Aintree Thursday Racing Tips by Dave Stevos
Aintree Thursday Racing Tips
The Aintree Grand National festival kicks off on Thursday and ITV will be showing five races live. The headline act is Tiger Roll in the Betway Bowl but there is a decent supporting cast too. We have a trio of Grade 1s to get stuck into, the Foxhunters’ Chase over the National Fences and also the Grade 3 Red Rum Handicap Chase. You can check out Dave Stevos’ Aintree Thursday racing tips below…
2.20 – Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1)
First up on ITV on Thursday is this 17f Grade 1 Juvenile Hurdle. Just six are due to go to post and the bookies reckon it is a two horse race. Monmiral heads the market at around 10/11 for Nicholls and Cobden. He swerved the Cheltenham Festival and he is looking to make it 5/5 over hurdles. He won on soft ground last time but he previously landed a Grade 2 on good to soft so today’s conditions hold no fears. The son of Saint Des Saints looks a worthy favourite.
Adagio is rated 147, the exact same as the jolly. However, he had a tough race at Cheltenham just under 3 weeks ago. I rarely back horses at Aintree that have run at the festival. The one to give the fav most to think about could be Fiveandtwenty. Trained by Donald McCain, this daughter of Farhh has improved with every outing over hurdles. She made it 3/3 in a Listed heat at Musselburgh last time out. Afterwards, connections immediately outlined that Aintree was her next target.
Her three hurdling wins have come on soft but she won on the level on good ground. Her sire won on ground ranging from soft to good to firm and her winning half siblings liked all sorts of ground too. There is no doubt that the bare form of her three hurdling runs leaves her with a bit to find. Especially with the top two in the market. However, she is unexposed, she gets a nice bit of weight from her rivals and she could pick up the pieces if either of the main protagonists misfire. At odds of 14/1 a small e/w interest on Fiveandtwenty is advised.
Aintree Thursday Racing Tips: Fiveandtwenty e/w @ 14/1
2.50 – Betway Bowl Chase (Grade 1)
The story of this race is undoubtedly the presence of Tiger Roll. The O’Leary’s claim they took him out of the National because of his handicap mark. It was purely a coincidence that he was taken out immediately after the BHA banned Gordon Elliott’s runners in the UK after that shocking photo emerged. Anyway, he ends up in this Grade 1 instead and it will be fascinating to see how he fares. There is no doubting his ability over X-Country and Grand National fences. However, his recent form on conventional tracks is nothing to write home about.
Waiting Patiently steps back up in trip after being tapped for toe behind First Flow last time. I am a massive fan of this fragile but hugely talented horse. Only for injuries I think he would have been a proper superstar by now for Ruth Jefferson and I would love to see him win this. On his King George effort behind Frodon this extra furlong should suit and hopefully the ground doesn’t dry out too much. I don’t think he will be risked if there is no mention of soft in the description.
Can Clan Get Back On Track
I think it is safe to say that things haven’t gone to plan for Clan Des Obeaux this term. Yes, he has run with credit but he hasn’t hit the heights of previous seasons. However, the decision to swerve the Gold Cup and come here looks significant and he will be fresher than he was when finishing 2nd, 9L behind Kemboy, in 2019. However, the fact remains that he has been fairly well beaten on both of his previous runs at Aintree. At the prices I think he is definitely worth taking on.
The one I am going to take a chance on at bigger odds is Real Steel. Bryony Frost rides this son of Loup Breton and he needs to bounce back from a poor run in the King George. The run that makes him of interest in this was his excellent effort in the 2019 Gold Cup. He was bang there jumping the last and he finished just 7L behind the winner and 5L behind Monalee who was 3rd. This race is a furlong shorter, the finish isn’t as stiff and I think he could sneak into the money at odds of 20/1.
Aintree Thursday Racing Tips: Real Steel e/w @ 20/1
Aintree Thursday racing tips 3.25 – Aintree Hurdle (Grade 1)
20f is the trip for this Grade 1 hurdle and on the forecast ground, I think Buveur D’Air looks overpriced. I thought he ran a very respectable race on his comeback at Haydock considering the ground was extremely testing. Although he has won some big races in the past on soft and heavy ground, for me good ground suits him much better.
His last outing on ground with good in the description resulted in a Grade 1 win at Punchestown. Buveur D’Air’s form over hurdles on good to soft or better read 13211, including the best performance of his career in the Champion Hurdle in 2017. The ground was also good when he followed up in this race that season. Incredibly, he has only had that type of ground twice since that easy Aintree Hurdle win in 2017.
Given that it was soft for the Champion Hurdle this year, connections probably made the right call to give it a miss. If this son of Crillon is going to win another Grade 1, this race definitely represents his best chance. Trip, track and ground will all suit and he comes into the race a fresh horse. 12/1 looks a huge price about Buveur D’Air and hopefully he can roll back the years and reward each way support.
Aintree Thursday Racing Tips: Buveur D’Air e/w @ 12/1
4.05 – Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase (Class 2)
Another horse that will love conditions at Aintree on Thursday is my old mate, Killaro Boy. When this horse was trained by Adrian Murray I was convinced he would one day win the Irish National. However, he was brought down early on when he got his chance in that race and he is now in the care of Henry Oliver. He has gone down the Hunter Chase route with this slick jumping son of Mr Dinos. This race has likely been the target for some time.
This fella has won over as far as 25f but his best ever run came over 20.5f at Fairyhouse. In the UK he was beat just a nose in a Listed Handicap at Uttoxeter in June 2019 on good ground and his only other run on good ground for Oliver resulted in a 9L Hunter Chase win at Warwick. His sole start this season came on soft at Leicester back from a 450 day break and he ran with credit to finish 3rd (22f sft).
He ran a blinder behind Burton’s Well at Aintree in October 2019 off 137 on ground softer than ideal. While he finished well beaten, he showed up well for a long way over the National Fences in the Grand Sefton later that year. This is an easier race than that and crucially, the ground will be much better. He should be fit after his prep run at Leicester and Zac Baker was on board for his last victory. At odds of 20/1, Killaro Boy is the e/w selection.
Aintree Thursday Racing Tips: Killaro Boy e/w @ 20/1 NB (4 Places)
4.40 – Red Rum Handicap Chase (Grade 3)
The one to be interested in here off a mark of 133 is The King Of May. Trained by Brian Ellison, this 7yo son of High Rock is a fascinating runner. He has been running on unsuitable ground for the most part this season. He actually ran a cracker behind First Flow off 133 on heavy at Wetherby and that was followed by another solid run behind Sao on similar ground at the same track (16f). The King Of May was racing off 134 when he chased home Zanza on his last start on decent ground at Newbury (beat 5.5L) and he is now 8lb better off with that rival.
That swing in the weights should enable him to get a lot closer to Zanza. However, the Hobbs horse is as short as 9/1 and The King Of May is as big as 22/1! Brian Ellison’s charge loves ground with good in the description, as his form figures illustrate (1112). His trainer loves to have winners at Aintree and his owners are 2/4 at the track. A spin on the all-weather at Newcastle should have left him cherry ripe, he is just 2lb above his last winning mark and on his optimum ground, The King Of May should go well for each way players.
