Old Roan Chase: runner-by-runner guide and tip

The return of Jump racing at Cheltenham is swiftly followed by some cracking action at Aintree on Sunday, with the feature race being the Jewson Fast Set Finish Old Roan Limited Handicap Chase.

Whisper it quietly, but no horse has had a fall in this Grade Two contest since 2010, although several have managed to part company with their riders in other ways.

My Drogo makes a welcome return to action after a lengthy absence, while Hitman seeks to go one better than last year. Here’s a guide to all the runners. Odds correct at the time of publishing (Friday afternoon). Latest odds, click here.

Timeform rating: 169. Best odds: 7-1.

Seems to have been around for a good while but, at 7, he’s still the joint-youngest in this line-up. He was finishing placed in a Grade One contest for the fourth time when third in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, having begun the campaign by being touched off in this race off a rating of 159. Resumes off a mark of 158 and, given his positive record when fresh, another bold bid is on the cards. Versatile regards the ground and this seems his optimum trip.

Timeform rating: 173. Odds: 9-1.

Smart hurdler who has yet to finish outside the first two in six starts over fences under Rules (took him eight attempts to get off the mark in the point-to-point arena). He was slick when making a winning return off a 5lb lower mark at Kelso (2m 1f) this month, although his main rival disappointed and three of the other four runners were out of the handicap. His stablemate Nuts Well won that Kelso before landing this prize in 2020. Tommy’s Oscar has done most of his racing over 2m and didn’t get home in a 2m 4f hurdle at Carlisle a couple of years ago. This track will make less demands on his stamina.

Timeform rating: 166. Odds: 14-1.

He can idle and flash his tail but that’s not stopped him winning seven of his past 16 races. Graded company has usually exposed his limitations but he’s 3/3 in handicaps, defying a mark of 150 at Kelso in February, albeit he only had a couple of rivals to beat that day. Signed off last term with a good third in the Marsh Chase (formerly Melling) over course and distance with a below-par Hitman well adrift. My hunch, though, is that he’s not going to be the easiest to place with his mark having risen to 155.

Timeform rating: 170. Odds: 7-1.

If you didn’t already know it, the time to catch this horse is when he’s fresh. His record after a break of 120 days or more reads 11110101. Only once has he followed up, and that was five years ago when long odds-on in a novice hurdle. He won the Grand Sefton first time up here last season and there was plenty to like about the way he went about his business when scoring on his reappearance at Chepstow a couple of weeks ago. A 6lb rise looks fair enough but the big stumbling block is that he will be backing up after 15 days off. It would be dangerous to assume he will be in the same form.

Timeform rating: 165. Odds: 14-1.

He’s won seven of his 11 races over fences, although never beaten more than six rivals. Romped home by 15 lengths at Worcester last time but the handicapper looks to have over-reacted in clobbering him with a 10lb rise. As a consequence, he is now a full stone higher in the weights than when third in the Summer Plate at Market Rasen in July. This is his optimum trip but he’s surely going to find life tough off his new rating.

Timeform rating: 167P. Odds: 4-1.

He’s been off the best part of two years, which is such a shame given all his ability and potential. His only defeat in six starts over hurdles/fences came when falling at Cheltenham a couple of years ago, when he looked to have the race at his mercy, and memories of his runaway win in a Grade One novice hurdle at Aintree in the spring of 2021 (gained at the main expense of Minella Drama) linger. The three questions now, after a significant period on the sidelines with a leg injury, are how much ability does he retain? How rusty will he be? And will inexperience hold him back (he’s run in two novice chases against an aggregate of four rivals)? In a recent stable tour, Dan Skelton said: “He looks fantastic and is behaving beautifully. He is doing all the work you want him to. I don’t harbour any concerns about that. He has as much ability as any horse I’ve had.” This is a big day for him, but it represents something of a building block. Given the unknowns, I’m happy to oppose him on this occasion.

Timeform rating: 171. Odds: 8-1.

He’s likeable and signed off his novice chase campaign last term with a polished success at Ayr’s Scottish Grand National meeting. However, he begins this term 5lb higher and his sequence of efforts before that Ayr victory – he was beaten in five successive handicaps – suggests a mark of 149 is going to be a challenge for him, at least over this kind of trip. Connections still have longer distances to explore and he’s hinted that 3m may suit.

Timeform rating: 168. Odds: 16-1.

This exuberant character finished runner-up in the Tolworth Hurdle the season before last and he progressed well over fences last term, ending his campaign with back-to-back wins at Chepstow. He does have a soft spot for that track, having also won there over hurdles, and whether he will be as effective anywhere else is open to question. If he were mine, I’d be scouring every opportunity to run him there.

Timeform rating: 167. Odds: 18-1.

He thrived over the summer, with his only defeat in five starts coming when clawed back late on by Born Famous in the Summer Plate at Market Rasen. The eight-year-old romped home at Worcester a month later but he was up against five exposed opponents and a 10lb rise means he is now 35lb higher than at the start of the season. Up against deeper opposition away from summer ground, it’s easy enough to look elsewhere.

Timeform rating: 168. Odds: 20-1.

Beat Minella Drama on level weights when winning his point-to-point (now 13lb better off) and progressed well in novice hurdles/chases, but his career has rather stalled since he fell here in the spring of 2022. He was no match for Hitman on his return at Haydock last season, although he does get a 16lb pull in the weights. Disconcertingly, connections didn’t run him again over fences last term despite a return to hurdling failing to revive him. A mid-season wind op didn’t seem to have much effect, either.

Timeform rating: 168?. Odds: 6-1.

It’s easy to forget that he went off 5/2 favourite for this race last year, when 2lb higher in the weights, having signed off his novice campaign with a five-length win over Minella Drama (who is now 11lb worse off) at Ayr. He trailed home sixth, though, and also disappointed in subsequent starts at Ascot and Huntingdon before Christmas. On the latter occasions, first-time cheekpieces didn’t help. During his 11-month absence, he’s been switched to Lucinda Russell and had another wind op. That’s his fourth wind surgery in under two years, so breathing issues have clearly been a recurring problem. If that has been resolved, then he’s clearly well-handicapped. But equally, he’s quite defensively priced up and carries a wealth warning.

Hitman has a habit of finding one or two too good but he ticks most of the boxes and the early 7-1 on offer looks chunky. My Drogo is still in the "could be anything" category and is feared most, with Tommy's Oscar likely to give it another good go after his smooth winning return.

1 HITMAN. 2. MY DROGO. 3 TOMMY’S OSCAR.