2024 Aintree Festival Saturday Tips – DS
2024 Aintree Festival Saturday Preview
Another day, another blank. It has just been one of those meetings so far. Giovinco suffered a fatal fall and to be honest, that has soured the whole meeting for me. Pinot Rouge was the only one that ran with any credit but she could only stay on for fifth. 2024 Aintree Festival Saturday tips are below.
1.20 – Handicap Hurdle (Premier)
Two runs ago J’Ai Froid landed us a lovely touch at Warwick (25f sft). Running off 125, he stayed on best to get the better of Kyntara, who was in off 124 that day. Since then, Kyntara finished second again at Newbury off 128 and then he headed for the Pertemps at Cheltenham where he just failed, finishing a close second to Monmiral off 131.
That horse is now rated 134 so theoretically, J’Ai Froid should be well capable of being competitive here off just 4lbs higher than when beating Kim Bailey’s charge. He ran well enough off his revised rating of 129 at Haydock last time, finishing fourth on heavy ground 11L behind Cuthbert Dibble (12lbs better off with him here).
Now, Laura Morgan’s charge returns for a third crack at this race. He could only manage 8th in 2022 but the year before he ran a huge race in it, finishing 3L second to Hometown Hero off 143. His win at Warwick showed that this 11yo still retained plenty of ability and he showed a willing attitude too. 33/1 looks a big price about the son of Flemensfirth and he is the e/w selection.
2024 Aintree Festival Saturday Tip: J’Ai Froid e/w @ 33/1 (6 places) NB
1.55 – Mersey Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
This race revolves around the hugely hyped Brighterdaysahead. She proved no match for Golden Ace at Cheltenham and connections will be keen to gain compensation here. To be fair to her, she still ran a decent race at the Festival, she just bumped into a better mare on the day.
This time her main threats look to be the Willie Mullins’ pair, Jimmy Du Seuil and Ile Atlantique. They finished second and third behind Ballyburn at Cheltenham but they were beaten 13l and 16.5L respectively. They should both run decent races here but there is not much juice in their odds of 3/1 and 4/1.
Big Price
At a big price, perhaps Esprit Du Potier can make his presence felt. Lucinda Russell rarely leaves this meeting without a winner and this son of Montmartre has previous at this meeting. He ran in the Grade 2 bumper here last year (17f gd/sft) and he ran a blinder, finishing sixth of twenty, just 4l behind the winner Florida Dreams.
Since then he has had four spins over hurdles and bar a blip on good ground at Donny over 24f, he has been very progressive. After finishing second in a maiden on his hurdling debut at Ayr (16f sft) he followed that with a win over 20f (hvy) in another maiden at the same track.
I’m blaming the trip/ground for his Donny run but he soon bounced back, trouncing a small field at Newcastle in a Novice last month. On the figures he has no chance here but he’s a young improving horse and I think he has the potential to rate a fair bit higher than 127. If any of the three market leaders fail to fire, hopefully Esprit Du Potier can pick up the pieces (and the e/w money) at odds of 25/1.
2024 Aintree Festival Saturday Tip: Esprit Du Potier e/w @ 25/1
2.30 – Handicap Chase (Premier)
The one I like on his return from a break here is Kinondo Kwetu for the Sam and Jonathan England team. By Casamento, this lad will be delighted to see that the ground is drying out. It was almost good to soft all over early this morning so by the time of this race, all the soft should be gone out of it.
This 8yo likes Aintree. Last year he ran into third in this race, his first run after wind surgery. That was off 137, he then won here a couple of weeks later off the same mark before he ran a lovely race off his revised rating of 145 when beat 3L in a valuable handicap chase at Uttoxeter.
He didn’t like the ground when pulled up on his last start at Cheltenham and this is his first run since. They had him entered in the National so presumably he’s fit and ready to go but he has won after similar breaks in the past so his absence isn’t that big a worry. At odds of 22/1 Kinondo Kwetu is the e/w selection.
2024 Aintree Festival Saturday Tip: Kinondo Kwetu e/w @ 22/1 (4 places)
3.05 – Liverpool Hurdle (Grade 1)
The 3 mile hurdle division is possibly one of the most competitive in racing right now. This is a wide open race and you could make a case for almost all of the eleven runners. If he can repeat the level of form he showed in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, Buddy One is capable of hitting the frame again here at odds of 14/1.
The Gilligans charted a similar route with this lad last year, except it was in handicap company. He ran huge in the Martin Pipe behind Iroko and then a month later he pitched up here and ran another massive race to finish second behind Fennor Cross.
He was having his fifth start of 2023 in that race last year, this time he is having just his second run so he should be fresher. Paul Gilligan’s charge finished ahead of Crambo (9/1 here), Sire Du Berlais (6/1 here) and was just a length behind Flooring Porter (4/1 fav here) in the Stayers’ at Cheltenham so I am not sure why he is 14/1. At those odds, Buddy One has to be worth chancing e/w.
2024 Aintree Festival Saturday Tip: Buddy One e/w @ 14/1 (4 places) NAP
4.00 – Grand National Handicap Chase (Premier)
We are already on three horses for this race and that’s enough for me. You can read our runner by runner preview here.
