EVENING RACING: Early Lookahead | Aintree Preview

An interesting field could take to Friday’s Watch On Racing TV Handicap Chase feature at Aintree’s Evening Racing card this weekend.

The Liverpool track hosts action for the first time since the memorable events of the 2021 Grand National Festival, when Rachael Blackmore made history in National Hunt’s biggest race in becoming the first female rider to pass the post first aboard Minella Times.

Following Monday’s news of further coronavirus restrictions easing, it is hoped that this pre-weekend’s fixture will be the last at Aintree without a crowd of any form, with the next meeting taking place on Friday 11th June.

On the course, an interesting list of entries make up the field for the 7:00pm Watch on Racing TV Handicap Chase, with Staffordshire Plate third and three-time course winner Minellecelebration at the head of the weights for Katy Price.

Nigel Twiston-Davies’s Ballymoy has shaped a different proposition over fences and is chasing a hat-trick here, while Kim Muir sixth Go Another One bids for a twelfth career success for John McConnell.

The Wolf won on debut as a novice chaser at Chepstow and despite some iffy efforts since, he bounced back to form when second at Perth last time out, with Tom Lacey’s Johnbb also an intriguing potential contender following his second in a Grade 3 here last month.

In the opener, Equus Dancer remains with an entry put recorded success at Ffos Las for Peter Bowen on Monday so is unlikely to appear here with that engagement, so perhaps Copper Coin is one to watch closely should he be declared.

Michael Scudamore’s charge has won his only two starts so far in 2021 and finished fourth in a maiden here in 2019.

Onagatheringstorm shaped a nice prospect for Fergal O’Brien at Warwick last time out and is undoubtedly a player should he feature, as is the Nicky Henderson trained Cascova who scored with ease at Ascot in March and that form has been franked since.

Dr. Richard Newland’s Captain Tom Cat has long been a chaser in the making and could make his first start over the larger obstacles in the racingtv.com Handicap Chase after his creditable third at Cheltenham last month.

Recent Listed heroine Bannixtown Glory is an eyecatching entry in the Follow RacingTV On Twitter Handicap Hurdle for Donald McCain Jr, where she could oppose the unexposed Lecale’s Article who has some strong form to his name despite disappointing at Sandown recently.

In the Goffs UK Spring Sale P2P Bumper Standard National Hunt Flat Race, the curtain closer, a few debutants may be set to make their first appearance under rules but Crews Pitch had the benefit of an outing at Exeter three weeks ago and could go one better.