Badger Beer Handicap Chase – Wincanton – Saturday 9th November

Looking at the entries for the 63^rd Badger Beer Handicap Chase at Wincanton at 3.30 on Saturday, it is a race that could cut up plenty from the 16 strong entries at the 5-day stage.

Understandably, no bookmaker is willing to offer 4 places at this stage given the shape of the race, but delving a bit deeper into the entries, there could conceivably even be some likelihood that the 3 places offered now are better than on the day.

The ground will be fast at Wincanton on Saturday, and despite plenty of watering to ensure it is safe, it is a track which drinks up any moisture it receives. The likes of The Changing Man, Al Dancer, Blackjack Magic, Gustavian, Autonomous Cloud, The Big Breakaway and Ballygrifincottage would all prefer genuine ‘good to soft’ or softer, and only one of those aforementioned are currently jocked up for Saturday’s race.

When you also consider that Glynn holds another entry on the card on Saturday and is jocked up for that, Copperhead surely takes up the Veterans Chase option at Sandown Park on Saturday, Remastered had a tough race just under 2 weeks ago and has never been the most robust,  and Tea Clipper has been declared to run at Exeter on Friday – you’re suddenly looking at a field of maybe even just 6 or 7.

Paul Nicholls’ Mofasa and Anthony Honeyball’s newly inherited Lord Baddesley look to have been aimed at the race, but I feel will have it all to do to go with a positively-ridden, peak-form Lord Accord, who rates as a hugely appealing 2-star ** ante-post bet for WhichBookie at 6/1 each-way with BetMGM or Betway.

Available more widely at 5/1, I would recommend backing Lord Accord at anything down to about 7/2 at this stage, as it could easily prove to be a value bet from a price and place terms perspective once declarations are made on Thursday morning.

If you go back to this very race in 2022, Lord Accord was giving the mighty Frodon a fright in a deep looking renewal of the race, having just won a similarly competitive race at Cheltenham. Since that race, the wheels came off a little in the following 18 months or so.

However, following two promising hurdle runs in the summer, Neil Mulholland has gradually coaxed Lord Accord back to something approach his peak, and with romps over hurdles at Sedgefield and then back here at Wincanton 3 weeks ago fresh in the memory, don’t be surprised to see Richie McLernon encouraging Lord Accord forward and throwing him at fences, in a race which the list of past winners are littered with horses who made all.

At 6/1 each-way with BetMGM and Betway right now, I could see Lord Accord being well backed come the day, given there seems to be a tick in every box with regard to his chances for the 63^rd Badger Beer Handicap Chase.