Through the card tips on day one of the Grand National Festival
Four Grade One races will be run at Aintree on Thursday 7th April
The Aintree Bowl is the headline race on the card
Millers Bank, Pied Piper and Brewin'upastorm feature in our selections
Expired
Crowds will return to Aintree for day one of the Grand National meeting on Thursday. (Getty)
The Grand National Festival kicks off with a fantastic card at Aintree on Thursday. Day one begins with four excellent Grade One races. Punters will then sink their teeth into the Foxhunters and the Red Rum Handicap Chase, before Thursday's card closes with the Grade Two Mares' Flat Race.
Randox Foxhunters' Open Hunters' Chase (Class 2) 2m5f
4:40pm
Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase (Grade 3) 2m
5:15pm
Goffs UK Nickel Coin Mares' Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race (Grade
2) 2m1f
Aintree Tips - Thursday 7th April
Race 1 - Manifesto Novices' Chase Tips
This doesn't seem like a strong renewal of this Grade One. You can put question marks beside most of the runners. At the prices, I'll take a chance on MILLERS BANK, who finished third as an 80/1 shot in the Aintree Hurdle this time last year.
After winning easily on his first chase start at Huntingdon, Alex Hales' star unseated his rider in the Berkshire Novices' Chase and again in the Dipper at Cheltenham. Miller's Bank then ran a solid race to finish a length behind Pic D'Orhy in the Pendil last time out, despite jumping out to his left at pretty much every obstacle.
Millers Bank won on his second start after a wind-op last season, and he underwent a similar procedure before that runner-up finish at Kempton. Hales won't be too worried about the rain either, as his stable star has won two of his three starts on soft or heavy ground.
Race 2 - Anniversary 4-Y-O Hurdle Tips
Two juvenile form lines from the Cheltenham Festival come together on Thursday. Brazil saved the bookmaker's blushes by beating hot-favourite Gaelic Warrior in the Boodles. The runner-up was clearly very well handicapped, so Brazil did brilliantly to battle back and win when giving his rival eight pounds at the weights.
PIED PIPER ran another excellent race to finish third behind Vauban and Fil Dor in the Triumph Hurdle. Gordon Elliott's charge looked to be in with a shout as the leader jumped the last poorly, but Vauban found an extra gear on the run to the line and Pied Piper was outstayed by Fil Dor in the closing stages.
Of the two, I think Pied Piper had the easier race at Cheltenham. The Triumph turned into a sprint up the hill and Jack Kennedy's mount was one of the last off the bridle, whereas Mark Walsh was hard at work on Brazil a long way from home. There's still more to come from Pied Piper and I'm finding it hard to side against him.
If you want to watch any of Thursday's races via a mobile device, then take a look at our Aintree Bowl Live Stream page.
Race 4 - Aintree Hurdle Tips
Epatante has looked back to her best this season. She'll be getting seven pounds from the geldings and Nicky Henderson's record in this race - both with horses stepping up from two miles and dropping back from three - is excellent. Zanahiyr has been running well in big Grade Ones over two miles all season and this step up in trip will certainly suit.
While the market leaders clearly have a very good chance, the prospect of softer ground would greatly enhance BREWIN'UPASTORM'S chances and I fancy he could hand Olly Murphy another Grade One win.
Brewin'upastorm went off at 15/2 for this race 12 months ago, only to produce a shocking round of jumping and cross the line fifth. Sean Bowen's mount has been in excellent form this season, winning her at Aintree and on heavy ground at Lingfield. Brewin'upastorm would surely have won the Relkeel Hurdle had he not fallen at the last, and Murphy's nine-year-old returns to Aintree on the back of a narrow defeat to Botox Has in the Game Spirit, where he was giving the runner-up six pounds and drifted out to 3/1 before the off.
Murphy has decided to fit cheek-pieces for the first time on Thursday and if the ground does ease towards soft, I'd give Brewin'upastorm an excellent chance.
Brewin'upastorm beat two classy rivals in Darver Star and Goshen at Lingfield earlier in the season. (Getty)
Race 5 - Hunters' Chase Tips
I'm going to back a couple at lengthy prices here, starting with Sara Bradstock's MYTH BUSTER. Formerly trained by Henry De Bromhead, Bradstock's recruit beat the handy Soldier Of Love in a Hunter's Chase at Musselburgh on his penultimate run, and ran well when second on his most recent outing between the flags.
The Bradstock's have managed to secure the services of Patrick Mullins on Thursday and it wouldn't be a shock to see Myth Buster go close.
I'm also keen to back COMPLETE SIZING, who boasts an impressive record between the flags. Both Jamie Codd and Derek O'Connor won on Complete Sizing when he was trained in Ireland by Jim Dreaper. Ben Bromley's mount finished third behind two high-quality pointers in Premier Magic and Porlock Bay on his first start for Phil Rowley, before winning nicely at Bangor at the start of March.
Bromley experienced the National fences in this race 12 months ago and Complete Sizing enters this with genuine hopes of challenging.
Race 6 - Red Rum Handicap Chase Tips
While I'm sure both Before Midnight and Gunsight Ridge are both capable of winning this off their current marks, I fancy an each-way punt on the elder statesman on the field, BUN DORAN.
Tom George's star was rated 160 in 2020, finishing third in that year's Champion Chase. Bun Doran arrested his slide down the weights at Doncaster last time out, where he edged out King D'argent and Cheddleton to win by a neck.
The handicapper only upped Bun Doran's mark by three pounds to 134 for that win, meaning he remains some 27 pounds short of the peak rating he achieved just two years ago. The fact that George decided to bypass the Cheltenham Festival for the first time since 2018 suggests to me that he thinks the flatter track at Aintree will suit Bun Doran better, now that his teenager has reached his twilight years.
Race 7 - Nickel Coin Mares' Flat Race Tips
I'm going to have a couple of each way punts in the finale too, starting with Fergal O'Brien's LEADING THEATRE.
Max Kendrick's mount was last seen finishing a very close second to stablemate Bonttay - who was heavily backed beforehand and enjoyed a smoother passage through the race - in the Listed bumper for mares' at Cheltenham's November Meeting. This has clearly been the plan since then and the form of her two wins at Worcester last summer has worked out quite nicely.
Another who looks overpriced is ROC OF DUNDEE, who's two-from-two under rules for Donald McCain. Brian Hughes' mount made all and held off Kalelula to score on a foggy day at Wetherby in January, and followed up with a hard-fought success on soft ground at Ascot. If this turns into a slog on very soft ground, Roc Of Dundee will be up for the fight.
