Aintree - Thursday

I've been visiting Aintree for over twenty years and tomorrow and Friday's cards are just about the best I've seen at the track. It really isn't a meeting that's just about the one race nowadays and that can only be a good thing. I'm working on Friday so miss out on the race of the season but I'm on course tomorrow and have two or three bets lined up.

In the Betfair Bowl the price differential between the main two, Silviniaco Conti and First Lieutenant, is excessive. I'd go 13/8..9/4 rather than 10/11..7/2. The latter is turning into a bit (a lot) of a bridesmaid. He seems to find stayers outstaying him over three miles+ and speedballs having too many gears for him over shorter. However, three miles on Aintree's flat track with decent ground the order of the day could really be his optimum conditions and on lines of form through Bob's Worth and Long Run I don't think there is a whole lot between the two market leaders. The others look outclassed.

As good as The New One looked in the Neptune things did go his way at Cheltenham. Pont Alexandre only set a modest pace and the Twiston-Davies animal out speeded horses who are essentially staying chasers in the making to win impressively. He's a fine prospect over timber and fences but tomorrow's Aintree Hurdle is a whole new ball game. I'm completely against the horse at a ridiculously cramped 3/1 and am taking him on with Grandouet and Thousand Stars. The former has never tackled two and a half miles before but his win in the International at Cheltenham in late 2011 over 17f was achieved against the high class Overturn who set a good pace that day. The extra three furlongs this race entails should be well within range, especially on an easier track. Grandouet is also a fresh horse who his trainer admitted in early March he would have liked more time with to get right. That freshness also applies to Thousand Stars who has been runner up twice in this but crucially this time around bypassed Cheltenham for this objective. Simply put he's a little under the radar and is overpriced at 10/1. The freshness angle cannot be overstated in this race. Countrywide Flame has been on the go since the summer and The New One has had three tough races since the turn of the year. My two selections both look overpriced and I see them both placing.

Betfair Bowl:
First Lieutenant £40w @ 39/10 (won)

Aintree Hurdle:
Grandouet £20ew and £20w @ 9/2 (lost)
Thousand Stars £10ew @ 11/1 (3rd)

First Lieutenant (won) & Thousand Stars (3rd) £15ew double @ 7/2 and 10/1

(+505.71)

£1 Aintree Lucky 15:
Rolling Star 5/2
Silviniaco Conti Evs
Oscar Whisky 13/2
Teaforthree 16/1