Nicholls duo target Becher gold
Paul Nicholls accepts the handicapper has not made life easy for his two runners in Sunday’s totesport.com Becher Handicap Chase at Aintree.
The champion trainer has an excellent record in the Listed affair, which is competed over the Grand National fences, and this year saddles Mr Pointment and Gungadu.
Mr Pointment 12 months ago provided Nicholls with a second consecutive Becher success after Eurotrek struck in 2006.
The Ditcheat handler was also successful in 2004 with subsequent National hero Silver Birch.
Nicholls told Teletext: “We’ve won three of the last four renewals of the Becher Chase and I can’t split Mr Pointment and Gungadu.
“They both have chances, but they’re not the best handicapped.
“I think horses can run their best races on their first run over these fences so if Gungadu takes to them, he could go very well.”
Sam Thomas will once again be on board Mr Pointment, who was pulled up in last year’s National and currently heads the sponsors’ market.
Gungadu will be ridden by Christian Williams and must shoulder top weight of 11st 12lb.
Philson Run is well acclimatised to the daunting spruce obstacles in Liverpool and finished fourth at odds of 100-1 in the 2007 National.
The 12-year-old veteran chaser will be making his debut for Oxfordshire trainer Sophie Leech, having previously been in the care of Nick Williams.
Leech said: “The great thing about him is that he’s still lightly raced.
“He’s had a lot of problems over the years, but he’s been fantastic in every way since we’ve had him.
“As long as he doesn’t get outpaced – this is probably his minimum trip these days – we’d be hopeful of a good run.
“He won’t have too many runs this season and, although it’s a long way off, the National would definitely be a possibility again.”
Totesport.com Becher Chase
Sponsors bet: 4-1 Mr Pointment, 6-1 Irish Raptor, 7-1 Gungadu, 8-1 Idle Talk, 11-1 Always Waining, 12-1 A New Story, 14-1 Oulart, Out The Black, Philson Run, Southern Vic, 16-1 Black Apalachi, Himalayan Trail, Noir Et Vert, 25-1 Ivoire De Beaulieu, Ellerslie George 33-1, Finzi 66-1
