Jet Plane to fly high in Grand Sefton at Aintree

JET Plane can secure victory in the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase (GBB Race) at Aintree Racecourse this afternoon.

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The Dan Skelton-trained nine-year-old can land the feature at the Liverpool track in the first race of the season run over the famous Randox Grand National fences.

Jet Plane has already shown his liking for the big Aintree obstacles, having been runner-up in the Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase at the Grand National Festival in April.

He led for much of the way and was only beaten late on by Gracchus De Balme. He had earlier won at Wetherby and been third at the other Merseyside track, Haydock Park in February.

He failed to fire when fifth at Cheltenham in May but may have been feeling the effects of a long season.

Jet Plane returned to fill the same position in a 2m4f Handicap Chase at Worcester in September and still remains open to more improvement. He is still on a decent handicap mark and the return to the Grand National fences should be a plus for a horse who is generally a sound jumper. He would also be fine if the ground was on the soft side, but he seems pretty versatile as regards the going.

Jet Plane looks the most likely winner but as ever there are plenty of others who could be in the shakeup including the Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero-trained duo White Rhino and Gaboriot - the former a winner at Haydock last December before a couple of disappointing efforts and the latter was third in this contest 12 months ago.

Last year’s winner King Turgeon, from the David Pipe stable, and the Jonjo and AJ O’Neill-trained Johnnywho are others who are not without a chance.

Champion jockey Sean Bowen - who partners the aforementioned White Rhino - and trainer Olly Murphy has started the season in fine style and they can land another winner with Chasing Fire in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle (Pertemps Hurdle Series Qualifier) (GBB Race) (12.55pm).