Bumper Entries Chase Record Prize-Money At Aintree

Aintree´s six-race North West Masters card on Sunday, November 20, has attracted a strong entry at the five-day stage, with 35 possibles for the feature event, the totesport Becher Chase, run over three miles and three furlongs of the Grand National course and worth a record £100,000 this year.

In all, 128 horses have been declared for the six races, with 30 possible runners for the totepool Grand Sefton Handicap Chase, which also offers record prize-money this term of £60,000.

The prestigious totesport Becher Chase has attracted two previous winners of the John Smith´s Grand National in the shapes of 2002 victor Bindaree and 2004 hero Amberleigh House, also a winner of this contest in 2001 and runner-up in both 2002 and 2003.

Last season´s John Smith´s Grand National runner-up Royal Auclair and fourth-placed It Takes Time are possible starters along with other usual suspects such as Le Coudray, First Gold, Forest Gunner, Strong Resolve and Iris Bleu.

Nil Desperandum, one of 10 Irish entries, is bidding to enhance his reputation around the big fences ahead of a second attempt at the John Smith´s Grand National next spring.

The eight-year-old was a high-class novice, winning the Grade One Drinmore Novices´ Chase at Fairyhouse in November 2003 before slightly losing his way.

Trainer Frances Crowley, who gave her charge a spin on the flat and over hurdles last month reported: 'The plan is to run. He has had two runs this year and that should leave him right.

'I hope those runs have freshened him up. He´s very well in himself and he´s in great form.'

The gelding put up a fine debut effort over the big fences when sixth to Hedgehunter in last season´s John Smith´s Grand National.

The Curragh handler commented: 'I was delighted with his run in the National. He made one small mistake at Becher´s Brook second time but other than that he was pretty good.

'We´ll see how he gets on this Sunday but the plan would be to go for the Grand National again.' The £60,000 totepool Grand Sefton Handicap Chase is part of a strong supporting card and the two mile, five and a half furlong contest has 30 entires at the five day stage.

Cassia Heights, winner of the John Smith´s Topham Trophy over the course and distance in 2004 heads into the race in good heart, with trainer Steve Brookshaw hopeful of a bold show. Brookshaw revealed: 'We tried to run him at Aintree last spring but couldn´t get in the handicap so it has been the plan all season to go for this race.'

The 10-year-old ran seventh to the re-opposing Il´Athou at Haydock earlier this month and the Shropshire handler believes that the gelding will have come on for that outing.

He said: 'He had a nice run out at Haydock a few weeks ago so hopefully that will put him right for Sunday.

'The drier the better for us. Good to soft will be fine but if it stays dry all week it could even get better.

'He should have a fairly light weight, which will help him, and, touch wood, he jumps well enough round there so I´m as confident as I can be.'

Simon Sherwood, trainer of Il´Athou, conqueror of Cassia Heights at Haydock, would prefer soft ground for his charge.

The nine-year-old relished the soft going when running out a half-length winner of that two and a half mile contest on November 3.

Sherwood said: 'He´s very well and it´s certainly a possibility that he´ll go but we haven´t made a firm decision yet. It really depends on the ground because he needs it as wet as possible, and obviously we´ll have to take a look at the opposition.

'He did really well last time. He´s a horse that is always best when fresh. He likes big fences and being able to get his own way, so I´ll need to do some homework to see if he´s likely to be taken on or not.'

Il´Athou finished 14th behind Cassia Heights in the 2004 Topham Trophy on his only previous attempt at the Grand National course but the quick ground that day counted against him.

The Herefordshire trainer commented: 'He wants it no faster than soft. He´d have to have genuine soft in the ground. Soft or heavy would be perfect.

'He´ll go there or to Newbury but Joe Tizzard is quite keen that he should run at Aintree.'

Nicky Richards is happy with his exciting novice chaser Monet´s Garden who is among 17 entires for the £15,000 Intersky Novices´ Chase over two miles.

The seven-year-old, a classy winner of the Grade Two John Smith´s and Batleys Liverpool Hurdle at the Aintree Festival last term, won on his chasing debut at Ayr last month.

The Greystoke trainer said: 'We´ll look at the opposition and the ground before making a decision.

'Fitness-wise, he has come on for his last run and he is in grand fettle.'

Monet´s Garden could face any one of the Howard Johnson trio of Kasthari, Bewley´s Berry and Astronomic, while Paul Nicholls´ Cerium could also line up.

Aintree Clerk of the Course Andrew Tulloch anticipates an exciting weekend of racing and is hopeful that the going on both the Mildmay and Grand National courses will be ideal.

He reported: 'We´re very happy at the moment. It depends what this week brings but I think that we´ll have perfect jumping ground on Sunday.

'We´ve had a fairly dry weekend with only about two or three millimetres of rain. It´s currently good to soft, soft in places.

'The forecast is for possible rain tonight and if that happens then it will go back to being just on the easy side. After that we´re hopefully looking at a predominantly dry week but once temperatures start dropping it won´t dry a lot.

'We should be looking at good to soft, soft in places on the day, depending on what happens this week.'

The North West Masters is an innovative new two-day festival of racing staged at Haydock Park and Aintree on Saturday and Sunday, November 19 and 20 and promises to provide a feast of high-quality action with 14 races worth a combined total of over £500,000 spread throughout the weekend.

Haydock stages the initial day of the North West Masters on Saturday, November 19, and the thrilling feature is the new £150,000 Betfair Chase.

The three-mile Betfair Chase is also the initial leg of the Betfair Million, the first £1-million bonus in jump racing, which also involves winning the Stan James King George VI Chase at Sandown on December 26 and the totesport Gold Cup at Cheltenham on March 17.

Haydock also stages the most valuable three-mile handicap hurdle run in Britain, the £70,000 betfairpoker.com Handicap Hurdle, on the same seven-race card.

Aintree the next day, Sunday, November 20, has another fabulous set of races, headed by the £100,000 totesport Becher Chase and the £60,000 totepool Grand Sefton Chase, both of which take place over the world famous Grand National fences and are being staged on the same day for the first time. Thanks to the support of the tote, both races have gone up significantly in value, with the totesport Becher Chase, run over three miles and three furlongs, rising by £25,000 and the extended two mile, five furlong totepool Grand Sefton Chase getting a £10,000 boost.