Antepost Racing Tips: A staying trio for a stamina-sapping weekend

• Aintree, Sandown and Kelso on ITV across this weekend

• A 5/16.00 pick for the London National and 7/18.00 for the Borders

• Alan Dudman tackles the upcoming action with his latest antepost view 

Aintree, Saturday, 14:40 - Becher Handicap Chase: Back Bioluminescence @ 7/18.00

If you love a staying chaser you are spoilt for choice with a Borders National, a Becher and a London National all across the weekend.

We start on Merseyside where, from Thursday onwards, it appears we are in for some rain.

For the Becher we've got some familiar old names, and going down the list you see a long list of likeable gelding. It is a race chock full of essentially veterans.

However, Bioluminescence comes into the race from a different angle, ie a 7yo mare with just five runs under her belt over fences and she has to be of interest here with the chance of some testing ground. She's also got this sole entry which helps for a tricky weekend with double and triple entries.

The pick won a Grade 2 Mares' Chase as a novice last winter and I thought she jumped really well, making a good shape over her fences. Subsequently she finished runner-up in two starts when dropped down in distance and then back up. A run in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse came to nothing as she was hampered early and was pulled up.

Her trainer Gavin Cromwell might be thinking of the ultimate staying chase - the Grand National at Aintree - and I'd be confident of her stamina and given she had a nice prep and spin on comeback at Clonmel over 2m5f, that trip might be deemed inadequate now and stepping up to a more suitable 3m2f might see her improve.

I really like Mr Vango as a staying type and the top weight and he made a winning return in the London National 12 months ago but preference is for the Irish mare, although I am looking forward to seeing Mr Vango aimed at Aintree come April.

Sandown, Saturday, 15:35 - Betfair Exchange London National Handicap Chase: Back O'Connell @ 5/16.00

A word of warning here -  O'Connell has an entry the day before at Sandown over 3m and Gavin Sheehan is booked for both. The London National would seem the sensible race with the trip, but then I would say that.

It's also worth pointing out O'Connell's trainer Sue Smith, now assisted by Joel Parkinson, who has just won with a staying chaser in the north.

She (and Joel) are 5-26 at 19% in the last 14 days and 7-30 chase winners at 23%. She had a pretty rotten time of things for a couple of years, but the tide has turned and for now, the world is healing itself as a portend for jump racing itself.

O'Connell won over the Sandown fences last winter in February - a Masters race over 3m in heavy ground before a second in the Eider - as brutal a test as you will get. Now, he does hold an entry in the Welsh Grand National for Christmas and with his current rating of 132 he'll get in as plenty of 120-rated horses ran last year.

The nine-year-old had a nice comeback run at Carlisle at the beginning of November with a good third from off the pace. That came over 3m2f and I'd see it as a negative coming down to 3m for Friday.

I think he's a big runner here.

Sunday, Kelso, 14:00 - Scottish Borders National Handicap Chase: Back Cadell @ 8/19.00

The selection is rated 137 and is set for top weight in the Borders National on Sunday. Cadell is the bigger price out of the Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore duo - De Legislator is the 3/14.00 market leader - but I think he is the better bet.

I like the 8/19.00 on Cadell who certainly has his Kelso chops as he has won three times at the venue and ticked off another win by landing a 0-140 last time with a bit of comfort.

That came in the face of a round of jumping that was far from spectacular as he tends to go low and scrape over the top. His jump at the last in that victory was described as "hit last", but it wasn't a clout, more of a tickle. It did not muzzle his speed though as he made the running and found extra in the closing stages when he kicked again.

His stablemate De Legislator has a more interesting profile in the sense he competed at Grade 2 level over hurdles and on his Ayr win over fences last time is worth a chance stepping up from 3m as he looked a little outpaced, but I am sure of Cadell's ability to stay at a crack of 4m+.

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