Barry Geraghty
Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: Solness represents value in the Melling Chase
William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty previews Day Two of Aintree’s Grand National Festival.
Aintree, Friday
Wellington Arch won Friday’s opening contest, the William Hill Hurdle (1:45pm), last year and is definitely worth taking note of again. He was a winner at Uttoxeter last time out and before that had run a good race behind Tutti Quanti in the William Hill Hurdle at Newbury. He’s one to be interested in but the horse that caught my eye was TRUSTINTIMES down near the bottom of the weights. He was second to Williethebuilder over two miles at Kempton last time, where he looked to be on the back foot from off the home turn but he kept going well. I’d say the step up in trip to two-and-a-half miles is going to suit him. Some of his form looks solid, having won at Ascot the time before, and he is a winner of three of his four starts over hurdles. I thought he looks a worthwhile each-way play.
The Grade 1 William Hill Mildmay Novices’ Chase (2:20pm) is a really competitive race without there being a superstar in there. Salver put in a good performance when staying on for third behind Kitzbuhel in the Brown Advisory, but I feel three miles around Aintree will be sharp enough for him. I’d rather side with GOLD DANCER on the form of his run when finishing second to Meetmebythesea in the Jack Richards at Cheltenham, when he also had Regent’s Stroll behind him. I think the better ground could be the key to this horse as he seemed to struggle a little bit on testing ground through the winter.
SOBER GLORY looked unlucky in the Supreme at Cheltenham, as he made a bad blunder at the final hurdle. He did look to have a tough race, but if it hasn’t left its mark on him then he should win the Grade 1 Top Novices’ Hurdle (2:55pm). Baron Noir looks his main danger on the Cheltenham form, but if Sober Glory can preproduce anything close to the form of that last run then he will be hard to beat.
Next up is the Grade 1 Melling Chase (3:30pm). I thought Heartwood was very good in the Ryanair at Cheltenham and he could be hard to beat. For me his main danger is SOLNESS, who is available to back at a fancy price. He was well beaten by Majborough in testing conditions in Leopardstown, but prior to that he beat Marine Nationale in December. Marine Nationale did look unlucky there, having made a bad early mistake, but he had Majborough three lengths behind him in third and Found A Fifty 21 lengths behind him in fourth. That shows he’s a proven performer at this level. I don’t see any reason why he won’t get the two-and-a-half-mile trip, especially on better ground that suits him, and I think he offers good value against favourite Heartwood.
In the Topham Handicap Chase (4:05pm), I like WILL THE WISE who finished second to Madara in the Plate at Cheltenham. Madara was very impressive that day, but Will The Wise is eight pounds better off at the weights now. He is still a novice but he looks to be progressing and Gavin’s [Cromwell] horses weren’t in amazing form through the winter, so I think he could well build on his Cheltenham effort.
ZEUS POWER is the one for me in the Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (4:40pm). He was third to King Rasko Grey in the Turners at Cheltenham, staying on strongly from a long way back in the field. Jumping the last he still had plenty of ground to make up but he powered up the Cheltenham hill to be beaten little over three lengths. Coming from the two-mile-five-furlong trip of the Turners is more comparable to three miles around Aintree than that of the marathon that is the Albert Bartlett, and you could also perhaps say this year it was a classier race too. He could have the right blend of speed and stamina for this test.
HARRY LOWES is a horse that interests me a lot in the two-mile conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle (5:15pm). He beat Mighty Park in a point-to-point and has won a couple of times over hurdles this season, despite a slight dip in form over the winter. He looks to me like a horse that could take a big step forward off a workable mark of 124.
