After an exciting opening day of the Grand National Festival, the action resumes at Aintree for Day Two.
With anticipation building ahead of the main event on Saturday, there's plenty of action on Friday to get stuck into.
Our chief tipster Newsboy picks his 1-2-3s and best bets from each race.
1.45 MILDMAY NOVICES' CHASE (GRADE ONE)
CHIANTI CLASSICO still has more to offer as he casts his nets in Grade 1 waters for the first time over fences.
Kim Bailey’s son of Shantou has proved a different proposition over the larger obstacles after being pulled up in Cheltenham’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last year.
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My selection started off with a four-and-a-quarter-length supremacy in a handicap chase for rookies at Chepstow in October, going in again at Ascot the following month.
Chianti Classico lost his unbeaten record in the sphere with a two-length second to Flegmatik at Kempton Park in January, but was giving the winner 5lbs and got back on track at Cheltenham last month.
A 6-1 chance for the Ultima Handicap Chase, David Bass’s mount travelled with menace en route to a four-and-a-half-length margin from Twig.
Today’s assignment obviously demands another personal best, but Chianti Classico is a long way from the bottom of the barrel and is taken to prove up to the job.
Inothewayurthinkin , also stepping up in grade after landing the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup at the National Hunt Festival, is respected, along with Giovinco and Broadway Boy .
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3
1 CHIANTI CLASSICO
2 INOTHEWAYURTHINKIN
3 GIOVINCO
2.20 WILLIAM HILL HANDICAP HURDLE
INTHEWATERSIDE gets the nod to take his record in handicaps to two wins from two attempts.
Unbeaten in two outings in bumpers, the French-bred five-year-old marked his obstacles bow with a neck call - he was sent off the 4-7 favourite - in a maiden hurdle over course and distance last October.
The following month, Inthewaterside flopped as the 8-11 hotpot for a conditions event at Ascot - Harry Cobden’s mount returned last of four behind Doddiethegreat - but the Paul Nicholls trainee was back in business at Lingfield Park’s Winter Million fixture in January.
Again heading the market, this time at 4-1, against 10 opponents, Inthewaterside made all the running to hold He’s A Latchico by two and a quarter lengths, in the process proving his ability to perform to his optimum when the mud is flying.
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Back in novice company at Ascot last time out, my choice ran the same distance second to Pic Roc, who subsequently ran a cracker on Sandown Park’s Imperial Cup undercard.
The handicapper has nudged Inthewaterside up just 1lb - and that could prove lenient.
In a wide-open contest, Making Headway , Springwell Bay , Serious Operator and Boombawn are all capable of playing a part.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3
1 INTHEWATERSIDE
2 MAKING HEADWAY
3 SPRINGWELL BAY
2.55 TRUSTATRADER TOP NOVICES HURDLE
GOLDEN ACE is unbeaten over hurdles and should give a good account of herself at rewarding odds.
Golden Horn’s daughter showed smart form in bumpers - she made a winning racecourse debut at Wincanton on Boxing Day 2022 and finished second to Dysart Enos at this fixture 12 months ago - but she’s proved a different proposition again over obstacles.
Jeremy Scott gave Golden Ace her hurdles bow at his local track, Taunton, in January and Lorcan Williams’ partner got off to the perfect start in the sphere with a three-quarter-length win.
Golden Ace then defied a penalty against her own gender at the same track a month later before contesting the Grade 2 Ryanair Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
That race, honouring the great Dawn Run, was billed as a clash between Irish pair Brighterdaysahead and Jade De Grugy.
But as the field ran to the final flight it was Golden Ace who caught the eye, moving with ease en route to beating the former by a length and three-quarters, and she hasn’t finished yet.
After a second to Slade Steel in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle - Firefox was third and Mistergif fifth - Mystical Power, a son of Annie Power and Galileo, is feared most, while Cheltenham absentee Dysart Enos also has podium claims.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3
1 GOLDEN ACE
2 MYSTICAL POWER
3 DYSART ENOS
3.30 MY PENSION EXPERT MELLING CHASE
PROTEKTORAT profited for the step back to two and a half miles at Cheltenham and remains unexposed at the trip.
After landing the Grade 1 Manifesto Novices’ Chase over course and distance three years ago, Dan Skelton’s stable stalwart has done the bulk of his racing over further.
Protektorat thrived for three miles and beyond - a third-placed finish in the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup and a success in the top-level Betfair Chase at Haydock Park the following November are on his career showreel.
But Skelton elected for a change of tack at last month’s National Hunt Festival and prepared the nine-year-old for the Ryanair Chase.
And the trainer’s plan worked to the letter.
Never far from the action under the trainer’s brother Harry, Protektorat was always galloping within his comfort zone.
And when ushered to the front by his jockey after the last of the 17 fences, he motored away to beat defending champion Envoi Allen by four lengths, with Conflated a further two and three-quarter lengths away in third place.
Hock-deep ground is of no concern to Protektorat’s supporters and a fourth triumph in Grade 1 company beckons.
Both Jonbon and Pic D’Orhy missed Cheltenham - the former owing to a concern over the well-being of Nicky Henderson’s horses, and the latter thanks to Paul Nicholls’ preference - but both are copper-bottomed Grade 1 performers who deserve maximum respect.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3
1 PROTEKTORAT
2 PIC D’ORHY
3 JONBON
4.05 RANDOX SUPPORTS RACE AGAINST DEMENTIA TOPHAM CHASE
LIFE IN THE PARK showed definite signs of a revival at the Cheltenham Festival and is the selection to give Rachael Blackmore another victory over the famous fences.
There hasn’t been too much for the Henry de Bromhead trainee to write home about since his sole chasing win in a beginners’ event at Listowel in September 2022.
In his defence, Life In The Park has taken in some fiercely competitive assignments, and there was much more to like in his fourth behind Shakem Up’Arry in the TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase in the Cotswolds 29 days ago.
Having felt the heat three fences from home, Walk In The Park’s son came home with a wet sale under 3lb claimer Mike O’Connor to claim fourth place, just under three lengths behind the winner.
Blackmore, memorably triumphant aboard Minella Times in the 2021 Grand National, takes over on the seven-year-old, whose revenge bid is helped by a 5lb pull in the weights.
Dangers lurk at every turn, with last year’s winner Bill Baxter, Shakem Up’Arry’s stablemate Your Darling and the hat-trick seeker Arizona Cardinal all horses who merit a second look.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3
1 LIFE IN THE PARK
2 BILL BAXTER
3 ARIZONA CARDINAL
4.40 CAVANI SARTORIAL MENSWEAR SEFTON NOVICES' HURDLE
THE JUKEBOX MAN is fancied to gain richly deserved compensation for his agonising defeat in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last month.
Successful on heavy ground in a maiden hurdle and then a novice event on his first two starts over timber, the Ben Pauling-saddled son of Ask then produced a personal best in defeat when a staying-on third to Captain Teague in the Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury two days before the turn of the year.
Pauling then upped The Jukebox Man to three-miles at the National Hunt Festival and Kielan Woods gave his mount a buccaneering ride from the front - tactics which looked set to pay off until Stellar Story emerged from the chasing pack on the fun to the final flight.
The Jukebox Man began to falter strides from the line and was overhauled in the shadow of the post by the head victor, with Dancing City third and 2-1 favourite Readin Tommy Wrong pulled up.
There was no fluke about that effort and The Jukebox Man will take some catching, with Shanagh Bob and Croke Park others to throw into the mix.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3
1 THE JUKEBOX MAN
2 DANCING CITY
3 SHANAGH BOB
5.15 ALDER HEY HANDICAP HURDLE
BRUCIO saw her purple patch rudely interrupted at Kelso on her latest outing but has the untapped potential to get back on track.
Stuart Crawford’s daughter of Authorized made it third time lucky over hurdles with an no-sweat-broken score in a mares’ maiden hurdle at Catterick Bridge in January.
And she proved up to a much tougher assignment win success in a big-money handicap hurdle limited to her gender at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival, dishing out a six-length beating to Minx Tiara.
Brucio’s challenge for the Grade 2 Premier Novices’ Hurdle in the Scottish Borders hardly got off the ground when she was brought down at the very first flight.
But Ben Bromley’s mount should rate yet higher and can prove that experience a mere blip with a third career win.
In a finale of myriad possible outcomes, Go Dante, Skycutter and Luttrell Lad are all candidates for the minor medals.
NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3
1 BRUCIO
2 LUTTRELL LAD
3 GO DANTE
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