Take David Pipe’s Swing Bill to spring a surprise in Becher Chase

The Becher Chase at Aintree has attracted a field of 24 runners and looks one of the most competitive renewals for many a season.

It is the first time since April that the Grand National fences have been jumped and it is a race which has been dominated in recent years by Nigel Twiston-Davies who has won the contest five times.

The Gloucestershire-based handler teed-up Hello Bud to win in 2010 but the horse’s effort – when winning the race as a 14-year-old in 2012 – was an even better training performance.

Nigel Twiston-Davies won this race in 2010 and 2012

This year Twiston-Davies relies on the comparative youngster Baby Run.

The 13-year-old dramatically got rid of young jockey William Twiston-Davies at the final fence in the Foxhunters’ at Cheltenham in 2011.

However he then won over these fences less than a month later so he has experience on his side.

Against him though is the fact that he hasn’t run for 959 days although his trainer is a master at getting horses fit after long absences.

The aforementioned 2012 renewal won by Hello Bud helps provide a crucial form line for Saturday’s race.

Paul Nicholls has trained three winners of the Becher Chase

Paul Nicholls’ Join Together was second on that occasion and stormed home in the mud, only losing by half a length.

He is 2lb lower in the handicap 12 months on but it is off-putting that connections reach for a pair of blinkers after a series of very lacklustre runs over the last year.

However Nicholls knows exactly the type of horse needed to win this race, having lifted the prize with three different horses between 2004 and 2007.

The third home a year ago was Big Fella Thanks who didn’t enjoy his last visit to Aintree as he unseated his rider in the Grand National.