William Hill Half A Mill Becher Handicap Chase |
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| Grade 3 Handicap, National Course, Aintree 14:40 £150,000 guaranteed, 6yo plus, 3m 1f 188y, Class 1  |
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1 Twig 18/1
2
Mr Vango 9/2F
3
Val Dancer 12/1
13 ran Distances: shd, 3¾l, nk
Time: 6m 53.90s (slow by 11.90s)
Thriller! 🤩
— oddsracing (@oddsRacing) December 6, 2025
🪵 Twig just does enough to deny the rallying Mr Vango in the Becher Chase @AintreeRaces for @benpauling1 and @beaumorgan15!
A stewards enquiry has been announced though.. 👀pic.twitter.com/ybOR2BvTbz
Twig, sent off at 18/1, dug deepest of all to deny the 9/2 favourite Mr Vango in a gripping, almost slow-motion finish – a duel that grew more desperate with every weary stride.
Mahons Glory had earlier threatened to turn the contest into a procession, jumping boldly and stretching clear with purpose. He still held that advantage swinging for home, but the fuel light flickered soon after, and those set to challenge found they’d burned plenty trying to reel him in.
Over the last, Twig and Beau Morgan just about had the call, though the top-weight Mr Vango refused to lie down, summoning one final rally that drew the pair ever closer together. It never looked more than half-a-length either way, and as they lunged for the post it was impossible to split them in real time.
But the judge had the final say: the photo showing Twig ahead by the narrowest of margins – a short-head that mattered more than any.
Becher Handicap Chase
(Grade 3) (National Course)
£150,000 guaranteed, 6yo plus, 3m 1f 188y, Class 1
13 ran
Going: Soft, Good to Soft in places
POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 Twig 10 11-5 Ben Pauling Beau Morgan 18/1
2 shd Mr Vango 9 12-0 Mrs Sara V Bradstock Jack Tudor 9/2F
3 3¾ Val Dancer 8 10-6 Mel Rowley Charlie Hammond 12/1
4 nk Galia Des Liteaux 9 10-10 Dan Skelton Tristan Durrell 9/1
5 1¼ Mahons Glory 9 10-10 Dylan Cunha Lee Edwards 12/1
6 1 Bill Baxter 9 11-1 Warren Greatrex Sam Twiston-Davies 9/1
7 11 Westerninthepark 7 10-6 Olly Murphy Brian Hughes 13/2
8 6½ Bioluminescence 7 11-9 Gavin Cromwell Keith Donoghue 17/2
9 32 White Rhino 9 10-13 Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero Craig Nichol 18/1
10 17 Excello 6 10-9 Nicky Henderson James Bowen 5/1
PU Roi Mage 13 11-0 Patrick Griffin James Reveley 28/1
PU
Monbeg Genius 9 11-6 Jonjo & A J O'Neill Jonjo O'Neill Jr 16/1
PU
Gaboriot 9 10-2 Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero Robert Dunne 15/2
