Cheltenham winners Inothewayurthinkin and Chianti Classico face no easy task in Grade 1 Mildmay

April is the time of year when smart novice chasers graduate into handicap company and make use of their unexposed profiles. In this year's Mildmay Novices' Chase, things have gone the other way. Among the six runners are four horses who have already won major handicaps over fences this season.

Favouritism is likely to be between Inothewayurthinkin and Chianti Classico, winners of the Kim Muir and Ultima at last month's Cheltenham Festival. Broadway Boy, who missed Cheltenham due to a minor setback, won a similar race at Cheltenham's December meeting, while Heart Wood took a Grade 3 at the Dublin Racing Festival.

These horses did not fall in, either. Three were comfortable winners, while Broadway Boy had the winner of a £100,000 race next time in second, and Ryanair winner Protektorat in third.

The market is taking more visual clues than form-based ones. Yes, on either measure Inothewayurthinkin deserves to be a narrow favourite. Heart Wood still has a lot more to find than his price suggests. It is also arguable that Broadway Boy has been extended little charity for slipping on his last start at Warwick. A 90-day absence since, after five runs in as many months from a horse that tends to give himself hard races, could be a quiet blessing.

The non-handicappers in the race are not easily dismissed. Giovinco is a big talent, third in the Brown Advisory last time. But he is hard to pin down and does not jump as though he will thrive at Aintree, for all he is the only course winner over fences in the field.

Iroko is best known for winning last year's Martin Pipe, but he ran better still when third in the Sefton over three miles here next time. His chasing career has been interrupted by injury, limiting him to one run at Warwick and one in the Turners. He will not even be qualified for top handicaps until after this run, but has still achieved enough to warrant another shot at the top novices.
Race analysis by Keith Melrose

RP Recommends: how to bet on the Mildmay Novices' Chase

By Tom Park, audience editor

A small field here and every bookmaker is going two places. It is wide open though, so having Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG) on your side is a big bonus and bet365 offer that along with their Price Promise, meaning from 10am up to 15 minutes before the off they won't be beaten on price by selected bookmakers. That makes them the standout choice here. I will side with Broadway Boy, who missed Cheltenham after a late setback but is perhaps the forgotten horse in the betting.

• RP Recommends: bet365

Acid test for Ultima winner

Chianti Classico will test his Gold Cup aspirations as he steps up in grade for an encounter with fellow festival handicap winner Inothewayurthinkin.

Dominant in victory in the Ultima, Chianti Classico has earned a first attempt in Grade 1 company following a progressive season, in which his form figures read 1121.

Always held in high regard by trainer Kim Bailey, the seven-year-old has been viewed as a Grand National prospect, but could fly even higher still if he were to fire at this level. 

"The horse might have Gold Cup ambitions if he goes and wins," said Bailey. "I've always liked him, he's manned up a lot this season and takes his races better. The wind operation has certainly helped him.

"I was delighted with his run last time as he won very comfortably. He deserves to have an upgrade – whether he's good enough, I don't know. It's a splendid contest and it's very hard to say.

"He's a very good jumper and seems to handle any ground and although the tight track at Aintree is not ideal for him, the ground will be soft enough to make sure it won't be the lightning-quick race it can be." 

Inothewayurthinkin, who cruised home under top weight in the Kim Muir, has been tried at the highest level before, including when third to subsequent Arkle winner Gaelic Warrior over a shorter trip at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Trainer Gavin Cromwell said: "Derek [O'Connor] was very good on him at Cheltenham. His first jump set him back a bit and he took his time on him and was cool as you’d like. He’d want to jump a bit slicker now stepping back into Grade 1 novice company but hopefully he can."

Iroko: reported to have come on from Cheltenham runCredit: GROSSICK RACING

What they say

Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of Broadway Boy
We’re very happy with him and he’s properly back from the lung infection which ruled him out of Cheltenham. The form is there in the book for him to run extremely well.

Lucinda Russell, trainer of Giovinco
I was very pleased with him at Cheltenham as it was a tough ask, but he proved he's definitely a Grade 1 horse. He coped with the ground there as well. If he can improve a little bit from that, he's got every chance.

Oliver Greenall, joint-trainer of Iroko
Stepping up in distance to three miles should suit him, especially at a track like Aintree, and I don't think soft ground won't be any trouble either. He seems to have improved since Cheltenham in terms of fitness and it would have brought him on experience-wise too, so we're really looking forward to seeing him run.
Reporting by Andrew Dietz

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