Flat Track at Aintree to Bring out the Best in Clan Des Obeaux

Clan Des Obeaux finished 5th in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which was ahead of Elegant Escape and behind Bristol De Mai, who re-oppose him in the Aintree Bowl on Thursday along with Kemboy, who was an early faller in the Gold Cup.

Out of all the horses from the Gold Cup, if there is one that showed he didn’t quite get home and he needs to drop back to three miles and a flat track then it is Clan Des Obeaux. He travelled well, but as soon as they turned for home, the petrol tank began to empty and he had nothing left to give. Compare that to his win in the King George and at Ascot before the Gold Cup, and he had plenty left to give over three miles and on a flat track. It wasn’t a lack of ability that beat him in the Gold Cup, but the track and distance, which are both in his favour here.

Had he not ran in the Gold Cup, I expect Clan Des Obeaux would have been installed as the odds on favourite for this race, which is a big difference compared to what is available on this horse to win tomorrow. He did nothing wrong in the Gold Cup, but has been priced up based on him being slightly disappointing and only finishing 5th.

The only worry is how much the Gold Cup has taken out of him, but that is the same for all of the horses in this race as they all ran in a race at Cheltenham on the last two days of the meeting. This is only his 5th run of the season though, which does negate a big part of that for me.

In what looks set to be an exciting feature on the first day of the Aintree Grand National meeting, I am siding with Clan Des Obeaux to bounce back and return to winning ways over a more suitable distance.