The David Pipe-trained
Vieux Lion Rouge will bid to create history on Merseyside on Saturday afternoon as he aims to become the first horse to win three renewals of the Becher Chase.
Run over the iconic
Grand National fences, the contest is regularly seen as a perfect trial for the ‘race that stops the nation’ back at
Aintree in April. Two winners of the race have gone on to win the Grand National – Amberleigh House and Silver Birch. Earth Summit won the race in 1998 following his Grand National win the previous April.
Now a 12-year-old Vieux Lion Rouge has is already a dual winner of the contest, one of four horses to achieve the feat along with Into The Red, Hello Bud and Walk In The Mill.
First successful in the contest in 2016, Vieux Lion Rouge was a brilliant winner of the race last year under Conor O’Farrell when rolling back the years to score in fine style. This contest and a slice of history has been the plan ever since and stable jockey Tom Scudamore is set to be on board.
Following his 2020 victory in the Becher Chase, Vieux Lion Rouge went on to finish 10th in the Welsh National and then fell at the 20th fence in this year’s Grand National when still going well. The Sabiango gelding returned to action when seventh at Chepstow in October and should come on plenty for that reappearance.
Vieux Lion Rouge bolted up in last year's Becher Chase
Discussing one of his stable stars, Pipe, who tasted Grand National success with Comply Or Die in 2008, said: “Vieux Lion Rouge had a nice prep at Chepstow – this has been his main aim for the first half of the season. He is still full of beans at home despite being a 12-year-old and as everyone knows he loves it round the Grand National fences.
“He had schooled well over the Grand National fences and he jumps them better than normal fences, but we couldn't have dreamed about what he has done.
“We hope for a clear round and hopefully he has a great run on Saturday. He looked to still be going well when falling in the Grand National last season and it was just an uncharacteristic mistake.
“Vieux Lion Rouge is as well as ever at home and hopefully he can run really well for us. Tom Scudamore will be on board.”
The Nicholashayne handler has three other runners in the Becher Chase headed by Via Dolorosa who was fourth over the Grand National fences in the Grand Sefton on his debut for the yard, whilst Abaya Du Mathan and El Paso Wood will be making their debuts for the yard.
Pipe, in an interview with bettingexpert.com continued: “We have three other runners in the Becher Chase on Saturday. Via Dolorosa ran in the Grand Sefton the other day and ran a really good race.
We’re a bit unsure about this trip but he ran a great race in the Sefton and whoever rides him will be in for a good ride. The other two Abaya Du Mathan and El Paso Wood are running first time out for us and they have decent form in France. They are a bit out of the weights, but they will take their chances.
“You don’t get an easy Becher, every jockey loves riding over those fences and every trainer and owner also gets very excited.
“You just want to get over the first five or six and get a horse into a rhythm then you can think about riding a race with those fences.
“I would like it to be on the slower side, but I’m sure it will be lovely ground for them.”
Mac Tottie primed for Becher Chase
Mac Tottie will aim for a unique double in the Unibet Becher Handicap Chase at
Aintree on Saturday.
Only a handful of races are run over the Grand National fences each season, with three of those at the big meeting in April – meaning options were limited.
That was certainly the case when the Grand Sefton and Becher Chase were held on the same afternoon, as they had been up until this year, but running the Grand Sefton and Aintree’s November meeting means horses can now run in both.
Peter Bowen, who trained Always Waining to win three Topham Chases over the National fences, expects Mac Tottie to be even more suited by the extra distance in the Becher than when he won the Grand Sefton.
Watch how Mac Tottie won the Grand Sefton last time out
He said: “It probably will be harder task and he’s got 7lb more to carry so it will be harder, but I think the trip will suit and he’ll be even better going a bit further. Fingers crossed he should go well.
“We’ve not had many that don’t take to the fences, most of the ones we have run tend to take to them and it’s been a very lucky place for us. He took to them straight away, we didn’t think it would be an issue and it wasn’t.
“The top-weight (Chris’s Dream) staying in has helped, he’s on 10st 6lb so we’re happy, he schooled brilliant yesterday morning and worked well the day before.
“It all depends if he can cope with his handicap mark (142) and handle the step up in trip, I think he will.
“I’m looking forward to it, he’s so fit and well and everything has gone well for him since his last run.”
He added: “Always Waining is still at home, he seems great in himself and you wouldn’t think he was more than a four- or five-year-old.”