Races
GRAND SEFTON HANDICAP CHASE: December feature brought forward a month
The pre-Christmas Grand Sefton event will now be hosted in November, Aintree confirms
Aintree’s Grand Sefton Handicap Chase has been moved to November and will no longer coincide with the Becher Chase on the same day, Sulekha Varma has confirmed.
The two-and-a-half-mile contest originally took place in December but has been brought forward to give the course’s November card a feature event.
Track clerk Varma told the Sporting Life: “By moving the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase forward a month to the November meeting there are now three fixtures a year where the Grand National fences are utilised, with the Becher Handicap Chase following at the December meeting and then the three contests at Randox Grand National Festival in April.
“We felt that the November meeting at Aintree lacked a highlight and this move should hopefully give it a boost. It always feels extra special at our fixtures when the famous Grand National fences are in use and it is exciting that the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase will now have its own billing.
“By having the opportunity to run a horse over the Grand National fences at a different time of year, we also hoping that moving the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase forward a month will assist trainers in their planning for the Randox Grand National Festival.”
