Matt Brocklebank previews the Randox Health Topham Chase at Aintree and picks out two Antepost Angle selections.
Recommended bets: Randox Health Topham Chase
THOMAS BROWN has always gone well after a break and looks on a good mark heading into the Randox Health Topham Handicap Chase at Aintree.
He’s one of two interesting potential Harry Fry-trained runners, the other being Henryville, and both have their quirks, but it’s the year-younger Thomas Brown who seems to have more in his favour and gets the nod at a general 20/1.
Fry has made no secret over the regard in which he holds the gelding since his early days and while a high-profile race such as the Topham remains a glaring omission from his resume, he’s been anything but a disappointment with two bumpers, two hurdles and three chase victories under his belt.
His most recent success here in November was an important one for several reasons. Not only was it his third straight seasonal debut victory and confirmation that he enjoys a flat, left-handed circuit, but it was his first career win in a handicap.
He was strongly fancied for last year’s BetBright Chase at Kempton, and was also punted in top handicaps at Cheltenham and Aintree’s principal spring meetings, only to come up short on each occasion.
It was the same story when joint-favourite in Cheltenham’s Caspian Caviar Gold Cup this term, while he finished last of the seven finishers back there on New Year’s Day when last seen in public.
However, the undulations of Prestbury Park have never seemed to help Thomas Brown, who likes to get into a rhythm at, or near to, the head affairs and those tactics are generally far better suited to Aintree, where he ran well for a long way despite not being able to dominate over the regulation fences here 12 months ago.
Now rated 140, he’s still 1lb higher than for that fourth behind Maggio but the big difference this time is that he comes back to Aintree freshened up following a 96-day layoff, while it’s hoped the course win at the start of the current campaign (off 137) has finally provided the necessary confidence to a horse who has promised so much.
It would be no surprise to see Trainers’ Championship challengers Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson throw the kitchen sink at a race worth over £67,000 to the winner and each has several strong contenders at this stage.
The one with most potential to improve on what we’ve seen so far is the Henderson-trained GOLD PRESENT, who jumps for fun and came close to landing the Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase.
He’s gone up 5lb and Cheltenham was obviously a well-hatched plan but the same trainer’s Ma Filleule – one of three recent Topham winners for Henderson – defied a similar rise after running well a couple of weeks earlier and it’s hard to argue Gold Present’s best chasing days aren't ahead of him.
His second to Frodon in the Grade Two Pendil Novices’ Chase at Kempton in February reads well and he’d surely have gone close to winning there had he not hung and jumped left up the straight. His three career victories have all come on left-handed circuits and he obviously appreciated going anti-clockwise last time.
While Thomas Brown would prefer some juice underfoot, and the forecast is looking favourable in that regard, Gold Present has been kept away from the worst of the winter ground and should be right at home this time of the year being a son of Presenting.
The Close Brothers form has yet to be tested but looks sure to work out with winner Tulley East having been tried in Grade One company and the six-year-old Gold Present is well worth including in the staking plan.
Posted at 1730 BST on 27/03/17.
