Aintree Grand National Festival: Day One Preview & Odds

Aintree Grand National Festival: Day One Preview & Odds

Here at betting.bet we’ll cast our eye over Thursday’s racing, picking out some of our fancies on day one of the meeting

We’re now just three days from the latest run of the world’s greatest steeplechase but this week’s racing at Aintree is about so much more than just the Grand National. The three-day festival consists of 21 races including a total of 11 Grade 1s. Here at betting.bet we’ll cast our eye over Thursday’s racing, picking out some horse racing betting tips on day one of the meeting, featuring odds from our betting partners at William Hill.

Close Brothers Manifesto Novices’ Chase

Grey Dawning is the bookies' favourite for the Manifesto Novices' Chase ahead of Il Etait Temps and Cheltenham Festival adversary, Ginny's Destiny. The Dan Skelton-trained seven-year-old landed the Turners Novices' Chase at Cheltenham last month, beating off Ginny's Destiny by two lengths. The pair produced one of the most fascinating tussles of the entire four-day festival at Prestbury Park and head to Aintree with one win apiece from two previous meetings. Given the competitiveness of both races between Grey Dawning and Ginny's Destiny, the latter certainly looks the better value at 4/1.

The main danger in the race is the Willie Mullins-trained Il Etait Temps. He was disappointing in the Arkle last month but there's a belief that he'll improve back over a longer distance.

Close Brothers Manifesto Novices’ Chase Odds

HorseFormTrainerJockeyOdds
Grey Dawning-31211Dan SkeltonHarry SkeltonEvens
Il Etait Temps2-1213W P MullinsPaul Townend11/4
Ginny's Destiny-71112Paul NichollsHarry Cobden4/1
Blow Your Wad-22161Tom LaceyStan Sheppard10/1
Colonel Harry-12136Jamie SnowdenGavin Sheehan20/1

Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle

The unexposed Sir Gino is Nicky Henderson's best chance of putting a disastrous Cheltenham Festival behind him and he's odds-on to win the Juvenile Hurdle. Two runs in the UK have produced two emphatic wins as he followed up a 14-length win in a juvenile contest at Plumpton by pulling 10 lengths clear in the JCB Triumph Trial at Cheltenham in January.Juvenile Hurdle

Kargese looks the main danger after the Willie Mullins-trained challenger won the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown a week ago.

Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle Odds

HorseFormTrainerJockeyOdds
Sir Gino1-11Nicky HendersonNico de Boinville5/6
Kargese2-1212W P MullinsP Townend10/3
Kalif Du Berlais111Paul NichollsHarry Cobden11/2
Nurburgring12134Joseph Patrick O'BrienDanny Mullins10/1
Intellotto171Joseph Patrick O'BrienJ J Slevin14/1
Dirty Den12290Syd HosieBen Poste150/1

William Hill Bowl Chase

This year's Bowl looks incredibly competitive with almost the entire field capable of winning. Gerri Colombe heads the betting after a solid second in last month's Cheltenham Gold Cup and he looks to have fellow Gold Cup runners, Bravemansgame and Gentlemansgame well-held on that Cheltenham form.

Novice, Corbetts Cross is an intruiging selection for trainer, Emmet Mullins. Corbetts Cross was an impressive winner of the National Hunt Chase on day one of the Cheltenham Festival. As he goes back down in trip, this would take a career-best performance to win.

Shishkin is once again the real enigma in the race. He looked set to go on to win the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day before stumbling after two out. He bounced back to win the Denman Chase in February before being pulled from the Gold Cup when attracting plenty of market interest.

William Hill Bowl Chase Odds

HorseFormTrainerJockeyOdds
Gerri Colombe21-122Gordon ElliottJack Kennedy13/8
Shishkin21-RU1Nicky HendersonNico de Boinville11/4
Corbetts Cross-312F1Emmet MullinsMark Walsh4/1
Bravemansgame3-2225Paul NichollsHarry Cobden10/1
Ahoy Senor-PP436Lucinda RussellDerek Fox14/1
Gentlemansgame31-21PM F MorrisDarragh O'Keeffe18/1
Thunder Rock2-1P21Olly MurphySean Bowen25/1

William Hill Aintree Hurdle

In the Aintree Hurdle, Bob Olinger rightly sits ahead of Impaire Et Passe based on their Irish Champion Hurdle form but Impaire Et Passe is more than capable of reversing their finishing positions this time around. Last year's top novice hurdler did not enjoy setting his own pace at Leopardstown and certainly looked a lot better when twice second to Teahupoo in the Hatton's Grace and State Man in the Matheson.

Langer Dan was a Cheltenham Festival winner once again this year as he claimed a second successive Coral Cup win. Cannot be written off now stepping up to a Grade 1 contest. Nicky Henderson has an excellent record in this race and Seven Barrows duo Luccia and Marie's Rock have place claims at the very least. Luccia was one of the few Henderson horses to run any kind of race at Cheltenham, finishing third in the Champion Hurdle whilst principal jockey, Nico de Boinville has opted to ride Marie's Rock instead.

William Hill Aintree Hurdle Odds

HorseFormTrainerJockeyOdds
Bob Olinger53-112Henry De BromheadRachael Blackmore6/4
Impaire Et Passe11-223W P MullinsPaul Townend7/4
Langer Dan-6P901Dan SkeltonHarry Skelton9/1
Luccia3-2313Nicky HendersonJames Bowen10/1
Marie's Rock2-421PNicky HendersonNico de Boinville11/1
Nemean Lion-15216Kerry LeeRichard Patrick14/1
Beacon Edge-1P429Gordon ElliottJack Kennedy66/1
Mahons Glory153-51Patrick NevilleSam Twiston-Davies100/1
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