The declarations for Friday will be out by about Noon tomorrow. In the meantime, my poor guesses for the opening day of the meeting are as follows: 1.45 Brain Power 2.20 Apple's Shakira 2.50 Might Bite 3.25 Supasundae 4.05 Wonderful Charm 4.40 Theinval 5.15 No idea in this race. You racing folks might also be interested in Timeform's free preview magazine: https://betting.betfair.com/horse-r...018-timeform-preview-magazine-110418-143.html I agree with the National verdict for Total Recall and I've been on this one ante post for a while. As ever though, a competitive race with many chances. Good luck to everyone getting involved.
Cheers Orsen, l had Might Bite tipped by some of the lads but some doubt over Apples after a bad Cheltenham race last time out. Thursday's alway a bit easier than Friday (no winners yet in 3 yrs!)
I don’t normally have a bet in national apart from a couple of quid on the house I pull in the sweep at work it paid dividends last year as I pulled the winner out. However this year I’ve had a anti-post each way bet on Captain Redbeard @50/1 .
It's a fascinating race Gordon. Henderson also fields the favourite in We Have A Dream, so he ought to have the winner one way or the other! It was disappointing that Apple's Shakira didn't take the Triumph at the Festival, but I don't actually think she was that much off her best form in finishing fourth. If you look at the horses behind her at Cheltenham (Saldier, Redicean, Sussex Ranger, Stormy Ireland, Gumball) then I don't think it was necessarily a bad performance. Sussex Ranger likely didn't run his race at Cheltenham, but he was nearly 60 lengths behind Apple's Shakira there, having only been a length and a half behind We Have A Dream at Chepstow. Apple's Shakira gets the 7 lbs fillies' allowance from We Have A Dream here, yet she is slightly longer in the betting. Great race to watch, I think.
Friday's final declarations are through and my ideas of the winners of the first four races would be: 1.45 Who Dares Wins 2.20 Scarlet Dragon 2.50 Terrefort 3.25 Min. The 4.05 and the 5.15 are really too complicated and the form too unfathomable to be putting up any suggestion with confidence. Nicky Henderson should win the 4.40 but he has three entries and a case could be made for all of them. Good luck to all who play.
If Tommy Silver wins the 4.40 then I've kopped just over a grand in various 50p trebles and fourfolds. I know we all hate aftertimers but there you are.
A winner and a few placed horses in there Orsen! I've about broke even today, i'll be re-mortgaging tomorrow Much appreciated.
Always a tricky meeting, this. As Tom Segal says today: "It's always tricky to play the 'hard race at Cheltenham' game at Aintree because not even the trainers know whether those contests will have any effect on how their horses perform." The first two races are competitive hurdles. I like the untapped potential of Alan King's Who Dares Wins in the first (should appreciate dropping back slightly in trip, having been decent on the flat) and Scarlet Dragon in the second (was pitched straight in to Grade 2 company on hurdles debut - can improve past Global Citizen). I think that Terrefort is a classy young chaser in the 2.50 and I suspect he might be better suited by the flatter Aintree track than he was by Cheltenham. Min would be my nap of the day on his showing in the Champion Chase (2nd) at Cheltenham. I like that form better than Balko Des Flos' Ryanair win.
Bloody love the Aintree meeting. My plays for today are... Wilde Blue Yonder Theatre Territory Minds Eye Balko Des Flos Singles, doubles and trebles. Don't like Min up in trip, he takes a fair old keen grip. Don't think he'll get home.
Just Terrefort today (Won 3/1) from my four for a break-even or small profit if you got on at longer. The big race tomorrow, and I am with Total Recall (5.15 Aintree). This horse is the least exposed in the field and may have finished ahead of Anibale Fly in the Cheltenham Gold Cup had he not come to grief three out. He is by out and out stayer Westerner, who made history when winning the only Ascot Gold Cup run in Yorkshire (when the meeting was transferred to York during Ascot's refurbishment in 2005). I anticipate further improvement from Total Recall, who won the Ladbrokes Gold Cup (formerly the Hennessey) at Newbury in November on what was only his second start for Willie Mullins. As ever dangers abound, and it's not an edition of the race where I'd pitch a few more in - either Total Recall will do it or he won't. The only other race which interests me tomorrow is the 2.25 Mersey Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) where On The Blind Side would be my nap of the meeting. Unbeaten in three outings for Nicky Henderson, he is a course and distance winner and won by nine lengths last time out at Sandown with ridiculous ease. He was kept back for this race instead of running at Cheltenham, and I expect him to improve further and take this.
I had Who dares wins, Terrefort & "summat" territory that were all placed yesterday in whats always a difficult betting day. Cheers as always Orsen.