but came at a time when the Venetia Williams runners were struggling as a cohort, and he shaped as if back in form when beaten seven lengths into sixth in the Festival Plate won by Shakem Up’arry.
Once again, he impressed with his jumping on the front end at Cheltenham before fading up the hill.
It’s worth harking back to the Grand Sefton over this C&D in November, where Frero
Banbou threatened on the run in before finishing a creditable third to Gesskille, and he’s able to race off a 2lb higher mark here, making his chance clear for all to see.