Saturday racing preview: What the trainers say

2.40 Aintree - BoyleSports Grand Sefton Handicap Chase

Gina Andrews is banking on course experience proving the decisive factor for Latenightpass in the BoyleSports Grand Sefton Handicap Chase at Aintree on Saturday.

Now an 11-year-old and back in the care of Andrews’ husband Tom Ellis after a brief spell with his brother-in-law Dan Skelton, Latenightpass makes his seasonal reappearance over what is arguably his ideal course and distance.

Last seen in the Grand National when he failed to stay the four-and-a-quarter-mile trip, he has made three other appearances over the famous birch fences. He won the 2022 Foxhunters’ having finished second a year earlier and went on to run another brave race in the 2023 edition, when fading into fourth on the run-in.

Ellis and Andrews have dominated the point-to-point circuit in Britain and are now aiming to make their mark against the professionals.

“It’s the first time he’s run in the Grand Sefton but obviously we know he goes well round the course,” said Andrews. “This two-mile-five trip will definitely suit him more than the National trip and we’re really looking forward to running him. He’s had another very small wind op in the off-season, it’s not uncommon and was nothing major.

“As Tom hasn’t always had a full licence, we obviously weren’t able to run him in races like this before. He’s usually been point-to-pointing but now we have a licence, this seemed the obvious thing to do. He’s fully tuned up for this, definitely, and we can’t wait.”

Laura Morgan’s Percussion is another with solid course form having finished second in the corresponding race 12 months ago and third in the Becher Chase a month later, as well as being placed in both races in 2022.

The Venetia Williams-trained Frero Banbou was third last year and is back off a 3lb lower mark, while Harper’s Brook has his first run for Skelton having left Ben Pauling. In-form David Pipe runs King Turgeon, while the sole runner from Ireland is Philip Rothwell’s bottom weight Galon De Vauzelle.

Paul Nicholls is represented by Outlaw Peter, who has Freddie Gingell taking off 3lb.

“He’s a thoroughly likeable individual, one of my favourites and took to fences really well last season,” Nicholls told Betfair. “He goes good fresh and I always thought the Grand Sefton over the National fences would be a race to suit him. He looks to have a nice chance in a competitive renewal and should give Freddie Gingell a great introduction to these fences.”

3.30 Wincanton - 63rd Badger Beer Handicap Chase

Anthony Honeyball runs three in the 63rd Badger Beer Chase at Wincanton on Saturday – but is particularly sweet on the chances of Forward Plan.

Despite new stablemate Lord Baddesley being a shorter price, Honeyball, who won the race 12 months ago with Blackjack Magic, feels Forward Plan gives him his best chance.

After finishing sixth in the corresponding race last year, Forward Plan went on to win a valuable race at Doncaster and the Coral Trophy at Kempton, as well as finishing second in the Great Yorkshire Chase and third at the Grand National meeting.

“I guess Forward Plan is the price he is because of the way he ran in the race last year, which was his worst run last season,” said Honeyball. “Wincanton, however, is not a million miles away from Kempton, where he won his big race, in that it is right-handed and flat. He ran well all last season in high-end handicaps where there is no hiding place and I think he is still nicely handicapped – he is only up 6lb after winning around £130,000 last year, so he can’t be handicapped out of it.

“With Al Dancer declared at the top, he has a lovely racing weight. I wouldn’t really want to swap him, as he has form in these sort of handicaps and the ground is going to be in his favour. I suppose the one question mark is the distance, as it is three miles and a furlong and he is a bit more speed than stamina. It is probably about as far as he wants to go but the ground will help him.

“However, he had a good summer, looks in good order, travels well and I think he has a very good chance. As I said, his one disappointing run last year was in the Badger Beer and you could say he might need a run to get going – time will tell and we’ll find out on Saturday.”

As for his new recruit, Honeyball said: “Lord Baddesley is a horse I liked from afar when he was with Chris (Gordon). He ran well last season but was just getting caught out on his current mark and is slightly in no man’s land.

“He didn’t run too bad when upped in distance behind Forward Plan at Kempton last season. He is a solid horse who generally jumps and travels well, which is important at Wincanton. His stamina is yet to be proven but I am hopeful – I think there will be pace in the race and he can drop in, mind his own business and creep into the race. I’d be hopeful about him running a big race. He will like the ground.”

Honeyball’s third representative is Gustavian, whose best run last year was a third in the Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury.

“Gustavian picked up a lot of prize-money last season and I think he will really come into his own on softer ground over two and a half miles,” added the Dorset handler. “While we are waiting for that, we are coming here as I don’t think he will mind the ground, as he has won over three miles on good ground at Exeter (in February 2023). I think over three miles, he doesn’t need soft ground.

“He is quite a big, burly horse and it wouldn’t shock me if he ran really well, although I’d say he has more of a squeak off of a light weight than a serious chance.”

Joe Tizzard’s The Changing Man and the Neil Mulholland-trained Lord Accord are battling for favouritism, while Paul Nicholls bids for a 12th win in the race with Mofasa.

3.45 Doncaster - Virgin Bet November Handicap

Valvano will try to make up for lost time and end his season on a high note in Saturday’s Virgin Bet November Handicap. Trained by Ralph Beckett, Valvano was a six-length maiden winner last year and finished second to subsequent 2000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes winner Notable Speech on his seasonal bow.

A setback then saw him miss a significant part of the campaign, but his two runs since returning in September have resulted in encouraging third-placed finishes behind horses who have gone on to strike at Listed level.

“We thought he was going to be a very good horse at the start of the year, but he’s had an interrupted season,” said Alex Elliott, racing adviser to owners Valmont. “This is a race we’ve always had in the back of our minds, I think conditions should suit. Stretching him out for the trip should suit him, Hector (Crouch, jockey) thought that the last time, so we’re looking forward to it.

“He’s a Night Of Thunder and they seem to appreciate a bit of juice in the ground, so that should help him. Wee thought he was going to be a better horse than his official mark would suggest, so hopefully he can prove that to be true.”

Beckett has a second runner in Lord Melbourne, due to be ridden by 5lb claimer Jack Doughty, while David Menuisier also has two chances, in the shape of Waxing Gibbous and Master Builder.

Ed Bethell is another double-handed with the hat-trick-seeking Minstrel Knight and Chillingham.

Minstrel Knight was five lengths too good for Filibustering over a mile and three-quarters at Haydock in September and franked that form by again beating the Tim Easterby inmate into second in the William Hill Finale Handicap at York last month. Bethell is expecting a big race from the well-handicapped three-year-old, who is dropping back in trip.

He said: “He’s a progressive horse. He’s done nothing wrong this autumn. We gave him a break mid-summer with this autumn campaign in mind. I think he’s very well weighted off a low weight to run a big race. Whether dropping back to a mile and a half is the right thing I’m not sure, as he’s looked like an out-and-out stayer in the races he’s won recently at Haydock and York, but he goes there in great nick and I’m really looking forward to running him.

“Ending the season on a high with 23 runners is going to be difficult and he’s got Chillingham in there as well, who is not a walkover.”

Chillingham is likewise back in trip after a smart effort when second to the evergreen Not So Sleepy over an extended one mile and five furlongs at Newbury last time out.

Bethell added: “We’ll have to keep our fingers crossed. He ran a blinder (at Newbury) and he ran well for a very long way in the Ebor. He’s been trained for this race and he’s in really good nick. It would be very hard to split the two of them, to be honest, and I wouldn’t want to put my neck on the line to say which one would win, because I think they’ll both go very well, hopefully. We’ll see how they get on on Saturday and then take things from there, but I’d imagine they’ll have a winter off and then come back for next year and there are races in France. The staying programme in France is possibly the strongest, so we might look at that next year.”

Miller Spirit, meanwhile, is on a four-timer for Gary and Josh Moore, following a successful campaign that has included a notable Epsom ‘Derby’ double in the versions for jumps jockeys and apprentices, although he would prefer softer ground on Town Moor.

Josh Moore said: “He’s done remarkably well, he’s won five races this season from good ground to heavy ground. As his mark’s gone up, it’s mostly gone up when it’s been on the heavy ground. That’s probably why it has gone up so much, but he’s become a consistent horse. It’s going to be hard work for him, but he’s in good form. He’s working well, so hopefully he can give a good account of himself.”

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