Last year's winner Ashtown Lad heads 17 entries for the Becher Chase at Aintree Racecourse

Last year's winner Ashtown Lad is favourite to land this Saturday’s BoyleSports Becher Handicap Chase at Aintree Racecourse for a second time as he was among the 17 entries at the five-day declaration stage.

Ashtown Lad won the 3m2f feature, run over the Randox Grand National fences, by two-and-a-quarter-lengths from the Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero-trained Gesskille – who went on to land the BoyleSports Best Odds Guaranteed On Racing Grand Sefton Chase last month. Ashtown Lad was pulled up back over the famous Aintree obstacles in the Topham Chase at the Grand National Festival back in April. And he was also pulled up on his return to action in the Badger Beer Handicap Chase at Wincanton last month. But he is currently a best-priced 11-2 favourite with William Hill and Coral.

Recent Troytown Handicap Chase winner Coko Beach heads the weights on 12st for triple Grand National-winning trainer Gordon Elliott and is one of three Irish-trained entries. The only Irish winners of the Becher were the Dessie Hughes-trained Black Apalachi and Vic Venturi, who were victorious in 2008 and 2009 respectively. Elliott's Gigginstown House Stud-owned eight-year-old won the Grand National Trial at Punchestown last year, but having been eighth behind Noble Yeats on his first crack over the Aintree fences in the 2022 Grand National, he was pulled up three fences from home in last season's renewal of the world's greatest steeplechase in April. Coko Beach is a best-priced 14-1 with bet365 and Skybet to become only the third Irish-trained winner of the Becher Chase.

The other two Irish-trained entries are No Where Or When and Dorking Cock from the Stuart Crawford County Antrim stable. Now Where Or When was third in the Bobbyjo Chase at