Aintree Tips on April 4th - Grand National Festival Day 2 Tips
Day 2 of the 2025 Grand National Festival at Aintree offers thrilling races. With notable picks like Jordans (18/1) in the Mildmay Novices' Chase and Wreckless Eric (11/1) for the Premier Handicap Hurdle, our expert tips will guide you through each event. Other highlighted picks include Tripoli Flyer (10/3) for the Top Novices' Hurdle and Familiar Dreams (8/1) for the Sefton Novices' Hurdle. The day promises an exciting lineup of competitive races and plenty of betting opportunities.
- Free tips on day two of the 2025 Grand National Festival
- This famous meeting continues at Aintree on Friday 4th April
- Wreckless Eric, Tripoli Flyer and Familiar Dreams feature in our day two tips
- Grand National Festival 2025 Day 2 Card
- 1:45pm Aintree - Mildmay Novices' Chase Tips
- 2:20pm Aintree - Premier Handicap Hurdle Tips
- 2:55pm Aintree - Top Novices' Hurdle Tips
- 3:30pm Aintree - Melling Chase Tips
- 4:05pm Aintree - Topham Chase Tips
- 4:40pm Aintree - Sefton Novices' Hurdle Tips
- 5:15pm Aintree - Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle Tips
Friday's Tips at Aintree
The 2025 Grand National Festival rolls into its second day on Friday. The feature race on the card, the Melling Chase might be a little disappointing, but the other three Grade Ones are extremely competitive and punters have three red-hot handicaps to sink their teeth into as well.
Here are our free tips through the card on the second day of the Grand National Festival at Aintree.
Grand National Festival 2025 Day 2 Card
Grand National Festival 2025 Day 2 Tips
1:45pm Aintree - Mildmay Novices' Chase Tips
Handstands has been laid out for this Grade One, but he's a bit short in the betting for me considering he might want softer ground. I'm not convinced at all that Caldwell Potter wants to be going this far. Dancing City and Stellar Story are both players, but the Brown Advisory they ran in at Cheltenham looked an atrocious race at the time and neither hold appeal at their prices.
As there are three paid places up for grabs, I'm going to take a chance on JORDANS (18/1) over this longer trip. Joseph O'Brien decided to run his novice in the Plate Handicap Chase at Cheltenham. Jagwar ran out an impressive winner as the novices dominated, and Jordans stayed on well to place fifth having been posted wide throughout the contest.
JJ Slevin's mount caught my attention earlier in the season with a fine staying-on second to Impaire Et Passe in the Grade One at Limerick. Jordans beat Monbeg Park on good ground to claim Grade Three glory earlier in the season and he's not too far off the leading contenders here in terms of rating. If this extended trip brings about further improvement, Jordans is classy enough to get involved.
2:20pm Aintree - Premier Handicap Hurdle Tips
I've been following WRECKLESS ERIC (11/1) for most of the season and quite fancy Kielan Woods' mount will enjoy this step up in trip.
Wreckless Eric ran out an impressive winner at Cheltenham in November and can count himself unlucky on his last three starts. Woods' mount finished like a train to place second behind front-running winner Mirabad at Cheltenham's December meeting, and then got no sort of run when attempting to make up ground from the rear at Windsor in January.
Again, Wreckless Eric ran into traffic at a crucial stage in the Imperial Cup at Sandown, but picked up again late on to get within half-a-length of back-to-back winner Go Dante. Jonjo & AJ O'Neill's five-year-old remains on a handy mark, sees out his races well and there's stamina in his pedigree. I'm happy to go in again!
Again, Wreckless Eric ran into traffic at a crucial stage in the Imperial Cup at Sandown, but picked up again late on to get within half-a-length of back-to-back winner Go Dante. Jonjo & AJ O'Neill's five-year-old remains on a handy mark, sees out his races well and there's stamina in his pedigree. I'm happy to go in again!
I'm also going to have a punt on BLENKINSOP (40/1) at a massive price. Henry Daly's star ran in the Grade One Novice's Hurdle at this meeting in 2023, having ran up a sequence in two-and-a-half mile handicaps. Hugh Nugent's mount ran poorly on his return from an 18-month lay-off in February, but shaped with plenty of promise when third at Uttoxeter last month and he's handicapped well enough to mount a challenge.
2:55pm Aintree - Top Novices' Hurdle Tips
Romeo Coolio is a solid yard-stick considering how well he ran in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle. There's also plenty to like about TRIPOLI FLYER (10/3), who was due to line up in that Grade One at the Cheltenham Festival, but came out on the morning of the contest.
Many were predicting Fergal O'Brien's star to run well in the Supreme, following his demolition job in the Dovecote Novices' Hurdle at Kempton. Jonny Burke's mount travelled powerfully into that Grade Two, and cruised to a seven-length victory after another good leap at the last.
O'Brien's six-year-old was narrowly beaten by stablemate Horaces Pearl in the Grade Two bumper at this meeting 12 months ago, where Paddy Brennan gave him a fairly suspect ride. Tripoli Flyer returns to Aintree having won his last three starts over hurdles and good ground should suit him perfectly.
3:30pm Aintree - Melling Chase Tips
Read our full guide to the 2025 Melling Chase to find out who we fancy in the Grade One feature on Friday.
Visit our Melling Chase Live Stream page if you want to watch this race via a mobile or tablet.
4:05pm Aintree - Topham Chase Tips
We now move on to a devilishly tricky renewal of the Topham, where's I've picked out two horses to back at lengthy prices. The first is SOUL ICON (28/1), who beat some classy horses to land the Desert Orchid Handicap Chase at Kempton over Christmas off just a two pound lower mark.
Kieran Burke's eight-year-old is yet to win over two-and-a-half miles, but that's not for the lack of trying. Soul Icon was beaten a neck over this distance in the Summer Plate at Market Rasen, before being touched off by Boombawn in the Rising Stars at Wincanton. Tom Bellamy's mount was narrowly beaten by a Grade Two winner, Mark Of Gold on his most recent outing in a handicap at Exeter and I'm hoping Bellamy will give Soul Icon a confident ride, as track position around the Grand National course is important.
Freddie Mitchell got a good tune out of JETOILE (50/1) when the pair finished second at Newcastle on his penultimate start. Ryan Potter's ten-year-old has struggled for form throughout this season, but ran very well on that occasion, losing out to Arthur's Quay having been up with the pace throughout.
I backed Ryan Potter's star at 25/1 when he won the Old Roan here at Aintree in 2023. Jetoile returns to the scene of his most famous victory rated ten pounds lower in the handicap and Mitchell takes five pounds off his back once again.
4:40pm Aintree - Sefton Novices' Hurdle Tips
The last five mares to run in the Sefton have recorded one victory (Apple Away), one second (Roksana) and three other top four finishes. Horses with good bumper form often take well to Aintree too, so Gordon Elliott is bound to fancy FAMILIAR DREAMS (8/1) chances.
Elliott's recruit was a Grade Three winner on the level for Anthony McCann and had her first three runs for Gordon in flat races. Familiar Dreams didn't jump well on her hurdling debut behind Maughreen at Punchestown in January, but kept on well to finish a distant third.
Since then, Danny Gilligan's mount has won a maiden hurdle over two-and-a-half miles and the 22-furlong Listed Mares' Novices' Hurdle at Limerick. Familiar Dreams' jumping has improved with each of her three hurdles starts and she should have no trouble seeing out this extended three-mile trip.
5:15pm Aintree - Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle Tips
Plenty can be given chances in Friday's card closing handicap too. I will round off my betting on Friday with a punt on the O'Neill's talented novice, COUNTRY PARK (22/1) at a decent price.
Country Park is yet to win over hurdles, but has shaped with plenty of promise several times this term. Jonjo O'Neill Jnr's mount made a telling mistake at the final flight when second to Ace Of Spades at Cheltenham in the autumn, and was last seen placing fourth behind Altobelli in an open handicap at Ascot, where first-time cheek-pieces seemed to have the desired affect.
This drop back in trip should suit the strong-travelling Country Park, who'll only be carrying 9-8 thanks to Benjamin Macey's claimer. He has a lot more to give over obstacles.
Verdict
Grand National Festival Day 2 Top Tips:
Tripoli Flyer
2:55pm Aintree
@10/3 - 5 Units
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Familiar Dreams
4:40pm Aintree
@8/1 - 5 Units
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Wreckless Eric E/W
2:20pm Aintree
@11/1 - 5 Units
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Soul Icon E/W
4:05pm Aintree
@28/1 - 5 Units
Bet £10 Get £40
in free bets
18+. New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. T&Cs apply.
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