Who To Follow On Day One Of The Grand National Meeting

The second race of the day at Aintree on day one is the Doom Bar Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle and Adagio for David Pipe represents the best form line heading into the race.

The youngster made his debut in November at Warwick when winning a decent event and then two starts ago stepped over two miles at Cheltenham and finished a good second behind the Gordon Elliott trained Duffle Coat.

He used that form next time out to drop back in class and easily land the Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle over the same course and distance.

The gelding took the race with ease, travelling well throughout the race and Pipe then gave him his chance at the top level when sending him to Chepstow last time out.

Stepping up against Nassalam, Adagio was pitched into the Grade One Finale Juvenile Hurdle and was a superb winner, staying on in the final stages to dominate the field.

With Grade One winning form, Pipe waited on him and sent him to Cheltenham in the Grade One Triumph Hurdle and he finished a superb second behind the smart Quilixios.

Having now proved it twice at the top level it sees him have a slight edge over the favourite Monmiral and we are backing him to go well once more.

Paul Nicholls did not have the best Cheltenham festival, but looks to have saved his best team for Aintree and on day one has numerous chances to pick up some winners.

In the first race of the day he fields Hitman who has not done a lot wrong this season and having good Grade One form puts him in the mix for the Manifesto.

For the same connections he has the favourite in the Juvenile Hurdle with Monmiral winning all four of his races to date and is odds on to keep his unbeaten record.

To make it an early hat-trick, dual King George VI Chase winner Clan Des Obeaux has a huge chance in the Grade One Betway Bowl, with the field looking weaker than usual.

Other big chances across the day for Nicholls look to be McFabulous in the Aintree Hurdle and Getaway Trump in the Red Rum Handicap, with the master trainer having five of the seven favourites on Thursday.

Putting Nicholls up as the trainer to follow, we also have to put up Harry Cobden as the jockey to follow on day one, with the young rider having his best season to date.

Cobden has a handful of superb rides with the aforementioned Hitman, Clan Des Obeaux, McFabulous and Monmiral, but another on the Thursday that has a live chance comes in the final race of the day.

The Grade Two Mares' bumper sees a good field head to post and he rides Heartbreaker at 33/1 that landed her debut nicely in March at Fakenham and can go well for him at a big price.

The rider heads into the meeting in superb form over the last two weeks having had 12 winners from his last 40 rides which sees him pose a 30% strike rate.