Our value tipster Matty Sutcliffe is looking to bag some notable winners on Irish Grand National day on Monday 21st April and he has three tips for the action on ITV Racing…
2:35 Plumpton BetGoodwin Sussex Champion Chase Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5yo+) – Matterhorn 12/1 1pt EW 3 places
Paul Nicholls and Johnny De La Hey won this with Tamaroc Du Mathan in 2022 despite failing to trouble the judge by less than fifteen lengths on his five previous starts, and MATTERHORN is taken to give connections another Sussex Champion Chase.
Harry Cobden gets the nod over Sans Bruit who he gave an excellent ride on to win the Red Rum with, and we can potentially draw a line through Matterhorn’s Newbury run in March as carrying top-weight over a trip too far was never likely to suit. That came from a 140 day break, and he’s not been quite right since a pulling up at Newton Abbot in August when a 4/11F.
Prior to that, he had form figures of 1111 over fences throughout the summer including a four length defeat of Boombawn in June, who’s now rated 18lbs higher after a well campaigned season by Dank Skelton, culminating in a three length fourth in the G1 Manifesto Chase.
While he requires something of leap of faith, the return to this quick ground on a sharp track bodes well given his form around the likes of Stratford, Ludlow and Taunton, and Paul Nicholls’ record in handicap chases at Plumpton reads 18-5-13 over the last five seasons.
3:15 Fairyhouse Fairyhouse Steel Handicap Hurdle (4yo+ 0-140) – Come Walk With Me 9/1 1pt WIN
Few look as better treated than COME WALK WITH ME in here, as the Walk In The Park has bumped into some smart types this season. He only made his racecourse debut in December when beaten twenty four lengths into fifth, but it was a tenderly handled introduction to racing in which he was described as an ‘eye-catcher’ in the Racing Post comments, having stayed on from a mile back in rear and clocking the highest Race IQ Jump Index/Lengths Gained Jumping stat.
He then bumped into the 4/11F Sounds Victorius next time out over 2m4f here, staying on well to pull fourteen lengths clear of the third in the process who’s been given a mark just 3lbs lower despite carrying 7lbs less.
Come walk With Me was then dropped backed in trip at Navan to 1m7f, and he wasn’t entirely disgraced in being beaten eight lengths by Honesty Policy, who not only franked that form next time out, but went on to win the G1 Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree now rated 144.
He improved on RPR’s when stepped back up in trip to 2m3f to be beaten a length by a length by the G1 Punchestown Champion Bumper winner Redemption Day, again pulling clear of the third and the 127 rated fourth.
The further step up in distance looks to visually suit along with the ground, and it would be a big surprise should he not fill the frame off what looks a more than workable mark.
5:00 Fairyhouse BoyleSports Irish Grand National Chase (Extended Handicap Chase) (Grade 3) (5yo+) – Quai De Bourbon 12/1 1pt EW 6 places
Willie Mullins has won this twice with novice chases since 2019 including with I Am Maximus under Paul Townend, who was previously fourth in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase en-route. QUAI DE BOURBON unseated Patrick Mullins in that contest last month after travelling and jumping well throughout, and he was a well backed selection for the column in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree before being brought down at the fourteenth, again after travelling strongly into contention, particularly stronger than the eventual second who was only beaten a length by the winner.
I’ve long thought he’d make a good staying chaser, and now he’s qualified for a handicap I think this mark of 142 could easily underestimate him given I was of the opinion he’d have won the Mildmay at Aintree.
He’s one of just two entered in here from the Mullins camp and the choice of Paul Townend which bodes well, and given all of his best form has come on soft-heavy going, it’ll be no surprise should he go well here providing the seventeen day turnaround doesn’t come too soon, and the return to a right handed track can further bode well given he’s 2-2 going this way around.
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