April is that the month when the turf Flat season starts to hit full stride and for many punters the fixture that lights the blue bit paper is that the Craven meeting at Newmarket in the center of the month.
Before sampling the breezy delights of Newmarket’s Rowley Mile course, but, there’s the small matter of the ever-expanding Grand National meeting at Aintree that begins with a cracking card on April 6.
In recent times Aintree’s prestigious 3-day meeting has begun to rival Cheltenham’s somewhat bloated four-day fixture for thrills and spills, and there’s little doubt {that the} highlight of the Merseyside racing calendar offers three days of top-class racing culminating within the running of the world’s most famous race on the final day.
As racecourses go, Cheltenham and Aintree are chalk and cheese: where the previous is twisty and undulating with a punishing uphill end, the latter is long and flat and primarily sharp in nature, and given the 2 contrasting course configurations it takes a sensible horse to win a race at the Cheltenham Competition and then do the same at Aintree.
Exactly a year ago at Aintree that’s precisely what Fota Island managed to try and do when adding the John Smith’s Red Rum Handicap Chase to the Grand Annual Chase that he had won in such superb fashion at Cheltenham just over 2 and a [*fr1] week’s previously.
Not surprisingly there can be masses of horses from this year’s Grand Annual that can be seeking compensation on Merseyside together with Andreas, an early casualty within the Grand Annual when a well backed favourite and Green Tango, who made strong late headway in the same race despite seeming unsuited to Cheltenham. Aintree’s flatter track ought to suit.
Within the Betfair Bowl Chase on the opening day, Cheltenham also-rans boast a healthy record and Gold Cup failures Monkerhostin and Beef Or Salmon may well be among those bidding to banish the blues of a poor Festival run, whereas the versatile Impek, a runner-up in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Competition, could compete and is already a winner over slightly shorter on this sharp course earlier within the season.
In the large juvenile event, the John Smith’s Anniversary four-Y-O Hurdle, several key players from Cheltenham’s Triumph Hurdle seem doubtless to work as well as Fair Along, the Triumph Hurdle runner-up, who {has already} won a race over course and distance, together with Afsoun, who was underneath the weather in the Triumph, and rates a sturdy fancy.
On the second day – April 7 – the massive race is that the John Smith’s Melling Chase, and since its inception in 1989 this race’s roll-call of winners has featured the prime chasers in coaching, who have successfully stepped up in trip once excelling at their specialist distance of two miles.
Remittance Man, Viking Flagship, Katabatic, Martha’s Son and Moscow Flyer are simply a handful of past 2-mile champions who have added this valuable prize when being crowned 2-mile champions with a victory within the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Newmill, this year’s shock Queen Mother hero, won’t be running at Aintree however Kauto Star and Dempsey could line-up for this prize. The previous, who was a warm favorite for the Queen Mother, fell early in that race bringing down the well supported Dempsey. If they need recovered from their tumbles, they should go shut, whereas Irish raider and course winner Fota Island will be a doubtless contender too.
The distinctive Grand National fences come back into play for the John Smith’s and Spar Topham Chase on the second day, and sound-jumping and well-seasoned campaigners do well in this hurly-burly contest, while in the John Smith’s Mildmay Chase it pays to appear for a fresh horse that hasn’t endured the rigours of running in Cheltenham’s Royal & SunAlliance Chase, a race that tends to spoil their probabilities at Aintree.
Grand National day features the massive race itself that stands alone as the foremost betting race of the year. The 2006 contest is dominated by Clan Royal, a runner-up in 2004 and last year’s simple winner, Hedgehunter. Since the course was modernised in the early nineties and therefore the fences made easier and therefore the landing sides raised, the stylish and higher horses have come to fore and dominated the event. Indeed, the National currently has the look of just another long-distance steeplechase however one with masses of history attached.
All eyes will be upon the fillies within the Shadwell Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes on the second day of Newmarket’s Craven meeting on April 19, however sadly in recent years this race has provided few serious pointers towards the 1,000 Guineas, while additional Classic clues could be on supply in the Craven Stakes for colts on April 20, the meeting’s final day. In 2004 the Barry Hills-trained Haafhd became the primary colt since Tirol in 1990 to complete the Craven-2,000 Guineas double.
The hunt for Classic pointers switches to Newbury on April twenty two when the Lane Finish Greenham Stakes takes place over 7f. In recent seasons Turtle Island, Celtic Swing and Victory Note have all landed Classics when scoring here and backers should pay this race lots of respect within the colts’ Classic reckoning.
The Spring Cup Handicap at Newbury on April twenty two is another race price a second glance. Horses that have run well in the William Hill Lincoln throughout the previous month have an glorious record here, and any that come from Redcar following a outstanding showing in the primary big Flat handicap will surely warrant shut consideration.
At Ayr on the identical day there’s the Scottish Grand National to whet the appetite. One thing’s for certain which’s any horse that has run in the Aintree Grand National must be avoided as such runners have an appalling record in the Scottish equivalent.
In 2004 Northern-trained Ryalux recorded a standard success and if the bottom turns soft at the West of Scotland track masses of oldsters will be rooting for one more northern runner in Ossmoses, a strapping grey and stout stayer who all but landed the Midlands National over the same marathon go to vacation at Uttoxeter last month.
Twelve months ago trainer Paul Nicholls failed by a whisker to win this race with Cornish Rebel and the same trainer’s gently-raced Ladalko has been kept fresh for this valuable prize. The Nicholls yard could additionally run Desert Quest, the County Hurdle winner, in the Scottish Champion Hurdle whereas Monet’s Garden, a runner-up in the Arkle Trophy Chase, bids to land a three-mile novices’ event at Ayr.
The curtain comes down on April’s busy and varied month with the mixed jumps and Flat card at Sandown on April 29. The Betfred Gold Cup is that the jump season’s final huge handicap and fancied runners from the Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson stables ought to be noted. The latter nearly landed this prize and a valuable bonus a year ago with Juveigneur and he might well become a heavy candidate again.
Paul Nicholls ought to additionally be the trainer to look at within the Betfred Celebration Chase, with either Kauto Star or Andreas, 2 of the stable’s crack team of two-mile chasers, doubtless to land the honours. On the Flat the Betfred.com Mile Stakes is that the highlight, and horses that ran well in Newmarket’s Earl of Sefton Stakes earlier within the month hold a smart record in this Cluster Two contest.
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