I apologise for Wednesday's selections, they were a pair of duds.
Broderick never looked happy. His jumping was sticky, and I thought we were in trouble down the back straight as the leader was going extremely well and jumping like a buck. As for the other selection, the market was very negative, and he went off at 5/1 and raced like the market suggested he would.
We've got some very good racing to look forward to this week. It'll be tough to find the winners, but as long as Stumptown wins the National, I'll be very happy after sitting on him at 66/1 in an Antepost bet, and I did suggest following me when he was still around 50/1. He currently sits at 8/1 second-favourite, so I have every part of my body crossed on him landing the big one.
Rizzel's tips
Ahoy Senor 11/2 – Aintree 2.55
An old friend of mine is Ahoy Senor. I'm not sure why I'm calling him a friend as he has cost me a few quid over the years, but it's probably because I really like this horse and despite him having a tendency to jump out to his right, he seems to relish running at Aintree.
In my opinion, this race all boils down to whether Gaelic Warrior turns up or not. By that I mean not physically turning up to the race, but whether he's in form, as the best version of Gaelic Warrior would be the one to beat in this, but going left-handed has always been a question mark to him, and when he is off the boil, he is very poor. The booking of Patrick Mullins on him is enough for me to leave him alone, as it seems awfully strange that Paul is not on board.
In terms of the rest of the field, I don't think it's a great Grade 1. Ahoy Senor has finished 2nd in this race over the last two seasons and won it back in 2022; he was incredibly unlucky not to beat Shishkin the year before last. Brian Hughes got the ride on him that day as Derek was injured, and he went for home far too early, and Shishkin managed to run him down late on. Last year, he was second to Gerri Collombe, who I fancied for the Gold Cup last year (finished 2nd), so that is a decent piece of form. This year, he doesn't really have a superstar to compete against, apart from maybe Gaelic Warrior. I'm not sold on Grey Dawning. His form during his novice season over fences isn't really that strong. He was in and around Ginny's Destiny, and that horse hasn't done much since. He beat Iroko at Kelso last time out, but that horse was using that run as a prep for the National, also, I don't think the ground will be to his liking. I thought Stage Star was a dark horse for this, as he has been primed for this race after avoiding Cheltenham.
Patrick Wadge gets the ride on Ahoy Senor as Derek is injured again, and this is a big opportunity for the youngster who showed his class when giving Myretown a front-running masterclass at the Festival last month. Hopefully, he can get this horse into a rhythm and hold onto him to as late as possible to ensure his stamina holds out.
Milan Forth 10/1 EW – Aintree 4.05
The Foxhunters' Open Hunters' Chase is always a great spectacle as we get to see the amateur riders take to the national fences. All horses race off the same weight, so you'd think the highest rated horse would win, but it doesn't always work out like that.
It's definitely the safest option going for horses who are proven at this track and over these fences, so the likes of Famous Clermont and Lifetime Ambition will be popular, but I've ended up going for Milan Forth, who won for me a couple of weeks ago.
I like the profile of Milan Forth. He is 2/2 in the Hunters' Chase races, but he also has some good form from PTP races when racing over 3m, which isn't his trip. He is definitely better over shorter distances, as he proved last time out over 2m 3f when winning in better style than the winning margin suggests. He loves the good ground, so he should feel at home on the surface, and it all boils down to whether he'll take to the fences, and I think he will.
In terms of ratings, he has a fair bit to prove against the likes of My Drogo, who is definitely up to winning a race like this, but my selection is only a 6-year-old, has plenty of ability and is still progressing. He is a nice EW price, and I think he can run a big race.
My Mate Mozzie 11/2 – Aintree 4.40
I think the good weather that we've encountered in recent weeks will mean the ground has gone against a fair few in this race, so it wouldn't surprise me if we see a couple of non-runners. I don't think this is a particularly strong race, so I believe carrying a heavy weight will not be an inconvenience to My Mate Mozzie, who is one of the classier horses in the race.
I said at the Cheltenham Festival in the Grand Annual that My Mate Mozzie was one of the horses to beat, and he ran a corker to finish in fourth place. He made a mistake late on and tired up the hill, so I think the return to a flatter track and in a weaker race will be better for him.
The ground will not be a problem for him as he has won on this surface before, and despite him being a 9-year-old, he hasn't got many miles on the clock, especially this season, as he has been put away for a spring campaign and then a spin on the flat for the summer.
I did think Petit Tonnerre was one to be wary of as he has always been a horse I've liked, but connections have plotted a careful route for him, as he did manage to cash in a low mark. He is still well-treated, so any strong money would suggest they fancy their chances.
GambleAware