Good Morning/Evening everyone and welcome to day two of Aintree after day one was somewhat an anticlimax with some fancied runners going down. We still managed to stay afloat with Rock On Ruby chasing home The New One and Warne winning emphatically for Sam Waley-Cohen. Lets hope today can be a bit better as the highlight is the Melling Chase in which Module looks to gain some Cheltenham compensation. They race over the National fences for which Double Ross is the favourite for an ever competitive Topham Chase.
As always we have a video planned for you as we mark your card for the day's racing at Aintree. Joining the panel today are myself (@Lukeelder13), Calum Madell (@Calummadell) and our very own Aintree encyclopedia Adam Webb (@Adamwebb121). We hope you enjoy the video and agree with some of our selections!
http://youtu.be/q76uH3go784
2:00 Aintree - SGT Reckless
Many people speculated different things about the run of SGT Reckless at Cheltenham in the Supreme Novices when fourth behind Vautour. However one of the things not so widely mentioned was the fact that he didn't handle the course at all like a few others including Irving. My thought process for him is that he is a 'flat track bully' as his four wins have come at Kempton twice, Lingfield (Polytrack) and at Wincanton with the latter being his debut. Half way down the back straight at Cheltenham he found himself a bit tailed off and even more so when coming down the hill towards two out. Turning for home you would have given him no chance as he was giving the leaders around a 20 length headstart but then the turbo kicked in and he flew for fourth. Ahead of him at Cheltenham was Josses Hill who reopposes but if the track plays to the selection's strengths then it shouldn't be too much of an ask. The pace angle seems to be Amore Alato who would have place chances, but SGT Reckless could get his big win for the season. (5/1)
1st - SGT Reckless
2nd - Amore Alato
3rd - Josses Hill
2:30 Aintree - Wonderful Charm
In hindsight, the JLT probably wasn't the right race for Wonderful Charm as he found himself outpaced at the top of the hill and stayed on to finish a head away from fourth. In truth he never looked like a winner that day and his cause wasn't helped by the fall of Djakadam but he was struggling at the time. The step up to three miles looks to be a huge positive and Sam Twiston-Davies takes over from the injured Daryl Jacob which by no means a negative. Out of the rest, O'Faolains Boy looks to be the main danger but it is a big ask to win the RSA then come here just three weeks later and is overlooked today. Don Cossack was still going well when falling at Cheltenham and he bought down Many Clouds, whereas Richie McLernon gets on better with Holywell. Wonderful Charm is taken to relish the step up in trip however and provide Paul Nicholls with another Aintree winner after Silviniaco Conti yesterday. (4/1)
1st - Wonderful Charm
2nd - Don Cossack
3:05 Aintree - Module
There is no way around it, this is an emphatically poor race and is a Grade 1 only in name, especially after last years renewal with Sprinter Sacre, Cue Card and Flemenstar. There must still be a winner however and Module is assigned that task for us after an eye catching run over shorter in the Champion Chase. He was victorious in the Game Spirit at Newbury when rallying and everything would say he is more at home over Two and a half miles. Saying that, he was very disappointing in the Peterborough but the better ground should bring out some improvement in him. The others leave something to be desired but Wishfull Thinking has won round here before and is showing glimmers of what he was in his younger days. Days Hotel is an intriguing runner but has never won beyond two miles and has place claims at best but Module is taken to land his Grade One. (9/2)
1st - Module
2nd - Wishfull Thinking
3rd - Days Hotel
3:40 Aintree - Standing Ovation
David Pipe was out of luck yesterday with his main hopes Dynaste and Western Warhorse but can gain compensation here with Standing Ovation who has improved leaps and bounds this season. It is a very interesting move to drop him in trip as off his higher mark he has been failing to see out the trips in excess of three miles but showing well for a long way. As a result of that he has been slipping down the handicap and is now only nine pounds higher than his last winning mark. Standing Ovation's main asset is undoubtedly his jumping which should see him to good effect round the National fences and is taken to win for Conor O'Farrell. Of the others in the field that have chances, I have been waiting for Mart Lane to run on faster ground for some time now and he finally gets that today. Tahiti Pearl is also a very bold jumper and that should be put to good use this afternoon after he has refound his form lately. David Pipe can land this one with Standing Ovation though. (12/1)
1st - Standing Ovation
2nd - Mart Lane
3rd - Tahiti Pearl
4th - Rebel Rebellion
4:15 Aintree - Beat That
Nicky Henderson decided to avoid Cheltenham with Beat That but had he taken his chance in the Neptune he wouldn't have been out of the mix. His only victory came in November last year when handing out a ten length pounding to Champagne West who has since gone on to better things. I was present that day and he didn't look anywhere near the finished article so I was shocked when he won so easily but he had clearly come on at Sandown last time out. At Sandown he had grown into himself and arguably should have won before getting the last completely wrong and losing all momentum. It's notable that they have waited with him just to give him a bit more time to progress and should take some beating today. Seeyouatmidnight is clearly the one to beat after his victory in the Rendlesham last time out but but there are concerns about the ground for him. Barry Geraghty chooses Beat That over Tistory which is notable and Killala Quay ran with great credit in the Neptune at Cheltenham. (9/1)
1st - Beat That
2nd - Killala Quay
3rd - Racing Pulse
4:50 Aintree - Alaivan
Alaivan is the second runner from the Cheltenham Forgiveness List to run today after showing well for a long way in the County before being outpaced. He still managed ninth that day and didn't lose any further ground when coming under pressure but the cheek pieces remain on. Another thing that remains on is his jockey Maurice Linehan who has partnered him in their last three outings together over shorter trips. He remains off a mark of 132 which is more than workable, especially when taking into account his riders five pound claim and the ground is no issue at all. Like Minded has had a good season so far including a good third in the Lanzarote at Cheltenham and may still be a few pounds ahead of the handicapper. One that was unlucky for various reasons at Cheltenham was Attaglance who reverts back to hurdles today and has done the festival double before. Clondaw Kaempfer has been touted for a few handicaps this season and has a notable jockey booking, but it is Alaivan who is taken to step up in trip successfully. (16/1)
1st - Alaivan
2nd - Like Minded
3rd - Attaglance
4th - Little Jon
5:25 Aintree - Lady Buttons
We end today with the Mares Bumper won last year by the promising Legacy Gold who has since won to win three Hurdle races this season for David Pipe. Lady Buttons gets the nod here though after a decisive success last time out at Wetherby when beating Millicent Silver with ease. That was on more testing ground but she won on good to soft on debut so the conditions are no problem after her only defeat came in monsoon conditions at Cheltenham. Lady Buttons is the pick of the four year olds and the talented Adam Nicol takes a further five pounds off so she gets ten pounds from her older rivals. The Govaness was impressive when beating Lily Waugh and Legacy Gold at Chletenham earlier in the season and comes here fresh whereas Tara Mist might want more cut in the ground. (11/1)
1st - Lady Buttons
2nd - Hannah's Princess
3rd - The Govaness
NAP - Beat That
Nb - Wonderful Charm
Good luck today everyone and as always, Happy Punting!
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