Aintree tips for Saturday: La Vaticane has a Grand each-way chance in Sefton
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Coral horse racing experts give their Aintree tips for Saturday, December 3, including La Vaticane bets for the Grand Sefton Chase and Minella Rocco odds in the Lotto Chase.
La Vaticane bets weighted to go well in Grand Sefton Chase
La Vaticane shaped really well on seasonal reappearance and looks decent each-way value at the odds on offer in a typically wide-open and fierce renewal of the 2m 5f Grand Sefton Chase over the National fences at Aintree (15:15).
The mare has some useful form in France when winning five times and, after joining trainer David Pipe, came good at the fifth time of asking for her handler when scoring by 23 lengths at Wincanton back in March.
La Vaticane backed that up with a fine eighth of 29 to Eastlake in the Topham over course and distance off a mark of 142.
She also warmed up for this with a solid second to Desert Queen at Market Rasen last month when beaten five lengths after stumbling badly and getting hampered two from home.
That run should have blown away the cobwebs to put the seven-year-old spot on for this and the assessor has also been kind in quickly dropping her 2lb.
A revised mark of 138 makes La Vaticane bets look nicely weighted on the pick of her form, and the fact that she ran well over the unique Grand National fences in the Topham is a big plus.
Ucello Conti the Becher Chase bet
The other race over the Grand National fences on a cracking card is the Becher Handicap Chase (13:35), and Ucello Conti looks weighted to run a huge race for in-form Irish trainer Gordon Elliott.
For full details of why the eight-year-old looks to have the prefect profile for the 3m 1f contest, check out our separate Becher tipping piece.
Lots to like Minella Rocco odds in Lotto Chase
Minella Rocco shaped with bags of promise on seasonal reappearance and looks the answer to the Listed 3m Lotto Chase (14:40).
The Jonjo O’Neill trained six-year-old looked a very exciting prospect when winning both his starts over hurdles, but failed to shine in his first three starts over fences last season.
However, things then finally clicked and, after finishing an eye-catching staying on second to Vyta Du Roc in a Grade 2 contest over 3m at Ascot, he got off the mark over the larger obstacles with an impressive success at the Cheltenham Festival.
Minella Rocco came from off the pace to land the 20-runner 4m National Hunt Chase by 1 1/2 lengths from Native River.
The runner-up went on to land a Grade 1 contest at Aintree and showed tremendous battling qualities when landing the valuable Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury last weekend.
It gives the form a rock-solid look, while Minella Rocco’s performance suggested he was a young stayer that needed keeping firmly onside.
That view was confirmed when he finished a cracking third of 17 to Viconte Du Noyer on seasonal reappearance in an ultra-competitive 3m 3f handicap at Cheltenham when staying on in tremendous style to be closing all the way to the line and beaten just 1 1/2 lengths.
If building on that, then Minella Rocco odds look the one to beat.
Aintree tips for Saturday, December 3
12.00: Evening Hush
12.30: Cernunnos
13.00: Minotaur
13.35: Ucello Conti (E/W)
14.10: Clondaw Kaempfer
14.40: Minella Rocco (NAP)
15.15: La Vaticane (E/W)
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