1-2-3 NATIONAL BID AGAIN TOMORROW: Daqman named the first three home in correct order for last year’s Grand National at Aintree and opposed Iroko (fourth), the favourite, with his Lays Logic. The Grand National tricast paid £7,665.
1: NICK ROCKETT WON 33-1
2: I AM MAXIMUS 2nd 7-1
3: GRANGECLARE WEST 3rd 33-1 (BETDAQ 50.0)
IN FRONT ON DAY ONE: Daqman, who made a profit on all three Aintree days last year, had two winners on the opening day of 2026 yesterday:
Profit on the day: 19 points
WON 7-4 BARTON SNOW (Foxhunters)
WON evens JANGO BAIE (Aintree Bowl)
GO VICTORY ARCH AGAIN
⭕ 1.45 Aintree Pinstickers’ start to Day Two with a 22-runner handicap, which has seen winners at SPs of 10-1 (twice), 14-1, 20-1, 22-1 and 33-1 in the decade.
Martin Pipe runner-up, Hot Fuss, and the Skeltons contender, Emid’io Pepe, are only five and older horses do better in this.
Third last year, Favour And Fortune is 13lb better off with the winner, Wellington Arch, but that one has improved since and took some inspired bets when the markets opened for this race. BETDAQ 9.7.
DANCER TO STEP UP HERE
⭕ 2.20 Aintree (Mildmay Novices Chase) This is a favourites race: six out of eight – in one case, joint – have won since 2017.
Willie Mullins is not in the trainers roll of honour but could make the breakthrough with Gold Dancer, whose best form has been on good ground, good to yielding at worst.
Golden Miller runner-up over 2m 4f at Cheltenham, he appears tailormade for this step up in trip on breeding. BETDAQ 4.6 taken.
Salver was third in the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham, after the fates conspired against him (kicked at the start; hampered by a faller).
SOBER RATES A SUPERNAP
⭕ 2.55 Aintree (Top Novices Hurdle) This is the race in which Nicky Henderson proved Buveur d’Air and Jonbon but he hasn’t had the material lately and Willie Mullins, who would be trying for a hat-trick, is also missing today.
Supreme Novices runner-up Sober Glory (pictured below) is another who had the fates against him at Cheltenham (hit rail and hampered) but his form and his rating look superior in this company.
Off 153, he is 17lb or more in front of all bar Baron Noir, who was an outpaced long-shot in that Cheltenham race.
THE HEART OF THE MATTER
⭕ 3.30 Aintree (Melling Chase) Winner of this the last two years, Jonbon swerves a hat-trick bid, after a 10-lengths thrashing by Heart Wood in the Ryanair (JPR One fourth).
Grey Dawning’s form is mainly over further and generally disappointing. He was beaten here in the Aintree Bowl of 2025, albeit by a future Gold Cup winner, Gaelic Warrior.
Dawning didn’t see which way that one went in the Gold Cup, though he’d been in the vicinity two out.
Solness and L’Eau Du Sud are distance winners but back in the day; for Solness three years ago, for L’Eau Du Sud when down in class 3 in the autumn of 2024.
TIME GENTLEMAN, PLEASE
⭕ 4.05 Aintree (Topham Trophy, National fences) Winners in the decade at 14-1 twice, 20-1 twice, 22-1 and 50-1 suggest looking beyond the favourite, Madara, hit with a 10lb rise for winning the Plate at Cheltenham.
Runner-up then, Will The Wise, gives Conor Stone-Walsh his only ride of the meeting before the Grand National on Final Orders.
Front-runner Mahons Glory may take some catching. Loved these fences in the Becher Chase in December and back to winning form the last day. Betdaq Betting Exchange 35.0. Gentleman De Mee won last year to go 2-2 at Aintree. BETDAQ 14.5.
IT’S NOT JUST STABLE TALK
⭕ 4.40 Aintree (Sefton Novices Hurdle) Johnnys Jury flew up the hill at Cheltenham to grab the Albert Bartlett (Mondoui’boy 4th) but this flat track on better ground against a powerful duo of Paul Nicholls.
No Drama This End had no run in the Turners at the Festival but noticeable that Harry Cobden switches to stablemate Talk To The Man, dashing unexposed type related to strong stayers. BETDAQ 17.5.
PAPA! NO MISTAKE NOW..
⭕ 5.15 Aintree (conditionals and amateurs) Paul Nicholls has never been afraid to put a four-year-old into more experienced company and this is a race in which he does well.
Pourquoi Pas Papa might have finished closer than fourth in the Fred Winter but for being short of room before the last.
The winner, Saratoga, was in a different league, but ‘Papa’ may well have beaten the second and third, who were both winners going into the race. BETDAQ 10.5
DAQMAN’S BETS
on Betdaq Betting Exchange
1.45 Aintree (win 20)
BET 2.35pts win WELLINGTON ARCH
2.20 Aintree (win 22)
BET 6pts win GOLD DANCER
★★ 2.55 Aintree (supernap)
BET 20pts win SOBER GLORY
3.30 Aintree (win 12)
BET 8pts win HEART WOOD
4.05 Aintree (win-50 bull’s-eye bet)
BET 3.75pts win GENTLEMAN DE MEE
BET 1.5pts win MAHONS GLORY
(plus 3.5pts 4 places @ 5.4)
4.40 Aintree (win-50 bull’s-eye bet)
BET 3pts win TALK TO THE MAN
BET 3pts to win 11 NO DRAMA THIS END
5.15 Aintree (win 20)
BET 2pts win POURQUOI PAS PAPA
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