04.11.10 - RACING AT AINTREE

Scottish National Hero Merigo Targets toteport.com Becher Chase

Merigo brought the house down at Ayr in April when becoming a rare Scottish-trained winner of the Scottish Grand National and the talented nine-year-old has the 2011 John Smith’s Grand National itself in his sights as he heads to Aintree on Sunday,  November 21, for the £100,000 Listed totesport.com Becher Chase (1.45pm).

The totesport.com Becher Chase takes place over three and a quarter miles of the spectacular Grand National course on day two of the Northwest Racing Masters and is the premier trial for Aintree’s showpiece event, which this season takes place on Saturday, April 9, and is worth £925,000.

Andrew Parker is keen to give Merigo valuable experience over Aintree’s distinctive spruce fences and the trainer plans to send the Pistolet Bleu gelding to the totesport.com Becher Chase with the benefit of a run under his belt.

The Lockerbie-based trainer revealed today: “We are planning to take Merigo to the totesport.com Becher Chase. He runs on Saturday at Kelso over hurdles and then we will go to Aintree, all being well.

“He is in fantastic form and if anything he feels better than ever. A lot of that is just confidence - after winning a big race like the Scottish Grand National, even the horse knows he’s done well.

“The totesport.com Becher Chase is a stepping-stone towards the John Smith’s Grand National in the spring. We need to go up maybe 5lb to 7lb to guarantee ourselves a run in April. The reason for us going for the Becher Chase is that it’s a sighter at those one-off type of fences in a less pressing environment than the Grand National. If he finished third or fourth in the Becher, he might even go up enough to get into the Grand National.”

Merigo became the first Scottish-trained winner of the Scottish Grand National since Cockle Strand in 1982 when seeing off Gone To Lunch by nine lengths in April to give the trainer the biggest success of his career, for his long-standing owner Raymond Anderson Green.

Parker continued: “It was fantastic at Ayr. We had a bad year last year, weather-wise. We seemed to get hit quite hard by the cold snap in this part of Scotland and the whole season came together in that one race.”

The last Scottish Grand National winner to land the totesport.com Becher Chase and the John Smith’s Grand National was Earth Summit, who took the Scottish prize in 1994, added the John Smith’s Grand National in April, 1998 and captured the totesport.com Becher Chase that November.

The totesport.com Becher Chase is the highlight on day two of the North West Racing Masters, when Aintree stages a thrilling seven-race card that also features the £60,000 totesuper7 Grand Sefton Handicap Chase (12.35pm) over an extended two miles and five furlongs of the world famous Grand National course.

Fondly known as Becher Chase Day, there will be a festive theme to proceedings with Santa Claus and his real-life reindeer on hand to meet children, who gain FREE ENTRY to the course. There will be plenty of Christmas shopping opportunities at the course and live Christmas music to provide winter cheer and get racegoers in the Christmas mood.

Coverage of the day’s racing will be shown live on the BBC. Clare Balding will anchor the show and will be joined by Rishi Persad, Grand National-winning jockey Mick Fitzgerald and star commentator Jim McGrath. Three races will be broadcast: totesuper7 Grand Sefton Handicap Chase (12.35pm), the Bet On Live Footballat totesport.com Handicap Hurdle (1.10pm) and the totesport.com Becher Chase (1.45pm).

Day one of the Northwest Racing Masters takes place at Haydock Park when the highlight of a superb seven-race card is the season’s first Grade One contest, the £200,000 Betfair Chase (3.25pm) over three miles, which has attracted a sensational entry that includes each of the last three Cheltenham Gold Cup winners - Kauto Star, Denman and Imperial Commander.

New for 2010, Platinum County Lounge Tickets, costing only £25, will be available to purchase for Aintree’s autumn and winter race days. These tickets include access to the exclusive Platinum County Lounge with County Grandstand seats, a complimentary race card and vouchers for discounted champagne. Offer applies only to those aged 21 or over.