Who To Follow At Aintree On Sunday - 24/10/21

Aintree 14:00

Itchy Feet

Gavin Sheehan

Olly Murphy

Age: 7

Weight: 11-3

OR: 153

Days: 198

The Grade 2 Old Roan Handicap Chase is the feature race of Sunday so its only right that our horse to follow be our pick for the affair.

Itchy Feet was the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase winner back in February 2020 and subsequently held his form to a high level last season without quite getting his head in front.

He finished a solid 3rd place in this race last year upon soft ground also ran a big race to finish 3rd in the Grade 1 Marsh Chase over C&D on his final run of last season; he re-opposes race rival Nuts Well, who beat him by 1.25 lengths, now 6lb better off.

The son of Cima De Triomphe is 3-6 on good ground, placing in 5 of those races, so looks sure to appreciate the better ground.

The cheekpieces are on to sharpen up his jumping and trainer Olly Murphy boasts a 26% strike rate with his runner sporting this specific type of headgear first time out.

Murphy is in great form of late and Itchy Feet looks to hold a great chance here at opposing the favourite Allmankind who has to give plenty weight away to all his rivals here.

Form: 32253View

Date	Course	Distance	Type	Weight	Position
25/01/24	HUN	25	GS	11-10	7
23/11/23	MAR	23	GS	11-7	1
21/10/23	NAB	26.5	Hy	11-7	PU
15/04/23	AIN	24.5	GS	11-9	16
16/03/23	CHL	24	Sft	11-10	11

Olly Murphy has been in great form of late with a 15% strike rate and 50% place rate across the last 14 days (7 - 14); he has 64% of his runners running to form across the last 14 days.

Murphy enters three runners at the Liverpool venue on Sunday, all with live chances in their affairs.

Itchy Feet is the TWE pick for the feature race, the Old Roan Chase, and looks set to relish conditions once more at a well suited Aintree track.

Doctor Ken is an expensive 130,000Euro purchase and showed real signs of ability when landing a National Hunt maiden at Market Rasen, he has potential to improve vastly for his first attempt over obstacles.

Mackleduff, his final entrant, is completely unexposed after just 3 career starts, he showed an eye-catching turn of foot when last season in a lower grade and looks well worth his chance in a competitive class 2 contest on handicap debut off a lowly mark.

Harry Skelton can be considered a course specialist, particularly over hurdles by which he boasts a 20% strike rate.

He holds strong chances on the card at improving those statistics on board Lakota Warrior and Riggs who each have potential of running big races given their overall profiles.

Harry also rides Grade 1 and dual Grade 2 winner Allmankind in the feature race and despite giving weight away to all his rivals, holds leading claims on the back of that form, boasting a record of 4 wins from 5 within the chasing sphere.