Aintree Festival 2023

howareyakid

1:45: Banbridge 6/4

2:20: Zenta 11/10

2:55: Shishkin 2/1

4:05: Latenightpass 5/1

4:40: Grey Diamond 5/1

5:15: July Flower 6/1

1:45: BANBRIDGE is coming here fresh after missing Cheltenham due to unsuitable ground, and the ground is once again the main worry for this horse here as well. Clearly he isn’t suited by soft or worse, so it is worth waiting until closer to the time to see how things go with rain etc, but if it’s good to soft and this horse lines up, I think he can justify current favouritism. 

2:20: ZENTA ran a cracker to finish a close third in the Triumph on only her second start over hurdles for Willie Mullins. In this weaker race I think if she runs to anywhere near that level again she can win here. Rightsotom might be a big price and could have an each way chance based on his showing at Cheltenham also.

2:55: Very interesting looking race, and a number of runners with questions to answer. A Plus Tard appears out of form since winning the Gold Cup so it’s hard to know what form he will show up in. Ahoy Senor won this last year but comes after a fall in the Gold Cup. SHISHKIN flopped at Cheltenham but still finished out his race strongly to finish second. He’s had a full spring of racing but if coming here none the worse for the runs and if getting this longer trip I think he could have too much for his opponents here, so gets a somewhat tentative vote.

3:30: Constitution Hill unbackable again here at 1/6. Race to watch again and to enjoy.

 4:05: This is a race where often horses who have won or ran well in the past can come back and produce again, and LATENIGHTPASS who won the race last year comes here again off a similar preparation.

4:40: GREY DIAMOND was my original pick for the Grand Annual at Cheltenham before he was taken out. Form from some of his races has worked out well so hoping he can go well here.

5:15: Very interesting bumper. The ones I was most interested in were the two French recruits for Willie Mullins and Henry De Bromhead and I’ve just narrowly gone for the latter’s runner, JULY FLOWER. From the same sire as Zenta, she won her two starts in France and could be a good prospect. Notkeepingyagoing was one at a bigger price that could have a chance I thought based on her last appearance at Galway last September, but I don’t think she would appreciate any ground on the softer side.

TipsyMcStagge

2 out of 2 so far good man. I fancy Ahoy Senor in the next myself though.

TipsyMcStagge

3 out of 3 now.

Henderson is properly pickled at this stage. Should enter CH in the Galway Plate and have Henderson ride him himself.

howareyakid

2:20: Martello Sky 14/1 e/w

2:55: Inthepocket 7/2

3:30: Fakir D’oudairies 7/4

4:05: Al Dancer 8/1

4:40: Stay Away Fay 4/1

5:15: Ukantango 14/1 e/w

1:45: Gerri Colombe is a worthy favourite here but at a price of 4/6 I will sidestep this race from a betting point of view.

2:20: Open race but I think the form INTEHPOCKET showed in the Supreme could be the best of anyone in this race, even though Cheltenham form is often let down at Aintree. No Looking Back is an interesting looking runner for Oliver McKiernan also and he was next best on my list here.

2:55: MARTELLO SKY has run quite creditably behind some good mares in graded races the last while and, in a very competitive handicap, she could hopefully run well.

3:30: He was disappointing last time out but this is where have seen the best of FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES the last few years, and he can win here again I feel. Feels like this horse has been around forever but still only eight. 

4:05: AL DANCER won a big handicap here last November, also over the National fences, and he’s been kept off since. You’d have to feel this was always his target and from looking at his run history he appears to go well fresh. 

4:40: You have to go back about ten years I think since the last time an Albert Bartlett winner has gone on to win the Aintree equivalent but I think STAY AWAY FAY showed a real toughness to win what was a deep race. In recent years we’ve seen AB winners in Minella Indo and The Nice Guy going on to win again at Punchestown, albeit with an extra few weeks in between, so that shows that good horses can come out of this gruelling race in good fettle. If this horse is the real deal, possibly he can do the same.

5:15: UKANTANGO is a previous course and distance winner who was been running in mostly graded races. Hoping he can have each way chance in a very competitive handicap.

pottokblue

My Liverpool D2 picks/pots/scoop6

WIN Luccia, Fakirdoudaires

e/w Burrowssaint/Cieldeneige/phoenixway

Aintree Bronn/completeunknown/galiadesliteaux, camrond/martellosky/playfulsaint, nolookingback/luccia, fakirdoudaires, burrossaint/cieldeneige, iroko/maximilian

Sccoop6 camrond/martellosky/playfulsaint, nolookingback/luccia, fakirdoudaires, burrowssaint/cieldeneige/phoenixway, iroko, parramount/godante/bluekingdouroux

TipsyMcStagge

13.45: Gerri Colombe

14.20 Buddy One

14.55 Inthepocket

15.30 Pic Dorhy

16.05 Burrows Saint

16.40 Iroko

17.15 Densworth

paddy no 11

Is it impossible for mccain to deliver minella trump tomorrow given 2021 beating of corach rambler? Nothing to go on since really

howareyakid

Good woman Rachael!!

TipsyMcStagge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120476789#Comment_120476789

3 winners and place so far a cracking day.

pottokblue

Aintree Jonbon, goodtimejonny/outlawpeter/mexico, irishpoint, champ/sireduberlais/mariesrock, shakeemupharry, Nobleyeats/galvin/gaillarddumesnil/roimage/vanillier

Scoop6 goodtimejonny/outlawpeter/mexico, irishpoint, champ/sireduberlais/mariesrock, shakeemupharry, Anysecondnow/Nobleyeats/roimage/vanillier, centara, pourlesfilles

howareyakid

3:00: Dark Raven 10/3

3:35: Maries Rock 4/1

4:15: Eldorado Allen 8/1

5:15: Corach Rambler 9/1

6:20: Pour Les Filles 5/1

3:00: I backed Hermes Allen at Cheltenham and was quite disappointed in the way he faded out of the race. DARK RAVEN is from the same owners of the winner that day, Impaire et Passe, and I’m hoping they could have another smart 2m5f hurdler on their hands here, stepping up in trip from a decent run in the Supreme. 

3:35: Always find these stayers’ hurdle races very hard to read, but I’m going to go with MARIES ROCK who is stepping up in trip here in the hope she has some improvement to come. Mares’ allowance is a plus, but she will have to be better that what she showed in Cheltenham if she is to win here.

4:15: I think ELDORADO ALLEN might have the class to get involved and defy top weight here. Didn’t research the race in great detail but definitely seems a tricky race from what I did do!

5:15: I was disappointed I didn’t back CORACH RAMBLER at Cheltenham, as I had a feeling he could run another big one in the Ultima. Seems very well handicapped and think he could have a very big chance here if he gets around etc. Also feel Gaillard Du Mesnil has a massive chance and Our Power was one at an each way price that caught my eye. Always a race to enjoy — hopefully all horses and riders get around safely.

6:20: Bit of money seems to be coming for Patrick Mullins’ choice of Willie’s runners, Blizzard of Oz, but Captain Cody’s sixth from the Cheltenham Bumper is definitely the standout price of form coming into this. The form from Cheltenham seems to be working out so far with Dysart Enos, who finished ahead of Queen’s Gamble at Market Rasen, winning the mares’ bumper here on Thursday after Queen’s Gamble finished a creditable 12th in the Cheltenham race. Captain Cody has finished ahead of Blizzard of Oz twice already in previous bumpers but obviously Patrick choosing him is a plus as it might suggest he has shown them more at home etc. However, chance is taken on the Elliott runner POUR LES FILLES who battled well to win at Leopardstown on debut in December. Form hasn’t exactly worked out from that race but there may be more to come from this horse and in a bigger field, and if it’s a strongly run race, we may see him seen to better effect.

howareyakid

Money coming for Flooring Porter — 16/5 favourite now.

howareyakid

And Maries Rock on the drift… 5s now…

howareyakid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120481144#Comment_120481144

Ah! Ran a big race but what a warrior Sire Du Berlais is!

TheRiverman

Flooring Porter is very overrated.

howareyakid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120481213#Comment_120481213

He’s a horse I’ve never backed for one reason or another. That staying hurdle division is a very tough one to get your head around though!

BorneTobyWilde

MY PICKS

Eva's Oskar 50-1 EW

Gaillard Du Mesnil 10-1 EW

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Le Milos 16-1 ew

Velvet Elvis 25-1 ew

Vanillier 20-1 ee

Carefully Selected 66-1 ew

BorneTobyWilde

McCoy in danger of shooting himself in the foot with his anger at the protesters.

hayrabit

BOWENSPARK 28s my each way dart in ye Bumpere lotto 6.20 Aintree