All set for a Grand Show

By Alan Conway

After the white hot intensity of the Cheltenham festival the National Hunt season rolls on to Liverpool and the John Smiths Grand National festival.

Once the poor relation of Cheltenham, Aintree and its executive have worked tirelessly to promote their own festival. This year they are rewarded with a start studded line-up. For many a year Aintree was seen as the runner up spot for horses who were either not good enough to line up at Cheltenham or for horses who just missed out on landing a prize at Cheltenham.

Now the Aintree festival stands alone as a worthy festival. The promise of good ground and a flat track are reasons enough for trainers to hold fire with their horses during the winter months.

This year the festival looks well up to scratch. We have rematches from Cheltenham when Big Buck’s and Grands Crus lock horns once again. There is also a chance for Denman in the autumn of his career to add another Grade 1 to his collection.

Also Binocular will look to atone for missing the Champion Hurdle by claiming the scalp of Peddlers Cross in the Aintree Hurdle on Saturday. The novice events are always good heats and of course there is the race of the meeting in the Grand National.

On day one there are three Grade 1s for punters to get stuck into. The opening race, the BGC Partners Liverpool Hurdle, sees a rematch of the winner and runner up in the World Hurdle in Big Buck’s and Grands Crus. Before Cheltenham Ruby Walsh said that backing Big Buck’s was “buying money”. It is the same this Thursday. I can’t see him being beaten. Allowing for the fact that Walsh dropped his whip on the run in, Big Buck’s would have beaten Grands Crus even further. Expect the same on Thursday.

On the same card Denman should have enough in hand to see off his opponents in the Totesport Bowl Chase. His second behind Long Run at Cheltenham was a superb effort and a replication of that run should see him home comfortably.

The highlight on day two is the Melling Chase where Master Minded will look to atone for his disappointing run in the Champion Chase. His shuddering mistake at the second last at Cheltenham may have cost him any chance of winning but I’m not convinced that even if he hadn’t made that mistake he would have won. On all strands of form he should win but one must remember that when he went to Aintree before he was beaten comprehensively.

All of these high quality races however pale to the Grand National. It is without question one of the greatest attractions in horse racing. Four and half gruelling miles that asks so much of horse and rider. Some may say that the National is not the race it used to be. Maybe, but it still is the one race all jockeys want to win.

From a betting perspective the National is a lottery. Look for a well weighted horse that has a touch of class about them. For me I am sticking with The Midnight Club.

By Alan Conway