Racing tips: The lightly raced Walking On Air looks like a potential star for Nicky Henderson

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A mixed day yesterday. Tronador was badly hampered by a faller, leaving him with no chance for the rest of the race. Fury Road ran a blinder, and looked like a winner to my eye turning for home, but Ahoy Senor has some serious gears. It's a shame there weren't more runners, as he would've been an EW play for sure. Saint Calvados was far too keen, and I still think he needs soft ground, didn't run well. Five Star Getaway didn't take to the National fences. Haute Estime ran a blinder to place at odds of 100/1 and Albert's Back was pushed along after the first hurdle. 

Aintree 1:45

Cheltenham seems to have left a mark on a lot of horses who have ran at both Festivals, with a few defying that statement, but for the most it looks like they aren't fully recovered. With that said, I've completely wiped them runners out of this race, as watching back, they all had tough races, being whipped and pushed to the finish. That left me with around half of the field to play with, and the one I really like is SAINT D'OROUX for the shrewd Northern Irish outfit of Stuart Crawford.

I think this horse can take the step up to 3m in his stride, despite never tackling it before. His run at Kelso suggests he is a speedy type, with that being a sharp course, so the 3m at Aintree is a track where he might potentially be okay with the step up. He stayed on well over 2m 5f at Kelso, which gives the impression he should be fine with the extra distance, but the form of both his Kelso races, where he also finished 2nd has started to work out very well. He beat Aurora Thunder, and that mare was in the middle of running a very big race in the Mares' race at Ayr before falling at the last. The 3rd, 4th and Famous Bridge who unseated his rider, have all won since. From his runner-up race, The winner ran well in the County Hurdle to finish 7th. The 3rd and 4th both ran well in yesterday's final race at Aintree, finishing 5th and 2nd respectively.

He carries a decent chunk of weight in this, but Ben Bromley takes off a very handy 7lbs, which takes his weight to below 11st.

A few to mention in this are Emitom, who on old form would win this with his eyes closed off a mark of 135, the booking of Rachael Blackmore catches the eye, but I think he's gone at the game. Whirling Dervish is an Irish Raider who ran well in this race 12 months ago, but comes into this in much poorer form. Remastered has another crack over hurdles after running some nice races over fences, and could be well handicapped for the in form David Pipe yard. Serious Charges will more than likely be fancied to run well, he's the unexposed horse in the race, recording 3/3 wins this season over hurdles and is just a 5yo.

Aintree 2:25

WALKING ON AIR isn't my normal kind of bet in a Grade 1, coming on the back of just the one hurdle run, but he was extremely impressive that day, and looks like another potential superstar for Nicky Henderson. He won a fairly weak race at Newbury on hurdles debut, but the manner he did it, beating a now 122 rated horse like he wasn't there and not getting out first gear was visually impressive.

This well bred 5yo Gelding looks to have the stamina based on his pedigree, being my a very talented Mare who stayed 3m and was dual Grade 1 winner. He comes into this race nice and fresh, which seems to suit him best based on his two runs to date. His run on rules debut in a Kempton bumper has been franked quite a bit since. Shallwehaveonemore was the winner that day, went on to become a very useful novice hurdler, before being fatally injured in his last run. That horse was a 133 rated, and went close in a Grade 2 hurdles race. The fourth at Kempton was a Mare called Lutinebella, who finished 3rd in the Mares' Bumper Grade 2 on Thursday. So there is some substance in the limited amount of form we have. I think it says it all when Nicky has entered him into a Grade 1 on the back of one run, and when he does that, I think we have a serious horse on our hands. The ground should be fine, based on his runs to date and his pedigree. He is short enough in the market, and I wouldn't want to be getting involved at any lower than 3/1.

Touching on the others, Three Stripe Life brings the best form into this with his 2nd in the Ballymore behind Sir Gerhard. If fit and ready, he's the one to beat, but he's had a fair amount of tough races this year, so he can be dodged. Good Risk At All was Sam Thomas' banker of the week entering Cheltenham, but didn't manage to get a run, so has to be respected but the ground looks to have gone against him now. I thought Stage Star was interesting back on a flat track and a sounder surface, he would be my EW play in the race.

Aintree 4:15

I am happily surprised to see the odds of KILLER KANE being as big as they currently are (around 10s), as I expected him to be close to or being favourite. At those prices he is a cracking EW bet in this.

Like I've said throughout the last few days, there's quite a few coming into this on the back of a Cheltenham run, which isn't ideal for me and I think you can look elsewhere. Shan Blue is the favourite, and I can see why. He has similar vibes to Langer Dan, and will have hit punters out in force. He clearly doesn't like Cheltenham, and does prefer a flat track, like Aintree. He could be thrown in on his handicap mark of 148, but he looked a tired horse at Cheltenham, and I think it would have left it's mark on him. If we're being brutally honest, the Charlie Hall he would've won at Wetherby, wasn't a strong race if you take out the below par run of Cyrname, the horses in behind aren't that great for that kind of race, or aren't running over the correct trip, so I think his RPR of 166 is quite flattering from that race.

Killer Kane strikes me as a horse who just does what he needs to do to win, which is an owners dream, as it means he doesn't go up much in the handicap when he wins and he'll win a fair few along the way. The drying ground looks to suit, as he handles a quicker surface shown by his recent wins, and the flat track will also suit. Carrying 10st 2lbs in this is a huge bonus, and with the yard going great guns at the moment, I think he is a brilliant each-way bet. The tongue tie seems to have worked wonders for him, being 2/2 since being applied, and they remain for this.

Aintree 5:15

RUN WILD FRED

his horse has given the impression he is and out-and-out stayer, a horse who plods around the track. He ran well at Cheltenham in the NH Chase, where he finished 2nd to Stattler, who looks a quality animal over the staying trips. He is a winner on good ground, so will enjoy the conditions. The fences are a concern, but he jumped very well at Cheltenham, which are stiff fences, so there is a strong chance he'll take to the National fences. I don't think he was getting tired at Cheltenham last time out, it was more the fact Stattler had more gears and was a better horse, despite that he was still hitting the line strongly to my eye and I think he could run a big race in this. Definitely an EW player if taking to the fences, and has the master jockey Davy Russell on board.

ECLAIR SURF

Another horse who has gained a lot of traction in the build up to this race. It looked like at time that he wasn't going to get a run as he was a reserve, but due to non runners he gets his chance. I think he could run a huge race off a very low weight. This horse runs from the front, which means he'll avoid the trouble of fallers and being inconvenienced. He ran a belter to finish 2nd to Win My Wings in the Eider, with that horse going on to win the Scottish National, and he was giving him 11lbs that day. He'll stay the trip, and the only question is the fences. I think he is one of the better bets in the race, and could run a blinder.

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