2023 Becher Handicap Chase Tips

There’s a big field set to line up in the BoyleSports Becher Handicap Chase, with Corach Rambler returning to Aintree Racecourse where the horse previously won the Grand National in April. The big race will once again be the target for the Lucinda Russell-trained runner who has enjoyed outings at Kelso and Haydock most recently.

Ashtown Lad was pulled up in the Topham Chase at Aintree last April and the same outcome happened in a handicap chase at Wincanton Racecourse in November, with the horse having won the Becher Handicap Chase last year when obliging as a 5/1 shot and it will be interesting to see if the same runner can produce the goods for two years running.

Coko Beach is a quality horse who is saddled with plenty of weight, with the eight-year-old having produced a strong performance to record a win at Navan last time out. Sent off at odds of 20/1, the charge was able to overcome favourite Limerick Lace although the horse was pulled up in the Grand National.

Fantastic Lady finished fifth out of ten runners in a recent Aintree outing and there was plenty to like about her performance in the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase. Percussion was able to finish second in the same race and only finished two lengths behind eventual winner Gesskille, with two lengths separating the first two home.

2022 Becher Chase Tips

Captain Kangaroo had been a fairly underwhelming performer until his past couple of races, with the horse finishing second behind True Faith at Gowran Park over three miles and one furlong. It was even better from the seven-year-old when scoring in the Paddy Power Cork Grand National Handicap Chase over three miles and four furlongs.

A repeat performance in the Becher Handicap Chase should see the Willie Mullins-trained runner go close, with Defi Bleu and Recite A Prayer following him home. Gesskille is an interesting runner who was schooled in France and the way in which the horse came from the rear in the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase to finish second on 5 November was impressive.

Snow Leopardess was last year’s winner and can’t be discounted from returning to Aintree and winning again. Ashtown Lad has also run at this racecourse, with finishing third in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle on 5 November when acquitting himself well against Remastered and Milan Bridge.

Hill Sixteen and Lifetime Ambition are also reasonable each-way selections, with the former finishing third in a recent handicap chase at Kelso Racecourse, while the latter was actually sent off as the 7/2 favourite when racing against Geskille at Aintree. Make sure you look out for extra places if you are betting on the horse racing odds here.

2021 Becher Chase Betting Tips

The 2021 Becher Chase looks to be a typically open affair, with a big field of runners set to line up at Aintree Racecourse in a bid to secure a victory over three miles and two furlongs. This is a Grade 3 Chase and it very much comes down to which horse has the best stamina considering that the ground can often be testing.

Watch out for the best bookmaker offers when it comes to the Becher Chase. You might often find that you can get extra places for a race such as this one and it’s certainly popular from an each-way perspective. You also need to bear in mind that it’s a handicap race and it could often be worth seeking out a runner from near the bottom of the order.

Mac Tottie and Chris’s Dream Among Becher Chase Market Leaders

While it’s hard to predict the winner of the Becher Chase, there is plenty to recommend Mac Tottie who could run prominently throughout this three mile two furlong contest. The eight-year-old was the 20/1 winner of the Betway Grand Sefton Handicap Chase, with James Bowen giving this horse an excellent spin.

It will clearly be an advantage that the horse has already run so gallantly at Aintree, with the runner having also impressed at Ayr in the Novices’ Handicap Chase back in April, while there was also a victory at Newbury.

However, there are lots of lively contenders and that includes Chris’s Dream who retains the confidence of trainer Henry de Bromhead. The horse ran in the 2021 Grand National and unseated his rider when travelling in fourth place during that particular contest, with the runner having previously been pulled up in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Who Are the Other 2021 Becher Chase Contenders?

Every horse is currently trading at a double figure price for the 2021 Becher Chase and that means that punters can get some each-way value if their horse finishes in the frame. Escaria Ten hasn’t run for the best part of a year, although Gordon Elliott’s runner finished third in the National Hunt Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival and that was over three miles and six furlongs.

Mighty Thunder is also an interesting runner for trainer Lucinda Russell, with Tom Scudamore having ridden this horse to a victory in the Scottish Grand National, with the horse having previously finished second in the Midlands Grand National and therefore merits respect for a race such as this one.

Kimberlite Candy and Walk In The Mill Favourites to Win

Kimberlite Candy could be a star of the future, with the eight-year-old having finished second in this race last year and that is a great marker for how the horse can perform in this clash, with the runner not seen since winning a Grade 3 encounter at Warwick Racecourse and it will be interesting to see how the horse comes back after such a long lay-off.

Walk In The Mill has been seen at a racecourse more recently, with the Robert Walford trained charge having needed a seasonal reappearance when finishing seventh in the Sodexo Gold Cup Handicap Chase and he outran his odds of 50/1.

The horse did win the Becher Chase a year ago and clearly has excellent credentials over this course and distance as a result, with the horse also going well at Chepstow in a Novices’ Hurdle in January.

Ramses De Teillee could come into this race after a success at the Cheltenham November meeting and the same can be said for Yala Enki who was second in the same race, although both horses are also on the Welsh Grand National shortlist, so it will be interesting to see which way these horses go.

The History of the Becher Handicap Chase

The Becher Chase is a relatively new horse race having been established in 1992, with this race ushering in a brand new meeting at Aintree Racecourse considering that it had previously just been known for the Grand National Festival.

The Becher Chase is named after Becher’s Brook, one of the most difficult obstacles at Aintree Racecourse and the jump itself was named after Captain Becher. This is a race that gives early Grand National contenders a chance to compete over the same obstacles and course that they will find at April later in the National Hunt season.

Amberleigh House and Silver Birch are among the horses that have gone from the Becher Chase victory to landing the spoils in the Grand National, with Into The Red, Hello Bud and Walk In the Mill the three horses that have landed a victory on two occasions.