The Grade One Aintree Bowl is one of the feature races at the Grand National Meeting and this year’s contest has attracted a strong field of chasers, including Shishkin, Bravemansgame, and A Plus Tard.
This race is the chance for some of the horses who fell just short at the Cheltenham Festival to win a major prize before the 2022/23 jumps season comes to an end in the UK.
Shishkin Favorite to Come Out on Top at Aintree
Shishkin is back! pic.twitter.com/ixI62FwCai
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 27, 2021
It has been a mixed season for star chaser Shishkin so far. He produced one of the best performances of his career to win the Ascot Chase earlier in the campaign, however, last time out at Cheltenham, he had to settle for second place in the Ryanair Chase.
Nicky Henderson’s runner is the +250 favorite in the odds on the Aintree Bowl this year. It will be his first attempt at the 3m distance under rules. His performances so far this season over 2m5f indicate he will have no problems with the extra trip.
How Shishkin fares in the 2023 Aintree Bowl could determine which route Henderson takes with the horse next season. The Seven Barrows runner may take on the Cheltenham Gold Cup if he impresses at Aintree.
Gold Cup Runner-Up Looking to Prove His Class Again
Bravemansgame played his part in an excellent Cheltenham Gold Cup at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival. He jumped the last fence alongside Irish chaser Galopin Des Champs, but he just did not have the pace to match Willie Mullins’ runner up the hill in the Blue Riband event.
Fortunately for the connections of Bravemansgame, they don’t need to worry about Galopin Des Champs at Aintree. The Gold Cup winner does not have an entry in the Aintree Bowl and instead is likely to feature at the Punchestown Festival.
Bravemansgame wins the King George VI Chase! pic.twitter.com/7pfrJlwXpx
— Sky Sports Racing (@SkySportsRacing) December 26, 2022
Despite falling short at Cheltenham, Bravemansgame has had an excellent campaign. He began the season with victory in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby. A couple of months later, he landed the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park.
This will be Bravemansgame’s second appearance at this meeting. He featured in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase in 2022 where he came home last of four runners. Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls will be hoping for a much better performance this time in Liverpool.
A Plus Tard Given Another Chance to Bounce Back
2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard has looked a shade of his best this season. He has been pulled up in both of his two appearances on the track. His opening assignment of the campaign came at Haydock where he failed to complete the course in the Betfair Chase.
A Plus Tard was a little unlucky in his bid to retain his crown in the Gold Cup last month as he was hampered by Ahoy Senor when the Lucinda Russell-trained chaser fell six fences from the finish. Before that point, the 2022 winner was traveling well.
This will be A Plus Tard’s first appearance at Aintree, but the left-handed course is expected to suit the horse, according to his trainer Henry De Bromhead.
A total of eight runners have been declared to feature in the 2023 Aintree Bowl in what could be one of the most fascinating races of the week at the three-day Grand National Meeting.
