1.45 – This looks to be at the mercy of Cheltenham winner, Grey Dawning who has proven himself to be a very smart novice this season. However, he has gone to the well a few times this season and Aintree does often throw up a shock so I’d rather have an each way play on COLONEL HARRY at huge prices. Jamie Snowden’s charge will relish the ground and looks sure to put a well below par effort behind him. He couldn’t lay up with the early pace in the Turners and consequently got caught too far back and I would be surprised if the pace is as strong here. He could ruffle a few feathers.
2.20 – Kargese is the most solid proposition here but SIR GINO might just be a class above her and the rest. He had to sidestep Cheltenham due to his yard’s poor form but that could be a blessing here as he comes here fresh against poorer horses. At around 5/6 I think he is a solid favourite.
2.55 – If Sir Gino wins easy in the 2.20 I can see the punters coming for Shishkin in this but I can’t see past the younger legs of GERRI COLOMBE. Gordon Elliott‘s charge put in a career best to finish second in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham last month and any worries that he had too hard a race there are eased by the fact he had a steady enough time of it before that. He bounced back from Cheltenham last year in no uncertain terms and if does the same again then he has to be hard to beat.
3.30 – I’m anticipating the bookies to take a bit of bashing today with the first four races likely to go the way of short priced favourites. BOB OLINGER has been laid out for this race and it looks the ideal opportunity for him to mark his return to somewhere near his best. Impaire Et Passe hasn’t been the same horse as last year and the rest of them don’t look up to the favourite’s level. A repeat of his emphatic Relkeel victory will see him take this.
4.05 – Had the ground dried out I would have been very sweet on TEA CLIPPER here but the heavy ground wouldn’t necessarily be to his liking. However the drop in trip will certainly be right up his street and he possesses a touch of class which could still see him go close. If not then Cheltenham runner up, ITS ON THE LINE, will surely go close. The ground shouldn’t bother him and the drop in trip wouldn’t hold many fears either.
4.40 – Heltenham has been good to me this year and I will find it hard not to have a saver on him here but my main fancy is SAINT ROI. I was sweet on him in the Grand Annual which he looked primed for but he got too far back and struggled to latch onto the leaders. A bad mistake turning in put pay to his chance but the fact he finish 6th says plenty about his ability. On this more conventional track with a nice long straight I can see him getting much closer to Unexpected Party.
5.15 – This doesn’t look like one of the stronger renewals of this race and I think the winner will come from the first 5 in the market. My fancy is HONKY TONK HIGHWAY who looked like a mare to keep on side when she won at Sandown on rules debut. She has already beaten Diva Luna in a point earlier this season and I anticipate her to step forward plenty from her run last time out and go close.
