There's ITV racing from Aintree and Wincanton on Sunday and our form expert has a couple of selections for the action.
Torn looks Sunday best
A bonus ITV1 card on Sunday with the Virgin Bet Old Roan Limited Handicap Chase at Aintree taking centre stage.
It has to be said, this has cut up disappointingly and this five-runner field will do well to match the memories of previous renewals, while Ahoy Senor’s presence forces a couple of rivals out of the weights.
It’s six years since Paul Nicholls last won this race, but he looks to have an excellent chance this time around with Stage Star, who goes well fresh and arrives here on the back of wind surgery.
He looks more of a Cheltenham horse than an Aintree one, though, and I’d rather have a go at some of the supporting races on ITV.
The best bet of the day looks to be TORN AND FRAYED in the Virgin Bet Vieux Lion Rouge Veterans’ Handicap Chase in the race after the Old Roan at Aintree.
Copperhead is the one on a roll here, but this is his toughest recent task up another 5lb in better company and Torn And Frayed could be too well handicapped to be denied.
The handicapper has done Nigel Twiston-Davies a turn by dropping him 5lb in one go and that means Torn And Frayed enters the veterans’ arena 5lb lower than his last winning mark.
I’m not sure the deep midwinter slogs in veteran chases will suit Torn And Frayed, so Twiston-Davies will likely have targeted an early race like this on better ground and his yard have begun the jumps season proper in typically red-hot form.
The 3m1f trip is a question mark, but his two-and-a-half mile pace could be a vital asset in against some of the sloggers and while this looks like a stepping stone for most of the field it could be Torn And Frayed’s cup final.
The Verdict: Back TORN AND FRAYED in the 2.25 Aintree
Aba can be a smash hit at Wincanton
There are a couple of races from Wincanton on ITV as well and in an open-looking My Pension Expert Handicap Chase over the extended 3m2f another veteran, DEISE ABA, could be worth chancing at big odds.
He used to sport the colours of the late Trevor Hemmings when trained by Philip Hobbs, but he’s with Alexandra Dunn in a new set of silks now and he’s a strong stayer who’s interesting off a reduced mark following a spell point-to-pointing and hunter chasing.
A new environment and a headgear switch to blinkers seems to have revitalised him late in his career and he jumped with enthusiasm when he beat What A Glance giving him half a stone at Stratford in a hunter chase back in April.
That was a good effort considering what the runner-up did when winning hunter chases at Cheltenham and Stratford subsequently, and he’s interesting on his stable debut for Dunn.
The Somerset handler has started the season in good form, winning handicap chases with Instant Gambler at 25/1 (has won three more races since) and Nevendon at 16/1, so she’s got recent previous of springing a surprise against the odds.
The Verdict: Back DEISA ABA in the 3.15 Wincanton
Preview posted at 1550 BST on 26/10/24
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