Aintree’s Grand National meeting kicks off on Thursday, and Ed Quigley flags up three highlights that you don’t want to miss….
Aintree Grand National Meeting 2024 top races – the ones to watch
Check the preview for the Aintree Grand National, and which horses to look out for.
“Longshot Ted” will be covering all of the action at the races, with his best bets and tips, for the Grand National Thursday and Grand National Ladies Day.
3 horses to watch this week at Grand National
Find the following picks for the Aintree Grand National:
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Thursday, April 11 – Aintree Bowl (2.55)
This race has the propensity to be an absolute belter, with some top class individuals set to lock horns. Most noticeably, we have this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Gerri Colombe ready to try and add to the glory he managed to achieve at this meeting 12 months ago.
All the rain that has arrived in the Liverpool area in recent times will only aid his cause and he is the current market leader. He found only Galopin Des Champs too good at Prestbury Park, and without that rival around, Gordon Elliott will be confident that his eight-year-old can get the job done with underfoot conditions to suit.
However, a certain Shishkin may have something to say about how proceedings turn out, and Nicky Henderson will be desperate to get his star back on track after having to miss last month’s Gold Cup with the string at Seven Barrows being under a cloud. Shishkin is the defending champion in this assignment and won’t pass over his crown lightly, so this promises to be an absorbing contest.
When you throw in the likes of Ahoy Senor and previous King George winners Bravemansgame and Hewick, we have the potential for a thriller on Thursday afternoon – and one that is not to be missed!
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Friday, April 12 – Melling Chase (3.30)
The Melling Chase is hotting up nicely, and there are some big names who could end up clashing here. If Jonbon, Pic D’Orhy, Envoi Allen and Protektorat make the gig, then we are in for something special. Jonbon will be looking to get his season fired up once more, after a shock defeat on Cheltenham trials day, where his jumping misdemeanours got the better of him, and he was beaten as a 1/4f.
The well documented Nicky Henderson stable issue ruled him out of a crack at the Champion Chase, a race that was there for the taking after the early departure of El Fabiolo. He has winning form at Aintree and is a fascinating contender here. Pic D’Orhy loves flat tracks, and bolted up in this race 12 months ago. Kept deliberately fresh by Paul Nicholls team for this race, he has had a nice preparation, and should not be inconvenienced by ground on the soft side.
Protektorat was impressive when landing the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, where the combination of the drop in trip on Soft ground saw the Dan Skelton representative get the better of previous winner Envoi Allen. This has all the ingredients to be one of the races of the week and it is hard to have a strong handle on how it will play out.
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Saturday, April 13 – Grand National (4.00)
It’s the big one. I will be giving my verdict on the world’s most famous Steeplechase later in the week, but with the prospect of really testing ground on the National Course, this will be even more stamina-demanding than ever. Can Corach Rambler join an elite company and become a back-to-back winner of the race? He is 13lb higher than last year, but officially 3lb well-in after his excellent third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month – that is sparkling form. Can he repeat the heroics? The ground may be softer than ideal and is it possible that the Prestbury Park exertions took the edge off the Lucinda Russell charge?
These are all questions we will find out in due course, but he is popular in the antepost market, and could be warm order on the day. Keep your eyes on the weather, as current forecasts suggest more rain is on the way, with areas of the course already hitting Heavy in places which will throw the spanner in the works for many hopefuls for the marathon test. It may be the ultimate race for mudlarks and I will be trying to solve the puzzle with my Grand National preview on Saturday!
🏇 Bet on Corach Rambler for the Grand National with Sky Bet🏇
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Best bookies and offers for the Grand National 2024
As the action for Grand National gets underway, we have reviewed the best bookmakers to bet on the races. Find all of our reviews, and a list of the best offers at our best bookies and offers for 2024 Grand National overview.
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