What an unfortunate anniversary tells us about this year's Badger Beer Chase at Wincanton

It has been ten years since the Badger Beer's most infamous moment. The Young Master, then aged five, was found to have been ineligible for the race only after he'd dotted up. Since then the race has not produced such a progressive and unexposed winner. It never should have happened in the first place, of course, but you get the point.

Recent runnings have been far more pedestrian, aside from 2020, which did a remarkable job of predicting the bet365 Gold Cup result five and a half months later. The first-second-third were fourth, first and second at Sandown.

The lesson from 2020 is transferable. Handicaps run in October and early November exist in a parallel universe with those in late spring. Calling the Badger Beer the summer's last handicap chase needs only a little poetic licence, not bad going considering it is usually run after Bonfire Night.