Attrition equals Best Mate rating of 170
The figure puts Mouse Morris’s seven-year-old on the same mark as Best Mate after he won the first of his three blue ribands in 2002.
War Of Attrition put up a bold-jumping display to beat Hedgehunter by two and a half lengths with another seven back to Forget The Past and L’Ami who was a close fourth.
Explaining his calculations, British Horseracing Board handicapper Phil Smith said: “War Of Attrition came out at 170 on a line through L’Ami, who is a rock-solid 158.
“L’Ami has come out at 158 in his last three runs in the King George, Racing Post Chase and Gold Cup and he is a good yardstick.
“Hedgehunter has come out on 166 and Forget The Past on 159.
“Kicking King was rated 175 after last year’s race, Best Mate was 175 in 2003 and 2004 but 170 after the first of his three Gold Cups.
“That puts War Of Attrition on a par with Best Mate (in 2002), which is not bad for starters.
“I suspect in time War Of Attrition could be better than 170 but that’s all I can rate him at the moment.
“With Hedgehunter being on 166 that puts him 10lb well-in in the Grand National and although he looks like being top weight at Aintree, he still has a creditable chance.”
Newmill, who took over Moscow Flyer’s crown with an all-the-way victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, has been given a new rating of 172.
“Mister McGoldrick and Central House look solid 160-horses and Newmill was 11 lengths clear so that puts on 172,” Smith continued.
“Moscow Flyer was 180 after he won last year, while Azertyuiop was 174 in 2004 and Moscow Flyer 170 the year before and Flagship Uberalles was 169 the year before that.
“So Newmill’s was a decent performance from a horse who is still unexposed.”
Meanwhile Fota Island is on course for the John Smith’s Melling Chase at Aintree next month.
The Mouse Morris-trained gelding put up a personal best performance at the Cheltenham Festival last Wednesday when he finished a nine-length second to runaway winner Newmill in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
The 10-year-old has taken the Cheltenham race in his stride and he could now bid to go one better in the Liverpool Grade One contest on April 7.
“He’s grand and he seemed to be staying on at Cheltenham so he’ll probably go to Liverpool for the two-and-a-half-miler,” said Morris.
“I think he was the only one running on at the end but the winner won well in fairness to him.
“Fota Island did us proud and if you get in the first three in a championship race you can’t complain.”
Impek is set for a step up in trip in next month’s Betfair Bowl at Aintree.
The 10-year-old finished third in last week’s Ryanair Chase over two miles and five furlongs at the Cheltenham Festival, missing out on the runner-up spot after a bad mistake at the second-last.
Trainer Henrietta Knight is now planning to tackle the three-mile-onefurlong Betfair Bowl rather than the shorter Melling Chase.
She said: “My feeling is that they might go too quick for him over two and a half miles on the Mildmay course and that we should aim him at the old Martell Cup.
“I thought he ran very well at Cheltenham where a terrible mistake at the second-last took the wind out of his sails.”
