Multi 3 £1 doubles & £1 ew treble
Rapid Raider 2.15 @ 4/1
King Of May 2.50 @ 4/1
Thyme Hill 3.35 @ 5/2
Selected Newcastle – good ground on this stiff and galloping track
12.30 Post Chaisse has to be very much respected after his easy win in his first ever handicap and the 5 pound hit could have been far worse . The longer trip should suit but this is a very different circuit from Hereford , but the stable does have a decent record here . Tartan Cookie’s only career win came over C&D on similar ground , sluicing home and the 5 pound higher mark doesn’t look a burden for this strong staying youngster .
¼ p t ew Tartan Cookie @8/1
1.00The clear form horse is the prolific Git Maker , but does carry a double penalty and this is the quickest ground he’s ever tried .
NO Bet
2.15 The very much back to form Lough Salt is a very stiff 11 pounds higher than his recent easy win at his beloved Donny , but the penalty and the switch to a stiff track, makes him an unlikely winner , as too is Marathon horse Morozov Cocktail , on ground which will surely test . It’s very hard to knock Rapid Raider , who notched a hat-trick earlier in the season and has held his form very well since and comes here on the back of a narrow defeat over C&D on good ground , and looks the bet of the card.
¾ pt win Rapid Raider @ 4/1
2.50 The quicker ground is certainly against the two recent winners in Buster Valentine and Dalyotin , and most probably the disappointing Sirwilliamwallace . The King of May is running consistently well and comes here on the back of a good 2nd at Carlisle on this ground and trip , and this should be his day .
½ pt win King Of May @ 4/1
4.00 Both Court At Slip and Johnson’s Blue come here on the back of good wins at around this trip, but their penalties and drying ground will test . Misscarlett has only recently resumed duties with an Ok effort and as she’s just a pound higher for her last win , and bounces off quick ground , a lovely longshot .
½ pt ew Misscarlett @ 16/1
Newcastle placepot
2,6
3,7
1
5
1,2,4
1,2
24 bets
Selected Thirsk – soft ground on this flat and galloping track – speed track
1.30 A couple of clear positives for Deputy . He’s massively consistent and loves soft ground and remains on a workable mark and has his first run for Michael Dodds, an expert with sprinters. A few negatives also, this quick C&D could be on the sharp side , record racing fresh not great and usual hood missing . Just a dabble .
¼ pt win Deputy @ 11/4
2.05 This is most winnable and a good opportunity for C&d winner Barney’s Bay , who was an easy winner in the mud over C&d off a 3 pound higher mark and goes well fresh . I’d have been a lot more confident but for the stable having to hit stride so far this season .
½ pt win Barney’s Bay @ 13/2
3.15 Catch Cunningham ran well in all handicaps last season , is proven on soft ground and remains on a workable mark .
¼ pt win Catch Cunningham @ 7/2
5.00 Blazing Sun was most unfortunate not to notch a win last season and ended with a narrow defeat at Redcar in the mud . Goes well fresh but another with question marks around the stable .
½ pt win Blazing Sun @ 7/1
Thirsk placepot
6,9
7
2,3
3
7,8
1,7
16 bets
Aintree – good to soft on this flat and galloping track – speed track
1.45 PREMIUM RACE
2.25 PREMIUM RACE
3.00 No point in opposing the top 2 mile novice chaser in Edwardstone , who can extend his winning run to 6 on the bounce . Too short at the odds for mere mortals but big rollers will be rubbing their hands with glee at around 1/2..
No Bet
3.35 The front running Flooring Porter is now the best 3 mile hurdler around but he wont have the front to himself today and how will he cope around this speed track ? The in form and useful pair if Champ and Thyme Hill are both proven here and I’m with the latter to double up on last season’s win .
3/4 pt win Thyme Hill @ 5/2
4.15 PREMIUM RACE
5.15 The Grand National
With the welcome prospect of perfect racing ground for the spectacle, it’s likely the fancied horses will hold sway , as the first 8 in the market all come here with persuasive profiles and the only one I’m ruling out is last year’s hero Minella Times, who besides being a massive 15 pounds higher than last season , has run very disappointingly in both starts this season .
Any Second Now was a magnificent 3rd in this last year , doing incredibly well as he was severely hampered at a crucial stage and came home very much with a wet sail and despite being 7 pounds higher than last season , seriously shortlisted and has run big races in both starts this season .
Delta Work has always mixed it with the very best but has found it hard going in the last few seasons but comes here on the back of a confidence restoring victory in The Cross Country Chase , beating the now retired and legendary dual Grand National winner Tiger Toll, who took on the same race en route to both of his wins . He could be a Grade horse in a handicap
Escaria Ten was only narrowly denied by Any Second Now and has a lovely pull in the weights and is another likely to stay and run a big race
The final Irish strong contender is last year’s Irish Grand National 3rd Enjoy D’allen , who is yet another who has gone through his warmup races well and another strong contender .
It’s not all about the Irish and the home team have three very solid contenders .
Fiddlerontheroof was an excellent 2nd in the Ladbrokes trophy , 25 lengths ahead of the 3rd and came through his warm up race very well . He’s been finishing his races very well and is with a top stable and I just give him the nod at odds of around 16/1.
A very special mention for the prolific Snow Leopardess , who could be the first mare to win since Nickel Coin in 1951, when only 3 of the field completed on very deep ground . She is absolutely thriving and is 3 from 3 this season and crucially is proven over these fences and likely to stay this trip as she was doing all of her best work late on at Cheltenham last year in the National Hunt chase running her race behind a cluster of much higher rated Irish novices . She is also a mum ! she had two years off but she obviously prefers the hustle and bustle of horse racing to the pleasantries of stud and can’t be ruled out .
The last of my contenders in this wide open National is the front running and strong staying Éclair Surf , 2nd in the Eider Chase, so stamina assured and as the Newcastle fences take some jumping , likely to be fine over these fences and the winner , Win My Wings , strolled home in the recent Scottish Grand National , holds serious form claims .
I have to draw the line somewhere and I’ll be playing :
Any Second Now . ¾ pt ew @ 9/1
Fiddlerontheroof ¾ pt ew @ 16/1
6.20 Willie Mullins , as usual, has been cleaning up in these top grade bumpers and Rath Gaul Boy looked good winning at Leopardstown and looks a good bet at the odds.
½ pt win Rath Gaul Boy @ 3/1
Aintree placepot
1,15
8,10
2
8
2,9
4,11,39
24 bets
Selected Bangor – good ground on this flat and sharp track
1.55 The consistent Follow Your Fire has finally got his ideal ground and recently resumed duties with an encouraging effort ,and in an open race , a nice ew play .
2.33 The drop in trip , the quicker ground and also 2nd race after a long break are all negatives for the ex- French Ecume Atlantique so the consistent if luckless AR Mest is preferred , likely to try and lead all the way .
¼ pt win Ar Mest @ 4/1
Bangor placepot
1,6
8
1,4
3
4,5
9,10
16 bets
Had a study at Wolver but honestly couldn’t find anything worth backing
The Grand National –
With the welcome prospect of perfect racing ground for the spectacle, it’s likely the fancied horses will hold sway , as the first 8 in the market all come here with persuasive profiles and the only one I’m ruling out is last year’s hero Minella Times, who besides being a massive 15 pounds higher than last season , has run very disappointingly in both starts this season .
Any Second Now was a magnificent 3rd in this last year , doing incredibly well as he was severely hampered at a crucial stage and came home very much with a wet sail and despite being 7 pounds higher than last season , seriously shortlisted and has run big races in both starts this season .
Delta Work has always mixed it with the very best but has found it hard going in the last few seasons but comes here on the back of a confidence restoring victory in The Cross Country Chase , beating the now retired and legendary dual Grand National winner Tiger Toll, who took on the same race en route to both of his wins . He could be a Grade horse in a handicap
Escaria Ten was only narrowly denied by Any Second Now and has a lovely pull in the weights and is another likely to stay and run a big race
The final Irish strong contender is last year’s Irish Grand National 3rd Enjoy D’allen , who is yet another who has gone through his warmup races well and another strong contender .
It’s not all about the Irish and the home team have three very solid contenders .
Fiddlerontheroof was an excellent 2nd in the Ladbrokes trophy , 25 lengths ahead of the 3rd and came through his warm up race very well . He’s been finishing his races very well and is with a top stable and I just give him the nod at odds of around 16/1.
A very special mention for the prolific Snow Leopardess , who could be the first mare to win since Nickel Coin in 1951, when only 3 of the field completed on very deep ground . She is absolutely thriving and is 3 from 3 this season and crucially is proven over these fences and likely to stay this trip as she was doing all of her best work late on at Cheltenham last year in the National Hunt chase running her race behind a cluster of much higher rated Irish novices . She is also a mum ! she had two years off but she obviously prefers the hustle and bustle of horse racing to the pleasantries of stud and can’t be ruled out .
The last of my contenders in this wide open National is the front running and strong staying Éclair Surf , 2nd in the Eider Chase, so stamina assured and as the Newcastle fences take some jumping , likely to be fine over these fences and the winner , Win My Wings , strolled home in the recent Scottish Grand National , holds serious form claims .
I have to draw the line somewhere and I’ll be playing :
Any Second Now . ¾ pt ew @ 9/1
Fiddlerontheroof ¾ pt ew @ 16/1