April 05 / 17.00 Aintree

17.00

Good To Soft

Rosconn Group Maghull Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race)

  • Prize money: £67524
  • 1m 7f 176y
  • Class 1
  • 5 runners
RTV
View Course
Rosconn Group Maghull Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race)

Runners: 5 runners

Type: Chase Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Partly cloudy

100/30 (Won)

  • Win: £2.88
  • Place: £1.60

Form: 3-F114 D

Last run: 63 days

W: 11st 7lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 152

Form & Verdict
Seems versatile as regards ground; non-stayer over a testing 2m4f in the Scilly Isles at Sandown last time; has form figures of 111311 in completed starts at about 2m, the third-place finish in Grade 1 juvenile hurdle at this meeting last year; has proved ahead of his mark in two novice handicap chase wins, markedly so at Cheltenham on second occasion; interesting back down in trip, with a resumption of progress plausible.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

2

5th Apr 2025

Good To Soft

1m 7f 176y

Class 1

17:00 Aintree

Kalif Du Berlais

11st 7lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Paul Nicholls

jumped well, made all, soon pestered, increased tempo after 3 out, just over 2 lengths ahead 2 out, ridden run-in, ran on

100/30

1st

2

5th Apr 2025

Good To Soft

1m 7f 176y

Class 1

17:00 Aintree

Kalif Du Berlais

11st 7lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Paul Nicholls

jumped well, made all, soon pestered, increased tempo after 3 out, just over 2 lengths ahead 2 out, ridden run-in, ran on

100/30

4th

4

1st Feb 2025

Soft

2m 4f 10y

Class 1

14:35 Sandown

Kalif Du Berlais

11st 3lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Paul Nicholls

Acts on heavy; overall record is 5-7; Grade 2 winner over hurdles; campaigned only at about 2m but he is bred to be suited by this new trip; has form figures of F11 since switched to fences, the wins in novice handicaps, latest at Cheltenham where he easily beat a subsequent scorer; improving 5yo who is a big player on the figures.

3/1

OUR TIP

25/1

  • Place: £3.80

Form: P-1731 D

Last run: 35 days

W: 11st 7lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 135

Form & Verdict
Record of 4-9 (hurdles/fences) for current yard, most recently scoring off a low weight in Class 2 handicap chase at Doncaster (2m, good); useful but faces a much stiffer assignment on these terms; would be receiving weight from all of his opponents if this were a handicap.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1

25th Apr 2026

Good

1m 7f 99y

Class 1

14:55 Sandown

Brookie

11st 10lb

J: Sam Twiston-Davies

T: Anthony Honeyball

Has proved difficult to place since last win in March 2025 and form has taken a downturn of late; has the worst chance at the weights back up in class.

66/1

13th

3

9th Apr 2026

Good To Soft

1m 7f 176y

Class 1

16:40 Aintree

Brookie

11st 13lb

J: Sam Twiston-Davies

T: Anthony Honeyball

Pulled up in Ascot handicap in November and tailed off on sole outing since in the Champion Chase last month; it's hard to say what sort of form he's in but this C&D brought out the very best in him when runner-up in the Grade 1 Maghull Novices' Chase (good) 12 months ago; could go well back here.

16/1

8th

1

11th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

1m 7f 199y

Class 1

16:00 Cheltenham

Brookie

11st 10lb

J: Sam Twiston-Davies

T: Anthony Honeyball

Lacked fluency and ran poorly at Ascot when last seen; ran creditably in C&D handicap the time before but that form is a long way below Champion Chase standard and he's comfortably held by Majborough on Punchestown festival running; has the worst chance on ratings.

125/1

Form: -11114 D

Last run: 25 days

W: 11st 7lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 156

Form & Verdict
Acts on any ground; useful handicap hurdler and an even better novice chaser, producing form figures of 11114 in this sphere; the only Grade 1 winner in this field, having beaten Touch Me Not in the Henry VIII at Sandown (1m7f, soft) in December, and most recently ran well in a thrilling Arkle where he wilted towards the finish having hit the front a tad sooner than Harry Skelton had planned (left in lead two out); major contender, provided he takes well to first-time cheekpieces.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5

10th Apr 2026

Good To Soft

2m 3f 200y

Class 1

15:30 Aintree

LEau Du Sud

11st 10lb

J: Tristan Durrell

T: Dan Skelton

Third of five in Grade 1 Maghull Novices' Chase here (2m, good) 12 months ago and reappeared with a win in the Grade 2 Shloer at Cheltenham (2m, soft) in November; ran well when 12l third in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham (2m, good to soft) last month but doesn't appear to be crying out for this step up in trip, and Harry Skelton rides Grey Dawning.

11/1

3rd

6

11th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

1m 7f 199y

Class 1

16:00 Cheltenham

LEau Du Sud

11st 10lb

J: Harry Skelton

T: Dan Skelton

Progressive in the main; smart novice chaser last term and ties in closely with Majborough on Arkle bare form (good to soft; finished a close fourth); below par in the 2025 Tingle Creek when last seen but this looks the day to catch him; successful the last three times he has returned from a break of two months or bigger, most recently in this season's Shloer over C&D (soft) when easily beating his rivals and registering a fourth Graded win, as well as cementing his Champion Chase claims; favourably fresh and rightly respected.

4/1

2

1st Nov 2025

Good

2m 0f 172y

Class 1

14:05 Ascot

LEau Du Sud

11st 12lb

J: Tristan Durrell

T: Dan Skelton

One of Britain's best 2m novice chasers last season and held his own in the Grade 1s at Cheltenham and Aintree; didn't jump as well as he can on the latter occasion when tried in cheekpieces and those aids are now left off; high in the weights for a reason but he may prefer softer ground and will have new handling, having only been ridden by Harry Skelton in Britain.

Form: -21225 D

Last run: 25 days

W: 11st 7lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 151

Form & Verdict
Grade 2 winner at Punchestown in November (2m, soft) then ran creditably in two Grade 1 contests, including at Sandown behind L'Eau du Sud; normally consistent but folded tamely and came home tailed-off last of five in the Arkle most recently; difficult to support on the back of that effort.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

20th

3

28th Apr 2026

Yielding

2m 0f 132y

15:40 Punchestown

Touch Me Not

10st 12lb

J: Jack Kennedy

T: Gordon Elliott

Talented chaser rated 152 in that sphere and a Grade 2 novice chase winner at this venue; soundly beaten in the Grand Annual on latest and now tries to exploit a 17lb lower hurdles mark on first start over timber since April 2024; can't discount.

12/1

14th

1

11th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

1m 7f 199y

Class 1

16:40 Cheltenham

Touch Me Not

12st 0lb

J: James Smith

T: Gordon Elliott

Tailed off in last season's Arkle on sole visit here and has a lofty mark to defy; however, he won a Grade 2 novice chase last term and ran really well in second in a 2m Grade 3 at Naas recently when conceding 9lb to all of his rivals; James Smith removes 5lb; not ruled out each-way.

25/1

2nd

1

22nd Feb 2026

Soft To Heavy

2m 0f 0y

16:30 Naas

Touch Me Not

11st 10lb

J: Jack Kennedy

T: Gordon Elliott

Grade 2 winner at Punchestown (2m, soft) last season; form dipped last spring after two respectable runs in Grade 1 company; below best on seasonal return in Fortria (2m, soft to heavy) but much better on handicap debut at Fairyhouse next time when runner-up (2m1f, yielding to soft); ran a solid race when third in a similar contest to this at Fairyhouse last time; race conditions are against him here but a lot of the others have question marks.

9/2

Form: 2-4201 D

Last run: 58 days

W: 11st 7lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 142

Form & Verdict
Flat bred but took well to fences at Thurles (2m, good) two months ago, belying his 66-1 odds and finally adding to debut success in a bumper; upped sharply in grade for second chase attempt but may have more to offer in this sphere and is fresher than some of his rivals.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

10th

12

11th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

1m 7f 199y

Class 1

16:40 Cheltenham

Special Cadeau

11st 0lb

J: Mike O’Connor

T: Henry De Bromhead

0-6 since winning on chase debut last February; below par at Fairyhouse in November last time but the yielding to soft ground provides an excuse; good runs at Roscommon (2m, good to yielding) and Ascot (2m1f, good) previously in the autumn and he goes well fresh; has an each-way shout.

25/1

3rd

4

1st Nov 2025

Good

2m 0f 172y

Class 1

14:05 Ascot

Special Cadeau

10st 13lb

J: Mike O’Connor

T: Henry De Bromhead

Already a better chaser than hurdler and it was a commendable effort at the weights when runner-up in a Grade 3 novice at Roscommon a month ago (2m, good to yielding); has scope for further progress and in-form Irish stable always respected on British forays.

11/2

3rd

4

1st Nov 2025

Good

2m 0f 172y

Class 1

14:05 Ascot

Special Cadeau

10st 13lb

J: Mike O’Connor

T: Henry De Bromhead

Already a better chaser than hurdler and it was a commendable effort at the weights when runner-up in a Grade 3 novice at Roscommon a month ago (2m, good to yielding); has scope for further progress and in-form Irish stable always respected on British forays.

11/2

Non-runners

Only By Night

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £31.10
Straight Forecast £27.27
Trifecta £57.80

Selections

RP RATINGS:

Only By Night

SPOTLIGHT:

Kalif Du Berlais

Telegraph:

L'Eau du Sud

WEST COUNTRY:

Kalif Du Berlais

D Express:

Kalif Du Berlais

The Star:

Kalif Du Berlais

TOPSPEED:

Only By Night

POSTDATA:

Only By Night

The Times:

Only By Night

Daily Mail:

Only By Night

Daily Mirror:

Only By Night

Daily Record:

Only By Night

The Guardian:

L'Eau du Sud

The Sun:

L'Eau du Sud