Randox Health Becher Chase |
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Grade 3 Handicap, National Course, Aintree 13:30 £150,000 added, 6yo plus, 3m 1f 188y, Class 1 ![]() |
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Saturday 7th December 2019 |
1 Walk In The Mill 8/1
2
Kimberlite Candy 11/1
3
Alpha Des Obeaux 12/1
4
Definitly Red 8/1
18 ran Distances: 2½l, 8l, 4l
Time: 7m 3.10s (slow by 25.10s)
Back-to-back wins in the Randox Health Becher Handicap Chase for Walk In The Mill at @AintreeRaces! pic.twitter.com/SD5NP3VTtQ
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) December 7, 2019
Robert Walford’s Walk In The Mill had run out a decisive winner on his first attempt over the Grand National fences last year – and returned to Merseyside to finish a creditable fourth in the the world’s most famous steeplechase in the spring.
Despite being pulled up on his seasonal reappearance at Wincanton last month, Walk In The Mill was prominent in the market at 8-1 for his Aintree return and clearly relished the challenge of the famous obstacles once again.
For much of the three-and-a-quarter-mile journey it looked like Bryony Frost might claim victory aboard As De Mee, who travelled with plenty of zest and fenced fluently on the front end.
However, Walk In The Mill reeled him in rounding the home turn and galloped all the way to the line to score by two and a half lengths under a jubilant James Best.
With As De Mee weakening late on, the Tom Lacey-trained Kimberlite Candy came through to fill the runner-up spot ahead of Alpha Des Obeaux in third and Definitly Red in fourth.
Coral reacted by cutting Walk In The Mill to 20-1 from 33-1 for next year’s Randox Health Grand National.
Randox Health Becher Handicap Chase
(Grade 3) (National Course)
£150,000 added, 6yo plus, 3m 1f 188y, Class 1
18 ran
Going: Soft, Good to Soft in places
1 Walk In The Mill 9 10-8 Robert Walford James Best 8/1
2 2½ Kimberlite Candy 7 10-4 Tom Lacey Richie McLernon 11/1
3 8 Alpha Des Obeaux 9 11-12 Gordon Elliott Richard Johnson 12/1
4 4 Definitly Red 10 11-10 Brian Ellison Henry Brooke 8/1
5 2 One For Arthur 10 11-2 Lucinda Russell Derek Fox 10/1
6 2¼ As De Mee 9 10-11 Paul Nicholls Bryony Frost 12/1
7 1 Le Breuil 7 11-3 Ben Pauling Mr J J Codd 14/1
8 8 Wandrin Star 8 10-6 Kim Bailey David Bass 12/1
9 ¾ Vieux Lion Rouge 10 10-12 David Pipe Tom Scudamore 10/1
10 12 Minellacelebration 9 10-6 Katy Price Ben Poste 25/1
11 40 Ballyoptic 9 11-12 Nigel Twiston-Davies Sam Twiston-Davies 9/1
F Regal Flow 12 10-0 Bob Buckler Sean Houlihan 50/1
F Like The Sound 8 10-6 Charlie Mann Harry Bannister 33/1
F Ballydine 9 10-6 Charlie Longsdon Leighton Aspell 12/1
PU Vintage Clouds 9 10-12 Sue Smith Danny Cook 12/1
PU Mysteree 11 10-5 Michael Scudamore Brendan Powell 16/1
PU Mulcahys Hill 7 10-11 Warren Greatrex A P Heskin 6/1F
PU Abolitionist 11 10-9 Dr Richard Newland Charlie Hammond 22/1