Aintree Day 3 Tips – Race by Race Preview for Grand National Day at Aintree

The big race on Saturday is one of the best spectacles of the year and the Grand National is due off at 5.15pm. Henry has picked two selections from the big race but before that there is another good day of action including Shishkin reappearing.

See all of our day 3 tips for Aintree below and the best odds for each horse, as well as free bets to use on the day including the Grand National.

 

Aintree Day 3 Tips

 

1:45 Aintree

The opener on National Day is a wide open handicap hurdle over 3m and finding the winner of this contest may be easier than finding the winner of the national!

Given the nature of the race I’m happy to chance a big outsider for small stakes that could easy finish tailed off but at the prices available I’m happy to give him a go. The horse is RESERVE TANK EW (18/1) for the Tizzard yard. He was pulled up last time out in the Stayers Hurdle where he was beaten early on to be honest.

However, the good ground will be right up his street here and he has won a Grade 1 here at this meeting back in 2019. I’m hoping a return to ideal conditions round a track he has won on before, he can come back to life.

 

2:25 Aintree

My Drogo has looked really promising and on all known form, he’s right up there with best British novice hurdlers.

However, we know the Irish novices have looked streets ahead this season and BALLYADAM (11/4) is the one for me here. He was travelling well coming down the hill at Cheltenham in the Supreme Novices Hurdle before making a complete mess of 2 out which cost him any chance. I think this trip will be fine on a flat speed track like Aintree and horses stepping up to 2m4f for the first time have a great record in this race. He brings Cheltenham festival form to the table and again horses coming from Cheltenham have a decent record in this race.

 

3:00 Aintree

No bet. Enjoy Shishkin masterclass.

 

3:35 Aintree

The 3:35 contest is arguable the race of the week with Thyme Hill, Paisley Park and Roksana also featuring. Paisley Park was disappointing at Cheltenham last time out and I’m worried this may be one race too many this season so I’m happy to avoid him. Roksana is sure to run her race and the 6/1 available is more than fair for each way punters.

However, I am definitely with THYME HILL NB (9/4) here. He is a horse I’ve always loved and I think he would have went very close at Cheltenham but unfortunately a small injury setback meant he had to skip that and come here instead. Therefore, he comes in fresher than most and this speedy 3m on a flat track like Aintree has to be his optimum conditions. He beat Paisley Park at Newbury at the start of the season before just missing out at Ascot last time out. I think he just got there too soon that day and I still had him as the best horse from the race moving forward. He is a horse that continues to improve and he can stamp his authority on the British staying hurdlers here.

 

4:15 Aintree

The race before the big one comes up at 4:15 and it is a handicap chase over the 3m distance.

I think HAPPYGOLUCKY NAP (7/2) is a graded horse in a weak enough handicap here and he will take the world of beating. He was second in the Ultima last time out at Cheltenham which was a fine effort and I think he was just outstayed up the hill over the 3m1f trip there. This 1f less on a less demanding trip will make him very tough to beat and he’s my best bet of the day by a long way.

 

5:15 Aintree (GRAND NATIONAL)

The biggest race of them all, the Grand National comes up at 5:15 and it is as fascinating as ever. Cloth Cap is a red hot effort but he’s far too short in the betting even though he’s a stone well in. This race requires so much luck in running and I’m not convinced he’ll get the trip to be totally honest.

I have two on my shortlist. The first is ANY SECOND NOW EW (11/1). This has been the target for two years now and trainer Ted Walsh knows exactly what it takes to win the National having won it before. Any Second Now hosed up in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham back in 2019 over 3m2f and it was after that race he always looked like a National horse. He has been ridden with plenty of restraint let’s say since and after his mark was revealed he went to Navan and showed a return to form to win a 2m race in a classy fashion. That will have him spot on for this and if he takes to these fences, I think he’s bound to be bang there.

My other selection is DISCORAMA EW (18/1). The Paul Nolan charge has a lovely racing weight here running off 10’6 and he comes here on the backing of a wind operation. He has placed at three Cheltenham Festivals which shows he’s a classy horse and that includes a runner-up finish in the 3m7f National Hunt Chase. That suggests to me he’ll have no problem with this trip as he has proven on multiple occasions he stays all day. Bryan Cooper takes the ride and I’m hoping he can get Discorama into a nice rhythm early over this unique National fences.

The level of form the Irish have displayed this season, it’s hard to look past an Irish winner here if Cloth Cap doesn’t get the job done. Therefore, I’m happy to go to war with the two above.

 

£20 CASH REFUND if your Grand National bet loses

Open a betting account at SBK and if your Grand National bet loses, you get a £20 cash refund.

e.g. bet £20 on a horse > if it loses you get a £20 cash refund.

 

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