While their flat counterparts have won the last two runnings with Aim To Prosper and Darley Sun, National Hunt trainers have won five of the last renewals of this £160,000 2m2f handicap and they are out in force this year with Nicky Henderson and David Pipe in particular looking to hold the aces. Henderson, successful twice this century with Caracciola (2008 - also finished second in 2007) and Landing Light (2003), runs both Veiled and Sentry Duty and Ladbrokes can’t split the pair making them their 14/1 co-favourites of eight, which just goes to show how competitive this race is.

 

Veiled has been kept fresh for this having not run since landing the Ascot Stakes in June (her fifth win from seven starts on the flat) and as that race was over 2m4f, we can be sure she will get the trip. That wouldn’t have been the strongest stayers’ race of the season, though, and she has not been lucky with the draw, being allotted stall 22 – more about that later. SENTRY DUTY on the other hand, has a plumb draw in stall one and ran an eye-catching warm-up when staying on nicely in a 1m6f handicap at Glorious Goodwood. Despite that run, the handicapper dropped him by 2lb which means he lines up here 5lb lower than when a staying-on sixth in last year’s Ces. Granted, he isn’t getting any better at the age of nine but age has not been a barrier to success in this race – Caracciola was 11 when he won, Landing Light nine – and I fancy he can finish much closer this time under Johnny Murtagh after what I can only describe as a shocking ride by Olivier Peslier 12 months ago. Considering he was 9/1 on that occasion, the 14/1 on offer this time doesn’t look a bad price at all.

 

David Pipe’s father Martin won this race in 2000 and 2002 with Heros Fatal and Miss Fara respectively and the stable is responsible for the gamble of this year’s race in the shape of BEYOND whose price crashed after he was given a decent draw in three. The four-year-old, who finished 13th in the Fred Winter Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, has been a revelation since being switched back to the flat and was winning his third race in succession at Sandown at the end of July, when staying on strongly to register a decisive victory in a 1m6f handicap. That suggests that the Ces trip will be to his liking and connections have deliberately not run him since to preserve his handicap mark of 84, which looks on the generous side and means he carries just 8st 6lb on his back. With William Buick booked to do the steering, he looks sure to go close and the 14/1 with Ladbrokes (again) is worth taking. Pipe also runs outsiders Big Occasion and Tasheba, but Beyond looks the one to be on.

 

The Roger Charlton-trained Keys (15/1 William Hill) is another who should go well in what is a wide-open race. Charlton operates mainly on the flat but ran this horse in three bumpers last season and he won them all. He’s since been switched to the flat and has landed his last two, including a decent handicap at Ascot in July. He could be better drawn in stall 24, though, which might seem a strange thing to say considering the marathon trip. However, due to the configuration of the course, a distinct draw bias has existed with high numbers dominating in the past two decades and that means you now want a low number, following changes made to stall numbers earlier this year. I’m not saying anything drawn high can’t win, but it’s something you should factor in when assessing the race.

 

Recommended Bets:

 

Sentry Duty 1pt @ 14/1 Ladbrokes

Beyond 1pt @ 14/1 Ladbrokes