WINNING DOSE

WITH a serious player for next year’s Randox Grand National under his care, Robert Walford now has his eye on further glory at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Walford, successful in last Saturday’s Becher Chase with Walk In the Mill – now a 33-1 chance for the Aintree marathon – saddles Mr Medic in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at the Cotswolds course.

The gelding made an impressive seasonal return at Ascot last month where he slammed Flying Angel.

“Obviously it’s a deeper race than Ascot and we’ll see if he’s good enough,” said Walford, below. “He’s 9lb higher, but it was to be expected given the way he won. “It’s just one of those things and if he’s not good enough, he’s not good enough.

“We can always go back to another handicap around Ascot if it doesn’t work out.”

The improving gelding is a 10-1 chance with Ladbrokes, behind Rather Be, the 4-1 favourite. Baron Alco, 11-2, attempts to join a select list of horses to win the two major handicaps at Cheltenham before Christmas in the same year. Pegwell Bay (1988), Senor El Betrutti (1997) and Exotic Dancer (2006) are the only others to have completed the double.

Gary Moore’s progressive gelding landed the BetVictor Gold Cup last month but has paid the price as he runs off a 6lb higher mark.

Frodon, the two-length runner-up, looks the value bet at 9-1.

Punters have latched on to the Nicky Henderson-trained Rather Be as he was travelling with plenty in hand behind Baro Alco before he was brought down four fences from home.

Henderson also has Casablanca Mix entered for this fiercely competitive handicap.

War Sound has been left in by the in-form Philip Hobbs.

Last year’s winner Guitar Pete is the only runner making the journey from the north for Nicky Richards.