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A BIT of an up and down day on Thursday with Cryname and Malaya fading tamely before a brilliant win for Might Bite and a frustrating second place for Supasundae.
Grand Vision took a fall just as he was getting into it in the Foxhunters but Gino Trail did manage to get us a place in the 2 mile handicap. We finished on a nice high note though in the last race as Getaway Katie Mai won nicely under a masterful ride from Jamie Codd. Absolutely pulled the arms off him for the first mile and a half but he still managed to deliver the horse at the right time.
On to Friday then where there is loads more action for us to get our teeth into.
1.45pm
This is a brilliantly competitive handicap hurdle with 20 runners. I tipped WHO DARES WINS at Cheltenham who always travels really well in these sort of races. He got us a nice return at Cheltenham by grabbing a place and I'm hoping he can get the win this time round off the same handicap mark. He didn't quite get up the hill but has the pace to go with them at this shorter distance (2 miles 4 furlongs versus 3 miles) and he is my idea of the winner. Bear in mind that this race is on before the ITV coverage starts so you will need to watch it on a betting app or on Racing UK if you are a subscriber.
2.20pm
I don't have a strong view on this one but if you backed me into a corner I would maybe go with Vision De Flos although his price doesn't really appeal. The strongest form is probably the race where Global Citizen beat Scarlet Dragon by 9 lengths at Kempton. That was Scarlet Dragon's first try over hurdles so he can be expected to improve significantly but again I'm not too excited about his price or that of Global Citizen who is the clear favourite. Watching brief for me here.
2.50pm
Now this is a race to get excited about. I see this one being a battle of the girls with Bryony Frost on Black Corton versus Lizzie Kelly on Coo Star Sivola. Black Corton finished 5th in the RSA at Cheltenham tiring towards the end after running prominently but his form this season has been rock solid. I am just concerned that he has maybe had too much racing having run all the way through the summer. COO STAR SIVOLA won a thrilling Ultima Chase against seasoned experience chasers and that performance has to be the best piece of form in this field in my opinion. Provided the exertions at Cheltenham haven't left their mark I think the horse can take this on the way to winning other graded races in open company next season.
3.25pm
The convincing win for BALKOS DES FLOS in the Ryanair at Cheltenham was no fluke and he should be closer to Min in the betting here. I'm looking forward to a cracking race and my cash will be on Balkos.
4.05pm
Another cracking renewal of the Topham Chase with no horse below 10/1 in the betting at the time of writing. My old pal Ballyalton runs here but I am concerned that he hasn't had a spin over these unique Grand National fences before so I can't back him at the current prices. One horse who absolutely revels in it over these fences is ULTRAGOLD who won this race last year and was also 2nd in the Becher Chase in December. He is 5lb higher than last year so a little bit extra is needed but we're getting a nice each way price and 6 places each way from the bookies so we'll take a chance.
4.40pm
I like Santini and I backed him at Cheltenham but he is a big lad and the hurdles course at Aintree is quite tight which will make things tricky for him so I can't be recommending a bet at short prices. The clear and obvious one for me at the current prices is CHEF DES OBEAUX. This is a classy animal and his run at Cheltenham was too good to be true so I'll give him another chance at a double figure price n the hope that he was having an off day and a change of scenery will spark a return to his previous form.
5.15pm
The last race of the day is a Bumper again and I'm looking for a repeat of the win for Getaway Katie Mai in the Bumper on Thursday. The good news is that I'm pretty confident that I have the winner in the shape of DANNY KIRWAN. Paul Nicholls and his team at Ditcheat can't hide their regard for this horse who is classed as one of the best they have trained at this early stage in his career. We only have two runs to go on but he does look classy and he looks a solid bet. Grab the 15/8 before it disappears.
Recommended Bets
- 1.45 – Who Dares Wins – 2pt each way at 9-1 with William Hill, Bet365, Betfred
- 2.20 – No bet
- 2.50 – Coo Star Sivola – 2pt e/w at 7-1 with Ladbrokes, Betfair, Paddy Power
- 3.25 – Balko Des Flos – 4pt win at 9-4 with Bet365, Betfair, Paddy Power
- 4.05 – Ultragold – 2pt e/w at 16-1 with Ladbrokes and Coral (both paying 6 places)
- 4.40 – Chef Des Obeaux – 1pt e/w at 10-1 with William Hill, Coral, Betfair
- 5.15 – Danny Kirwan – 4pt win at 15-8 with William Hill
