Quickening conditions have led to a raft of non-runners at Aintree, we nominate three runners who should relish the faster ground.
DOUBLE POWERFUL
There's a fair bit of good ground form on offer in the opener but one who will certainly relish the conditions is DOUBLE POWERFUL. Neil Mulholland's charge won a remarkable six consecutive races from March through to November, four of them on good ground (and once on heavy for good measure). He's a remarkable 55 lbs higher in the handicap but has run well in competitive handicaps the last twice and there's enough stamina in his pedigree (dam stoutly bred and Langer Dan and Mr Vango among sires progeny) to hope that he could improve again for this first run over three miles.
CHARLIE UBERALLES
Imperial Saint's two course wins in the autumn both came on good ground but he handled some cut when making it three from three at Aintree with a defeat of Richmond Lake. He hasn't escaped anyone's notice but CHARLIE UBERALLES might have done. Dianne Sayer's charge is at his best on top of the ground, winning three of his nine starts on an official description of good, twice in June and once in September. He's out of the handicap and, perhaps, flying too high in this class but he will relish the conditions and has performed well when racing prominently, tactics which are well suited to this chase track.
THE WALLPARK
Altobelli is worth a mention with two wins and a third from three runs on good but he faces a big task at the weights on this step up in class. THE WALLPARK has already had a couple of runs at this level and that experience should stand him in good stead and he continues to receive favourable mentions from his trainer. Generally progressive, he won on yielding and good to yielding in Ireland before producing a fine performance on good ground at Cheltenham in October when beating Gowel Road in a Pertemps Qualifier. That affinity for underfoot conditions may well help him to bridge the gap on stablemate Teahupoo and Home By The Lee.
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