Horse Power: Major Dundee can win the Classic Chase at Warwick

MAJOR DUNDEE can win the Wigley Group Classic Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (3pm) at Warwick on Saturday afternoon.

Alan King’s nine-year-old can land another marathon feature in the Midlands. Major Dundee showed his liking for a test of stamina when winning the Midlands Grand National in soft conditions at Uttoxeter last March. He had also previously been third to Win My Wings in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr. He was third on his seasonal return at this track in November before he probably found conditions too testing when fifth behind Nassalam – who went on to win the Coral Welsh Grand National over Christmas – in the Trial for that contest at Chepstow at the start of last month. Although he handles soft conditions it is hoped that they are not too testing at Warwick – which it looks like they won’t be – to give him an even better chance of victory.

Barbury Castle handler King has a good record in the race having won the contest with D’Argent (2008), West End Tocker (2011) and Notachance three years ago. He will have targeted Major Dundee at this race and everything looks set for him to make a bold bid for victory. Major Dundee runs in the famous green, white and yellow colours of the late Trevor Hemmings so he is likely to be aimed at the Randox Grand National at Aintree Racecourse on April 13 as it was a race his former owner loved and won three times. Hemmings Racing as his new owners – the family of Trevor – are now known will no doubt have one eye on the Aintree feature. Lucinda Russell’s One For Arthur won this race in 2017 before landing the world’s greatest steeplechase four months later. Major Dundee will probably have to win the Classic Chase to go up enough in the handicap to get a place