Melling Chase Tips Day 2 of the Aintree Festival takes place on Friday and there are no fewer than four Grade 1 races to look forward to across what is an excellent seven-race card. The Melling Chase is the highlight of the day and it should be a cracker. Run over 2m4f, this Grade 1 chase has an illustrious roll of honour and has been won by the likes of Moscow Flyer, Master Minded and Sprinter Sacre over the years. Veterans haven’t fared so well in recent times, with the last horse to win at a double-figure age being the great Moscow Flyer in 2005. A small but select field of four has been declared for the race this year and our expert has picked out their strongest fancy and a next best to follow. Claim the bet365 Free Bet Offer for the Melling Chase: Runners and odds: Jonbon @ 8/15 with bet365 El Fabiolo @ 7/2 with bet365 Protektorat @ 11/2 with bet365 Matata @ 25/1 with bet365 Selection: Jonbon @ 8/15 with bet365 Next Best: Protektorat @ 11/2 with bet365 Odds courtesy of bet365 and correct at the time of publishing This major prize could go to the home team Whilst it’s slightly disappointing that we only have a field of four, every runner has some sort of chance and it should be an interesting race from a tactical point of view. Willie Mullins runs EL FABIOLO, who hasn’t been in the best of form so far this season. If anyone can get him back to his brilliant best, it is the great Mullins and El Fabiolo destroyed Jonbon in the Arkle two seasons ago. Much of his best form is on softer ground but he did bolt up on good to yielding at the Punchestown Festival after winning the Arkle. MATATA is a consistent performer over trips at around two miles and clearly has the most to find on all known form. Trying 2m4f for the first time, it’s quite possible that the new trip can facilitate improvement but it seems unlikely that Nigel Twiston-Davies’ seven-year-old will finish higher than third. Jonbon can redeem himself Nicky Henderson’s JONBON has looked better than ever for most of the season and he was a dominant winner of the Tingle Creek at Sandown in December, a race which he has landed twice now. Winner of 16 of his 20 starts, Cheltenham remains the only track he has ever lost at. Jonbon is a perfect three-from-three at Aintree, winning a Grade 1 novice hurdle, as well as the Maghull as a novice chaser and this very race last season. This year’s renewal is arguably an easier race as well, suggesting he’s very much the one they all have to beat. Plenty went wrong in the Champion Chase last time, there was an issue with the starting tape and a bad mistake effectively ended his chances of winning. He has always given the impression that he wants further than two miles, so he should bounce back over 2m4f this time around. Course and distance winner Protektorat should go close PROTEKTORAT would probably be a shorter price if conditions were a little on the slower side, but he did win a Grade 1 on good to soft over course and distance as a novice chaser. Once a major Gold Cup contender, it quickly became clear that he’s a two-and-a-half-mile specialist. Often putting his best foot forward in the spring, it’s noted that he absolutely bolted up at Windsor in January and the runner-up went on to win the Denman Chase. He was a little too keen behind Fact To File in the Ryanair but losing to him is no disgrace. Dan Skelton’s 10-year-old finished a fair third behind Jonbon in this race last year and looks well set to chase home that rival once again. There are question marks surrounding the two other runners and this rock-solid performer can pick up the pieces if Jonbon fails to fire.
