Thursday sees Day One of the Aintree Grand National Festival kick off and we've gone through the card and picked out our selections for the opening day.
Aintree Festival Day One Preview, Bets and Horse Racing Tips
Aintree Festival Day One Preview, Bets and Horse Racing Tips
Our Main fancies for Opening Day of the Aintree Grand National Festival:
NAP: Grey Dawning (1.45) 11/10
Next Best: Gerri Colombe (14.55) 13/8
Dark Horse: La Marquise (17.15) 33/1
Odds correct at time of publishing and may be subject to change, please gamble responsibly.
Close Brothers Manifesto Novices' Chase Grey Dawning
He was previously a Grade 2 winner over hurdles and has taken to going chasing tremendously well.
This gallant grey has really hit a high level of form off the back of his victory at the Cheltenham Festival.
Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle - Sir Gino
A listed winner over in native France, Sir Gino came over to the UK for training with Nicky Henderson with a big reputation already.
Settling into life in his new surroundings seamlessly, he got off the mark for new connections with a 14 length demolition job at Kempton and backed that up to score a Grade Two at Cheltenham on Trials Day in impressive fashion.
Aintree Bowl Chase - Gerri Colombe
Faces last year's winner of the race Shishkin but this top class chaser can get the better of him due to what he's down across the season.
He'll love the ground and comes here off the back of finishing 2nd behind Galopin Des Champs in the Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup.
Aintree Hurdle - Impaire Et Passe
Willie Mullins' charge looked a potential world beater when coming through the novice hurdling ranks last season and rounding off his campaign with an emphatic performance in the Ballymore Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
He's since failed to enhance his reputation in open company over timber this season but the form is strong than it might appear on paper, only being beaten by subsequent Stayer's Hurdle winner Teahupoo and subsequent Champion Hurdle winner State Man.
Randox Foxhunters' Open Hunters' Chase - Romeo Magico
In a race where you have over 20 runners, a few in here boast strong claims but this 6 year old who's won two of his three Hunters Chases can notch up another today.
He won by a whopping 11 lenghts when last seen putting in a great round of jumping and that should see him go very close at the Aintree track.
Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase - Sans Bruit
He was a smart winning hurdler and chaser in France before moving to the mighty Paul Nicholls’ yard.
This will be a tougher test to what he’s been used to but clearly has a lot of promise and could be capable of showing something big here today.
Goffs Nickel Coin Mares' Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race - La Marquise
There's bound to be a few big priced winners at this year's Aintree Festival with the ground being the main reason for that so here's a horse who can outrun her massive odds.
Although she's two from three, she hasn't achieved as much as some of her other rivals in here but what she's shown has been exciting.