Key Points
- Day 3 of the 2024 Aintree Grand National meeting
- Preview and betting tips for all three Grade 1s on Saturday
- The impact of running at Cheltenham - will fresher horses shine?
It may well be Grand National day, but we still have three Grade 1s to dissect
As we head into the final day of the Aintree Grand National meeting there are still three awesome Grade 1s for us to look at.
It goes without saying that for some of you, the highlight of the week is the big race itself and I have put together a full 2024 Grand National runner-by-runner guide for you to get stuck into, so make sure you check that out.
As for the Graded action though, we have some fascinating lineups of horses on Saturday. Some are coming back to redeem their form after only placing at Cheltenham, but we also have some fresh faces that are looking to put their names up there with the best before the National Hunt season ends. Day 1 gave us a superb taste of top class Jumps racing action and there’s plenty more to come.
My bookie choice for Day 3 at Aintree is William Hill
A great British bookie is my pick for a very busy day of UK racing on Saturday. And to make sure you get all of your bets covered, William Hill has a fantastic offer for you.
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13:55 Aintree - The Mersey Novices’ Hurdle - 2m 4f
The opening race, and the first Grade 1 on Grand National Day, is the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle and what a fascinating line up we have for this year's renewal. Caldwell Potter makes his debut here for Paul Nicholls, after being purchased for over £700k and he is certainly going to have a lot of eyes on him. He won a Grade 1 last time out Leopardstown for Gordon Elliott, beating Predators Gold, which isn’t bad form, but I feel Paul Nicholls has been rather too vocal about this gelding considering the short time he has had him on his yard, and with Cheltenham in the mix too… Suffice to say that I’m not going to back him at a silly price.
Brighterdaysahead runs here as current joint favourite and gets her mares’ allowance. She ran OK at Cheltenham, but her level of form otherwise is questionable, and after a fairly tough race, I’m not at all convinced she’s right for this and she would definitely need to improve on her Cheltenham run in the Mares’ Novice Hurdle if she is to feature here.
At the end of the day, I’m taking the pair of them on. Personally, I think this race is between the Willie Mullins’ pair
Jimmy De Seuil
and
Il Atlantique
who finished second and third in the Gallagher’s Hurdle respectively.
To me, theirs is the best form in the race and especially so considering the current conditions. Although I have a slight preference for Jimmy De Seuil, it could easily go either way.
The GJ verdict
Winner: Jimmy De Seuil
Placepot: Il Atlantique
15:05 Aintree - The Liverpool Hurdle - 3m
Next up we have the deeply competitive Liverpool Hurdle, where Flooring Porter is the current favourite, after running a mighty race back over Hurdles at Cheltenham. That form probably sets the standard and a repeat effort would see him go very close. However, there is a caveat in the fact that he can throw in the odd bad run from time to time, and once again, I must express my concerns when it comes to runners who had it tough at Cheltenham.
Crambo seriously disappointed me in the Stayers’ Hurdle, but could well improve on a flat track and isn't out of the equation assuming he can handle the ground conditions. But at the end of the day I have this down to two again.
Buddy One
is highly likely to place. I was really impressed with how well he ran at Cheltenham and
he is another that will perform better on a flatter track, so further improvement should be on the agenda.
The one to beat though is
Hiddenvalley Lake, for Henry De Bromhead. He is a horse that has taken a little while to get right, but everything clicked for him in the Boyne Hurdle and that gives him plenty to build on in this race.
He comes here fresh after skipping Cheltenham and to me looks the ideal candidate
to take the honours.
The GJ verdict
Winner: Hiddenvalley Lake
Placepot: Buddy One
17:00 Aintree - The Maghull Novices’ Chase - 2m
The final Grade 1 of the day, and of the 2024 Aintree Grand National meeting, is the Maghull Novices’ Chase, which is reserved for the super-speedy two-mile ,and this is a much tougher race to figure out.
Found A Fifty
ran a blinder in the Arkle behind Gaelic Warrior, and definitely sets the standard, but he’s another who looked to have a hard race that day and I am slightly concerned about that.
He is certainly the one to beat on form, but will he turn up at his best? Well that’s the main question with him.
Etalon is a progressive sort and we really don’t know where his limitations lie at the minute. However, he will almost certainly need to improve to get the better of the Irish runners in this field. Quilixios disappointed me at Cheltenham and there are others here who did the same, which is why I’m going for
Hercule De Seuil. I think he’ll appreciate coming here fresh, he’s a good traveller and although the ground may come up a tad softer than ideal for him,
I think he has a massive chance of picking up a Grade 1 here.
The GJ verdict
Winner: Hercule De Seuil
Placepot: Found A Fifty
Betting tips for Day 3 at Aintree
- 13:55 - Jimmy De Seuil
- 15:05 - Hiddenvalley Lake
- 17:00 - Hercule De Seuil
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