Handicappers' Corner: Like Father, like son!

Martin's sometimes-fractious relationship with the racing media owed plenty to his guardedness in the spotlight and, although David has largely been much more open in that regard since taking over the reins, it is fair to say that team Pipe still hands out its information on a "need-to-know" basis.

Take last week, for example, when Pipe Jnr opened his door for a pre-Cheltenham Festival press day, yet failed to mention one of his brightest hopes of a winner at the meeting in Ballynagour (Timeform rating c148p), who went on to make a sparkling debut for the yard when landing a gamble at Warwick just three days later. That heavy market support, plus the fact he'd been entered in no less than six Cheltenham Festival handicaps, suggests that the seven-year-old had been showing plenty on the gallops since being sent to Pipe from Jehan Bertran de Balanda!

Indeed, Ballynagour made a mockery of an official BHA mark of 123, which just goes to show the difficulties that the BHA handicappers can have when assessing French imports for their handicap debut on British soil - in years gone by, foreign imports were forced to race off automatic top weight in such circumstances. For the record, we at Timeform run a handicap on all of the French jump racing staged at Auteuil and Enghien (plus significant races staged at other venues such as Pau) and had rated Ballynagour slightly higher going into the Warwick race, but he still left that form well behind with an effortless nineteen-length defeat of Niceonefrankie (c129).

A hefty rise in the weights (including over hurdles) clearly awaits but, such was the ease of this victory, Ballynagour is likely to warrant plenty of respect whichever race he turns up in at Cheltenham next month - the Byrne Group Plate appeals as the most obvious target, particularly as the same connections won it last year with the currently-sidelined Salut Flo (c149+). It is also worth noting that seven of David Pipe's eight Cheltenham Festival wins to date have come in handicaps, and not always with the first string either.

That last line will offer some hope to connections of Shoegazer (c146), who landed his fifth win of 2012/13 when lowering the colours of Poungach (c141) in a novice chase at Fontwell on Sunday and is likely to remain competitively-handicapped if left on the same mark as when shaping better than the result suggests behind Katenko at Cheltenham late last month.

Admittedly, Shoegazer is fairly exposed for a novice after such a busy campaign, but the policy of siding with up-and-coming novices in valuable handicap company was advertised yet again in the Racing Plus Chase at Kempton on Saturday, when Opening Batsman (c147+) saw off old rival Rolling Aces (c154+) in what was a better renewal than of late - Quinz (c141) was fourth off the same mark as when winning in 2011, whilst 2012 runner-up Hector's Choice (c144) could manage only seventh this time around despite a 1lb lower mark.

Opening Batsman and Rolling Aces both produced such sure-footed displays at Kempton, that the Grand National may be on their agenda in future years. The build-up to the 2013 renewal of the Aintree showpiece is continuing to gather pace, however, and the field seems set to feature another strong challenge from across the Irish Sea, many of whom lined up in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse on Saturday.

Roi du Mee (c157) continued his rich recent vein of form by winning under a good ride from the front by Davy Russell and is likely to head a strong raiding party from the Gordon Elliott stable, which will also include last week's surprise Navan winner Chicago Grey (c150). That said, the connections of the well-fancied pair Prince de Beauchene (c157+) and Seabass (c154) are likely to have been equally pleased by their performances at Fairyhouse, despite having to settle for minor placings there, and could well reverse the form at Aintree.

However, the one horse who could get overlooked from last weekend is the Bobbyjo fourth Rare Bob (c147), who finished close up to three rivals trading at much shorter odds than him in the Grand National betting, yet will be carrying significantly less weight than that trio should he make the line-up on April 6th - he's currently 54th in the list, so he has a sporting chance of making the final forty. Rare Bob has experience of Aintree, finishing fifth in last season's Becher Chase prior to a luckless early exit (brought down fifth) in the big race itself four months later, and represents a stable with a good recent record at preparing horses for races over the National fences. 

Timeform's updated top-rated Grand National runners:
180    CHICAGO GREY 
178    RARE BOB                
178    CAPPA BLEU                
177    QUEL ESPRIT              
176    ALBERTAS RUN            
176?  JESSIES DREAM           
176?  IMPERIAL COMMANDER   
176    WEIRD AL 

Selected others:
175    BALLABRIGGS
175    ROI DU MEE
174    THE PACKAGE
173p  ON HIS OWN
173+  PRINCE DE BEAUCHENE
172    TEAFORTHREE
171    JOIN TOGETHER
171    SEABASS
170    SUNNYHILLBOY
168+  COLBART STATION

Look out for Brand new features with Timeform Race Passes - In-Play Hints, Running Notes & Warning Horses. Find out more at timeform.com.