Old Roan Chase: Runners, odds and a verdict for Aintree’s feature race on Sunday ⭐

Aintree‘s Old Roan Chase is always an interesting race as it’s a limited handicap that tends to attract some high calibre entries. This makes it a fascinating clash between Grade 1 or 2 horses and handicappers. It looks set to be an interesting renewal this year so we’ve highlighted all the runners and provided a verdict for the big race. You can check out our free tips page for daily content across British and Irish racing.

1. Hitman

Paul Nicholls’ seven-year-old was an excellent third in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham in March. He does tend to find one or two too good and he was beaten in this race last year.

2. Tommy’s Oscar

Ann Hamilton won this race with Nuts Well back in 2020 and it would be no surprise if this horse was to do the same. He warmed up for this with an easy victory at Kelso earlier this month and should be raring to go.

3. Minella Drama

Minella Drama put in a career-best effort when third in the Marsh Chase over course and distance in April. If he can replicate that level of form on seasonal reappearance here, it’s not hard to imagine him winning.

4. Al Dancer

Al Dancer was impressive on his seasonal reappearance at Chepstow when last seen and has gone up 6lb as a result. That should put him in the mix but this 10-year-old may find it hard to follow up here.

5. Hang In There

Emma Lavelle’s gelding absolutely bolted up at Worcester last month and has been whacked with a 10lb rise by the handicapper. He may find life hard off this mark, especially in this company.

6. My Drogo

My Drogo was a highly promising novice chaser back in 2021 and has been absent through injury since. This is a mammoth task on his first start for 687 days and he’s best watched.

7. Datsalrightgino

He was a solid novice chaser last season and won at Grade 2 level at Ayr when last seen. It’ll be interesting to see how far this horse can go and he shouldn’t be ruled out.

8. Jetoile

Ryan Potter’s gelding was a progressive chaser in the spring but this is a very different test. This horse has plenty to find in order to feature here.

9. Courtland

Trained by Peter Bowen, he’s been prolific throughout the summer months. He has won four times since May but may struggle in this sort of company.

10. Erne River

Nick Kent’s charge is a solid horse but he hasn’t won since February 2022. It’s also worth noting that he’d prefer a stronger test of stamina.

11. Do Your Job

Do Your Job is useful on his day but he has a 329-day absence to overcome here. It’s hard to know what to expect but he’s likely to need the run.

Verdict

Tommy’s Oscar looks like the one to side with here. If he can take a step forward from his cosy victory at Kelso last time out, back-to-back wins could be on the agenda.

If you back any of our selections you can watch them live on the free Racing Post app or racingpost.com. Simply log in to one of your bookmaker accounts and click ‘Watch live’ on the racecards.