Grand National day 2024 gets underway with a competitive handicap hurdle over 3m at 1.20pm.
WILLIAM HILL HANDICAP HURDLE
Dan Skelton is having a fine meeting and West Bilboa will be hard to beat here, but she isn’t a very attractive price in such a big field.
With the ground drying out and the Nicky Henderson team returning to form, CHANTRY HOUSE looks a better value option. He won a Grade 1 novices’ chase at this meeting in 2021.
The other one to back towards the head of the market is BLACK BAMBOO, who has run two excellent races in big fields since being stepped up in trip.
Of the outsiders, RED RISK and Landrake catch our eye, with narrow preference for the former, who is dropping in class here.
He had West Bilboa behind in him a Grade 1 contest at Ascot earlier in the campaign.
TURNERS MERSEY NOVICES’ HURDLE
The day’s first Grade 1 is a novices’ hurdle at 1.55pm.
Caldwell Potter is sadly a non-runner here leaving Brighterdaysahead a warm order at the head of the market.
However, she was beaten fair and square at Cheltenham and will not find it easy trying to fend off the Willie Mullins pair of Jimmy Du Seuil and Ile Atlantique.
A change in tactics on ILE ATLANTIQUE could see him reverse Cheltenham form with his stablemate on this flatter track.
Of the rest, ESPRIT DU POTTER has the potential to outrun his odds for those looking for an each way option.
WILLIAM HILL HANDICAP CHASE
The day’s first race over fences is the William Hill Handicap Chase at 2.30pm, and trainer Anthony Honeyball looks to have strong claims here courtesy of his three runners.
We think the pick of them will prove to be the in form FORWARD PLAN, who won a big handicap at Kempton last time out.
The better ground and shorter trip should suit his stablemate, KILBEG KING, who could make it a one-two for the yard provided he is over his Cheltenham exertions, whilst Kinondo Kwetu would come into the reckoning if underfoot conditions continue to improve.
LIVERPOOL HURDLE
The Liverpool Hurdle is at 3.05pm and last year’s winner, Sire Du Berlais, has every chance of making it back-to-back wins in the race.
However, we can’t desert our old friend HEWICK, especially now the ground is coming right for him. He is equally at home over hurdles or fences.
Strong Leader and Buddy One have both run well at the track before and look the next best options. STRONG LEADER is preferred, as he has been kept fresh for this.
GRAND NATIONAL
It’s the big one next and it is hard to know at this stage exactly how much the ground will have improved by post time of 4pm.
Our prediction for the first five home is:
1st CAPODANNO
2nd MAHLER MISSION
3rd KITTYS LIGHT
4th MR INCREDIBLE
5th DELTA WORK
For those looking at one at a monster price, Adamantly Chosen looks to have better claims than many of those around him in the market.
MAGHULL NOVICES’ CHASE
Our two selections for the Maghull Novices' Chase are MASTER CHEWY and LIBBERTY HUNTER.
STANDARD OPEN NH FLAT RACE
And in the 5:35 - last race of the Aintree Festival 2024 - our three picks are CASTLE IVERS, GOOD AND CLEVER and GOT A DREAM.
