Aintree bonus points to decide destination of £54k Tote Ten to Follow prize

It’s the final week of the 2023-24 Tote Ten to Follow jumps competition, with the race wide open to secure the £54,000 first prize, the £9,000 pot for second spot or one of the other cash prizes which run down to tenth place.

Just 32 points separate the first and tenth on the leaderboard, with longtime pacesetter 155 And Counting 2 still heading the field but knowing there is time for one of the close pursuers to slip past on the run-in or a rival further down the field to come up with the Grand National winner at a big Tote return and hit the front on the line.

None of the leading protagonists have a representative running in the National itself, but that is just one of five bonus races at Aintree this week that will confer 25 bonus points, while Grade 1, 2 and 3 races bring 25, 20 and 15 points respectively.

The leader has a useful squad to bring to the fray at Aintree, with Jonbon and Pic D’Orhy vying to head the market for Friday’s Grade 1 Melling Chase and Found A Fifty a leading contender for the opening race of the meeting, the Manifesto Novices’ Chase, another Grade 1 event.

Second in the table Mr Henry Potter 535 has those two key Melling Chase entries on board and also has Protektorat, a 12-1 chance for Thursday’s Grade 1 Aintree Bowl in his squad.

Third and fourth on the leaderboard Bg9 and Pro10 contain combinations of those big-race contenders but fifth-placed Lord Charles 30 adds some variation to the mix with Sir Gino, who is in the field for the Anniversary 4-Y-O Hurdle, and the Melling Chase entry Envoi Allen on the team.

Sixth-placed Coulton has retained the enigmatic Shishkin in their squad and, having been rewarded with some compensatory points in the Denman Chase, could now cash in if the Nicky Henderson chaser puts his best foot forward in the Bowl, for which he is second favourite.

Heading the market for that race is Gerri Colombe, who figures in the list of Mr Henry Potter 537 and could play a major role in deciding the destination of first prize.

Latest standings

LEADING HORSES

1 Galopin Des Champs 71.2% of teams 158.11 points
2 State Man 63.1% 156.30
3 Gaelic Warrior 28% 94.20
4 Fact To File 23.4% 93.72
5 Stellar Story 0.1% 88.60
6 Captain Guinness 1.5% 85.30
7 Teahupoo 23% 82.55
8 Iberico Lord 2% 74.30
9 Jonbon 66.1% 74.05
10 Elixir De Nutz 0.7% 72.50

LEADING TEAMS

1 155 and counting 2 850.53 points
2 Mr Henry Potter 535 842.96
3 Bg9 839.03
4 Pro10 834.31
5 Lord Charles 30 830.06
6 Coulton 825.06
7 lucky4 823.96
8 Mr Henry Potter 537 823.88
9 TRPs 24 819.53
10 Harry and Gordon 3 818.45

LEADER'S STABLE - 155 and counting 2

Galopin Des Champs 158.11 points
State Man 156.30
Gaelic Warrior 94.20
Fact To File 93.72
Jonbon 74.05
Ballyburn 69.20
Pic D'Orhy 52.63
El Fabiolo 49.50
Found A Fifty 47.60

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