AINTREE DAY ONE: SHAMROCK looks ahead to the significant Irish challenge on day one of the Aintree Grand National Festival.
What a day to look forward to Aintree with Irish trained runners favourite in four of the seven races according to this morning’s Racing Post.
The bookmakers and layers generally got hammered at Cheltenham three short weeks ago and will be looking for respite here.
They often get it as well.
Reasons being:
(1) Short gap between the two Festivals
(2) Two completely different tracks
(3) Horses campaigned primarily for Cheltenham and often had hard races
(4) Often better ground at Aintree (but could be SOFTER today)
So, how ever much you expect to see ‘action replays’ you have to take the four points above into consideration.
Obviously they are generalisations and in the case of Annie Power you can certainly argue that she didn’t have a hard race when winning the Champion Hurdle and I can’t see any flaws with her as she steps back up to 2m 4f.
The bad news for her rivals in the Doom Bar Aintree Hurdle is that this trip should suit her even better and again she gets the valuable 7lb mares allowance up her sleeve. Nichols Canyon and My Tent Or Yours (2nd and 3rd at Cheltenham) renew rivalry but what angles can you find for that form being reversed?
I wasn’t with Ivanovich Gorbatov when he won the Triumph Hurdle but was impressed with the way in which he travelled and can again see off Apple’s Jade (2nd) and Footpad (3rd) over the same trip.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien (but really Joseph as he sets out on his new career) the four-year-old had previously disappointed in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown where the ground was put down as an excuse. It’s unlikely to be as testing today unless the heavens open in the next couple of hours.
SHAMROCK’S BETS:
NAP: Annie Power (3.25 Aintree)
NEXT BEST: Ivanovich Gorbatov (2.15 Aintree)
£25 IN FREE BETS
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