Aintree - Day 3

Managed to get the clean sweep at Aintree on Friday, but that was a card where if you kept it simple you would have found the winners. Saturday looks a lot tougher, but at the prices one winner should bring a profit.

1:45 Aintree - Novices Hurdle

The one that interests me in this race is Utopie Des Bordes. She raced well for most of her last outing at Cheltenham over 3 miles on soft ground. That race was won by At Fishers Cross, who was impressive in winning here on Friday. She drops back in trip here to 2m4f and has good ground which I think will help here here. She's in receipt of 5lbs due to the fillies' and mare allowance, so taking Dodging Bullets out of the equation she should have the beating of these. Therefore if she runs to form and Dodging Bullets continues to regress then she has a real chance at a good price

Back Utopie Des Bordes at 6.0 - General


2:50 Aintree - Liverpool Hurdle

To say I've followed this horse over the cliff would be an understatement, I'm currently drowning at the bottom of a waterfall after backing Grands Crus since his Feltham victory back in 2011. He's now been switched back to hurdling and flopping as a chaser. This will probably be the last time I back him if he doesn't win, but before you write me off as a loon here's my reasoning.

As a hurdler his 2011 form was solid. he finished 2nd twice to the best staying hurdler I've ever seen, Big Bucks. On that form he would have won this years World Hurdle, which was won by the favourite in this race, Solwhit, who I backed at 10/1.

On the belief that he can run to that form again and chasing just wasn't his thing I have to give him one last chance.

Back Grands Crus at 7.0 - General


4:15 Aintree - The Grand National

Shock horror I'm getting involved in a big handicap! These aren't really my kind of races but you can't blog about Aintree and not try and give out the winner of this race. I'm going to keep it simple otherwise I could make a case for 39 of these.

Chicago Grey stays longer than the mother in law however his tactics of running from the back my cause him issues as it did last year when he was brought down. He looked like he was taking to the fences. I think he is one of the class horses in the race and he comes here off a lower mark than last year. The trainer has won this race before and this horse has been aimed at this race all year. If he's still on his feet three out I can see him pulling clear in the final furlong and making it look easy.

Back Chicago Grey at 13.0 - General


It looks very much a day for small stakes and there is no need to blow the profits made so far from this meeting. A £1 each-way Patent (£14 total stake) pays around £830 if they all win. However if one wins it will return a profit.

I will also be having win singles on each of these for level stakes.