The David Pipe-trained King Turgeon will bid to make racing history on Saturday by becoming the first six-year-old to win £135,000 Becher Handicap Chase at Aintree.
David Pipe believes King Turgeon has all the right credentials as he attempts to give his handler a third victory in the 3m 1f contest over the famous Grand National fences.
An impressive three-and-a-quarter length winner of the BoyleSports Grand Sefton Handicap Chase over 2m 5f last month, David Pipe's French-bred is a general 10/3 favourite to retain unbeaten this season.
Pipe, who saddled Vieux Lion Rouge to victory in the 2016 and 2020 renewals of the Becher Chase, said: "Vieux Lion Rouge was amazing over these fences and just lit up for the occasion and King Turgeon was pretty good too last time out. Vieux Lion Rouge gave King Turgeon some lessons on how to get around Aintree and he obviously listened to him!
"King Turgeon has always been a very good jumper. We schooled him over Grand National-style fences before he ran in the Grand Sefton, and he was electric over them. Jack Tudor schooled him again yesterday and he jumped nicely."
The Somerset Racing-owned son of Turgeon will step back up in trip at Aintree on Saturday, but Pipe seems unphased by the stiffer stamina test and the prospect of testing ground.
"We are looking forward to the challenge. He loves the fences, handles Soft and Heavy ground and has won over almost the same distance as the Becher. He also has a lovely weight," said the Somerset-based handler.
"Being by Turgeon, they can sometimes be late developers. He did quite a lot in France as a young horse and seems to have strengthened up over the summer. He is a big horse and only just filling into his frame now, so hopefully there is lots to look forward to.
"We fancied him when he won first time out at Chepstow, but we didn't think he'd win as impressively as he did and he crept nicely into the weights for the Grand Sefton, which he has done again on Saturday.
"I felt some pressure going into the Grand Sefton. Some of his owners (members of Somerset Racing) were keen to run and others possibly not so keen. It is probably the same going into Saturday, but we think he is up to it.
"Saturday is going to be a bit of a slog which may favour Gaboriot and Chianti Classico, who has top-weight and is the class horse in the race.
"Jack gave him a great ride in the Grand Sefton. He gave him a little breather turning in and then he went again. It is going to be a completely different ball game on Saturday but if he jumps the fences as he did in the Grand Sefton, I think probably that will help him a little bit – he can gain a length, and Jack can fill him up."
Whilst Pipe admits his contender will likely require a career-best in Merseyside on Saturday, he's keen to let his horse do the talking on the track.
He said: "I think the handicapper did a fair job after the Grand Sefton by putting him up 8lbs and think there is the potential of more to come from the horse. There needs to be more to come on Saturday as he needs to put in a career-best. He put in a career-best to win the Grand Sefton and we will find out on Saturday if he has improved again."
