Turgeon looking to be King for another day in Grand Sefton

King Turgeon will attempt to become a back-to-back winner of the William Hill Grand Sefton Handicap Chase when he returns to Aintree on Saturday.

David Pipe’s gallant grey embraced the challenge of the famous Grand National fences when winning snugly 12 months ago and having delighted his handler when tuning up over the famous Pond House replicas, is backed for another bold bid.

Pipe said: “It looks a tougher race than last year and he’s a lot higher in the handicap, but saying that he’s only seven and he’s in good form.

“He schooled on Wednesday morning and jumped nicely, so we look forward to having another go at the race.

“He was brilliant over those last fences last year and the way he schooled would give you a lot of hope he is going to be the same again.”

King Turgeon is being challenged for race favouritism by White Rhino, who is one of two in the race for the Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero stable who won this with Gesskille in 2023.

The nine year-old made a bright start to his chasing career before things went awry last season, but his team feel he is the “perfect type” to thrive over the spruce.

Greenall said: “He’s a bold jumper but very accurate as well, he’s always shown that. He’s older than his experience would show and he’s always been a chaser and we thought we would go chasing a lot sooner but he kept on winning over hurdles.

“He just looks the perfect type for this race and because he’s not a novice and rated so highly, if he was to go in a Cheltenham handicap say next week, it would probably be a lot harder for him.

“With the fences being wide and being bigger, it should slow the others up a bit and it should be a nice start back for him having not run for so long.”

White Rhino is joined in the race by Gaboriot who was third last year and has a change of headgear as connections search to enhance that finishing position.

“We’ve put blinkers on which I think will really help him travel and I think with the distance he just struggles early to travel and keep with them a little bit,” continued Greenall.

“We tried him over four miles at Newcastle, but he just wasn’t himself that day and he’s had a long time off since then.

“But I do think the fences bring him alive and the trip will be fine, especially with the blinkers on, they will help him be in a position coming over the Melling Road from where he can challenge and not be too far back.”

Splitting King Turgeon and Gaboriot 12 months ago was Jedd O’Keeffe’s Vintage Fizz who is fancied to sparkle once more having been plotted back to Aintree.

O’Keeffe said: “The plan since finishing second last year has been basically to end up back here and he’s run some good races in between, but we just feel with him being a hold up horse, some of the races haven’t been run to suit.

“As a result he’s dropped a couple of pounds and we feel he is going in there with a really live each-way chance.”