Two horses to keep an eye on in the Marsh Chase
Whether it be Fakir D’oudairies’ back-to-back victories in 2021 & 2022, Voy Por Ustedes’ consecutive wins in 2008 & 2009, or Master Minded’s dominant nine-length triumph over reigning champion Albertas Run in 2011, the Grade 1 Marsh Chase at Aintree has delivered many memorable performances in its more than 30-year history.
2023 is no exception, with a strong field expected to line up in this year’s renewal taking place on April 14 – including the likes of the aforementioned Fakir D’oudairies, multiple-time graded winner Pic D’Orhy and Ryanair Chase third place-getter Hitman just a few of the big names tipped to be in Merseyside.
While those three thoroughbreds will prove incredibly tough to beat come race day, there are many other entries who could challenge some of the better-fancied prospects.
And with that in mind, for those who are betting on horse racing at Aintree this month, read on as we look at a couple of horses to keep an eye on in the Marsh Chase.
Captain Guinness
Entering as a 12/1 shot with certain operators, eight-year-old Captain Guinness has been a largely consistent performer since debuting in December of 2019. That includes this season, of which includes a triumph at Navan to coincide with back-to-back place finishes at Leopardstown and Cheltenham.
Trainer Henry de Bromhead will take plenty of confidence from Captain Guinness’ performance in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in particular, with the Irish-bred horse displaying good finishing speed late to finish second past the post. Therefore, if De Bromhead can make the necessary adjustments to ensure Captain Guinness can jump more fluently at Aintree than he did at Prestbury Park, and he could prove to be one of the Marsh Chase’s most appealing value bets.
Editeur Du Gite
After kicking off his season with a 13-length victory at Kempton, Editeur Du Gite continued his strong form with an enormous upset in the Albert Bartlett Clarence House Chase in January. Not only did he beat a respected horse in Edwardstone en route to victory, it was who finished third in that fixture that raised eyebrows.
It was the great Energumene, who had previously won the Queen Champion Chase in 2022. It was a huge victory for Editeur Du Gite, who showed that he could compete against the best horses that National Hunt racing has to offer.
The nine-year-old’s most recent outing wasn’t much to write home about however, as he finished fourth and a whopping 35 lengths off the aforementioned Energumene in the Cheltenham Festival’s Queen Mother Champion Chase. It’s a setback for the Gary Moore-trained horse – however – the upcoming Marsh Chase will provide him the perfect opportunity to bounce back and return to the form that saw him beat elite competition earlier in the season.
For those who believe Editeur Du Gite can defy the odds and take home the chocolates in the Marsh Chase, the French-bred horse is paying 12/1 at the time of writing – which is good for seventh favourite.