JONBON can win the My Pension Expert Melling Chase (GBB Race) (3.30pm) again on day two of the 2025 Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse.
Nicky Henderson's nine-year-old was another warm favourite to disappoint at last month’s Cheltenham Festival but he can bounce back at Aintree and win the Grade One feature of Ladies Day for a second successive year. Jonbon has been beaten four times in 21 starts Under Rules and every one of those has been at Cheltenham. He's at least been second in all of them. At Aintree he is three from three, winning the Top Novices' Hurdle in 2022, the Maghull Novices' Chase in 2023 and then last year, stepping up to 2m4f for the first time to land this Grade One.
He made a terrible mistake in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at last month's Cheltenham Festival and never had any answer to Marine Nationale in the two-mile championship. He did at least recover and stay on well to take the runner-up spot again, admittedly 18 lengths behind the winner. He clearly is not fully at home at Prestbury Park although he has come up against some tough rivals there.
Having won eight Grade Ones over fences and looked superb in winning a second Tingle Creek at Sandown in December and when landing 2m1f Clarence House Chase at Ascot before his trip to Cheltenham, he is clearly still a formidable opponent. On the flatter track and on a much sounder surface at Aintree, Jonbon can become the seventh dual winner of the Melling Chase and emulate the most recent Fakir d'Oudairies (2021, 2022) – who was also owned by JP McManus.
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Gordon Elliott's ROMEO COOLIO can win the Grade One TrustATrader Top Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race) (2.55pm). The six-year-old gelded son of Kayf Tara has won two of his four starts over hurdles, including a superb nine-length success in the Grade One Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle over two miles at Leopardstown over Christmas. He finished third behind Kopek Des Bordes and William Munny in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at last month's Cheltenham Festival and with neither of those fellow Irish raiders at Aintree, Romeo Coolio can grab another victory at the top level.
The name McCain is synonymous with the Grand National and Merseyside-born Donald McCain Junior's MINELLA DRAMA may give the Cheshire stable another success over the big Aintree obstacles in the Randox Supporting Prostate Cancer UK Topham Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (4.05pm). The 10-year-old was entered in the big one up until this week, but this shorter trip of 2m5f on good ground looks to be his optimum conditions. Minella Drama tends to jump well when near the head of affairs and that is what's needed for the Topham. He won the Grade Two Old Roan Chase Limited Handicap Chase over the Mildmay fences at Aintree at the start of the season, when he dominated from the front. He has been out of form on two runs since but back down to the same handicap mark as his last win at Aintree he can give Grand National winner McCain another success over the big fences.
Favourite, the Willie Mullins-trained James Du Berlais, who was second last year on softer ground; and Bad, from the Ben Pauling stable, are others who can go well.
Cheltenham Festival winner CALDWELL POTTER can double up in the opener, the Grade One Huyton Asphalt Franny Blennerhassett Memorial Mildmay Novices’ Chase (GBB Race) (1.45pm). Paul Nicholls' expensive purchase for owners including the late John Hales and former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson finally paid some of his £600,000 purchase price back with victory in the Grade Two Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase at Prestbury Park last month. The seven-year-old, in the famous yellow and red-starred colours of Hales, was an emotional and impressive winner, jumping superbly. He can add to that success with a first Grade One victory over fences at Aintree ahead of chiefly Ben Pauling's exciting six-year-old Handstands.
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Dual Grand National-winning trainer Lucinda Russell has caused a shock in two of the last four runnings of the Grade One Oddschecker Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race) (4.40pm) and KING OF ANSWERS may give her a third. The Kinross handler won the three-mile contest with 66-1 shot Ahoy Senor in 2021 and again with 16-1 chance Apple Away two years ago. King Of Answers has a similar sort of the profile and the six-year-old, who has won once at Newcastle in February in three starts over hurdles, may be able to also outrun his odds and land another surprise victory for the Scottish trainer.
Dan Skelton has won two of the last three runnings of the William Hill Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (2.20pm) and BE AWARE can give him another victory. The six-year-old was eighth when sent off favourite for the Coral Cup at last month's Cheltenham Festival. He had hinted at a first win since his hurdling debut at Newbury in January last year in his earlier runs this season at Cheltenham and Ascot. He is better than his run at Prestbury Park last time and can make amends with victory at Aintree.
AFADIL can give Ditcheat handler Nicholls another victory in the Hallgarten And Novum Wines Handicap Hurdle (Conditional Jockeys’ And Amateur Riders’ Race) (GBB Race) (5.15pm). The six-year-old has run well in his last two starts without winning. He was second at Musselburgh in February and third in the Imperial Cup at Sandown last month. He was also third in this race on softer ground last year and rarely runs a bad race in these big-field handicaps. He hit the front late on and also in the Imperial Cup but just got run out of it. He is on the same handicap mark as for his last victory at Musselburgh last year and he may finally get his head back in front.
Wright Ones
AINTREE (DAY TWO)
1.45pm Caldwell Potter
2.20pm Be Aware
2.55pm Romeo Coolio
3.30pm Jonbon
4.05pm Minella Drama
4.40pm King Of Answers (NAP)
5.15pm Afadil
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