AUTHOR: Star Sports Content
STAR RACING PREVIEW: Aintree Friday
Yesterday belonged to Willie Mullins, which – even when he didn’t have any of the Grade 1 favourites, should have been no surprise in hindsight. writes WILLIAM KEDJANYI.
For us it was a blank but there’s plenty of great betting races to have a go at today, with something for everyone.
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1:45 – Huyton Asphalt Franny Blennerhassett Memorial Mildmay Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+) 3m1f (3m210y) (Mildmay)
A fascinating race with all eight having a chance of some sort. Handstands’ defeat of Jango Baie in the Scily Isles at Sandown looks like the outstanding piece of form in the race, and the guys and class he showed there will stand him in good stead. It’s hard to pick a hole in him, but the slight worry may be the ground – on his one chase start on a decent surface, he was under pressure when he fell in the Rising Stars at Wincanton, but that was over 2m4f on a tighter track than the Mildmay. He remains the one to beat, having improved since.
Willie Mullins took all before him yesterday and if that carries on, then Dancing City and Quai De Bourbon will have fine chances. However, it would have been nice to have an excuse for Dancing City’s blowout bar being pestered on the front end (which may happen again here with Caldwell Potter) and Quai de Bourbon made a bad mistake four out and can’t afford that here.
Caldwell Potter finally put it all together for Paul Nicholls when he romped home in the Novices’ Handicap Chase at Cheltenham, loving the ground and hitting the line with relish. He received a fine ride from Harry Cobden then and will have more pace pressure early but if getting into the same rhythm, he can take this field out of his comfort zone.
The Changing Man and Jordans ran well at Cheltenham in differing handicaps but will need to find improvement to be in the shake-up here. Don’t Rightly Know is interesting, having improved quickly for Polly Gundry – she’s got low mileage for her age and has seen her form get boosted for both her listed wins, whilst Stellar Story was second in the Brown Advisory and could enjoy a stronger pace here.
2:20 – William Hill Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4yo+) 2m4f
Impose Toi ran into a handicap snip in the shape of Jimmy Du Seuil in the Coral Cup and a similar effort here will make him extremely difficult to beat. He settled and finished his race better than Be Aware, and he could confirm those placings even over this flatter track today.
A chance is taken on Helenwein, who is going for a new trip today after his chasing spell didn’t work out. His form with Be Aware and Secret Squirrel make him very well handicapped and if he’s able to recover the spark over hurdles then he can run a very big race.
2:55 – TrustATrader Top Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4yo+)2m½f (2m103y)
The percentage call is Romeo Coolio, whose Supreme Novices’ Hurdle third is the outstanding piece of form in the race. This test may be slightly sharp, but a long straight will help and he looks more than fairly priced on a form basis (8lbs clear on RPR’s). Impressive Dovecote winner Tripoli Flyer is a massive threat here and ought to relish Aintree. He’s preferred to Salvador Mundi, who can step forward from his fifth in the Supreme, but needs to and may still have growing up to do yet. This ground could suit Diva Luna and Jet To Vegas looks overpriced on his Grade 2 win at Kelso.
3:30 – My Pension Expert Melling Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+) 2m4f
Only four here, which is likely to be a huge help for Jonbon, who won this last year, dominated the 2 mile scene, and then made a terrible blunder at the wrong time in the Champion Chase. On this ground he’ll have too much pace for Protektorat and too much class for Matata, and El Fabiolo is impossible to trust after his fall at the Dublin Racing Festival and then a below par defeat in the Webster Cup – a watching brief.
4:05 – Randox Supporting Prostate Cancer UK Topham Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+) 2m5f (2m5f19y) (Grand National)
Ga Law appeals at a big price. You can forget his blowout in the Stayers’ Hurdle, he wasn’t upto the Denman Chase the time before, and back in October and November, he was twice runner-up in strong handicaps including the Paddy Power Gold Cup. He’s now 3lbs lower here, is a front-running attacker of his fences who gets further and handles good ground to boot, and it would be no surprise if he’s able to outrun his odds.
Grandeur d’Ame didn’t get home in the Ultima when he also forfeited ground when whipping round at the start, but beforehand, he was a fine second in a strong Premier Handicap at Cheltenham on Trials Day, and he’d beaten other fancy Ga Law at Chepstow in good style off just a 6lbs lower mark.
Of the market leaders, the Mullins/Soude/Munir double of Blue Lord and James du Berlais can go well but Blue Lord needs to prove he’s back to something like his best, and James du Berlais has been hard to win with, for all he’s very well handicapped on his last outing. Ginny’s Destiny is well handicapped if a boost from the first-time tongue-tie and cheekpieces, whilst the rejuvenated Bad and Excello look the main threats, both of whom made the shortlist.
4:40 – Oddschecker Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4yo+)3m½f (3m149y)
Plenty in with a shout but two from the top of the market appealed most. Battle Born Lad is not an easy ride or an easy watch, but he’s talented and in two hurdles starts he’s beaten the subsequent Challow runner-up and Albert Bartlett fifth Wendigo and then he dominated a Grade 2 at Haydock, when he beat the previous Grade 2 runner-up up Moon Rocket. At 6/1, double the price of Califet En Vol, he gets the vote on a price basis. Mister Meggit has a big engine but will need to knuckle down and dirty here and the Irish raiders Familiar Dreams and Jacob’s Ladder.
5:15 – Hallgarten And Novum Wines Handicap Hurdle (Conditional Jockeys’/Amateur Riders’ Race) (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) 2m½f (2m103y)
Afadil ran a screamer when third in this race last year off a 6lbs higher mark, and arrives after fine runs in the Scottish County Hurdle and the Imperial Cup. He will take some beating and 5/1 is very fair. Celtic Dino has a very fair mark based on his form in the Forby and Dovecote and looked better suited to this test than Hamsiyann, but Fiercely Proud is being far too easily overlooked.
He had an irregular heartbeat when he was pulled up in the William Hill Hurdle at Newbury last time and previously, he took the Ladbroke at Ascot just before Christmas, building on his sixth in the Greatwood Hurdle. That’s some of the strongest form in this field, and Callum Pritchard takes 5lbs off for good measure. 14/1 is worth chancing with 5 places.
RECOMMENDED BETS
BACK Impose Toi to win the 2.20 at Aintree 1pt each/way at 7/1 (⭐
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BACK Helenwein to win the 2.20 at Aintree 1pt each/way at 12/1 (5 places) (⭐
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BACK Romeo Coolio to win the 2.55 at Aintree 3 pts win at 7/4 (⭐
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BACK Grandeur d’Ame to win the 4.05 at Aintree 1 pt each/way at 11/1 (6 places) (⭐
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BACK Ga Law to win the 4.05 at Aintree 1 pt each/way at 25/1 (6 places) (⭐
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BACK Battle Born Lad to win the 4.40 at Aintree 1 pt at 6/1 (⭐
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BACK Afadil to win the 5.15 at Aintree 1 pt at 5/1 (⭐
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BACK Fiercely Proud to win the 4.05 at Aintree 1 pt each/way at 16/1 (6 places) (⭐
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PROFIT/LOSS (APR 2024): 1.90 POINTS
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