The horse racing broadcaster offers up his selections for Day 2 of the racing at the Grand National Festival at Aintree.
Six more races on ITV on Friday, the middle day of Aintree’s Grand National meeting, and it could pay to focus on horses who have performed well at this track in the past.
First up is FAVOUR AND FORTUNE / (13:45 Aintree) who ran third in this race 12 months ago when it was a 0-145 handicap, whereas this season (run as a 0-140) he manages to sneak in off the ceiling mark. He has been very lightly raced since then with just one run this campaign when down the field at Kempton in February, but if as suspected this has been the objective, then it had the desired effect of getting him dropped to the mark needed to launch another bid for the race. The form from this race last season proved strong with 4 next time out winners and on his only previous visit to the track in the Grade 1 Formby as a novice he chased home no less a horse than Jango Baie. They both rate as solid effort and he could be the class horse in the race.
GREY DAWNING / (15:30 Aintree) has come against Gaelic Warrior and Il Etait Temps on his last two runs at this meeting and there doesn’t look anything of that calibre in the JCB Melling Chase. The likely strong pace over 2m 4f should suit his stalking style ideally and the long run down to the last can also enable Harry Skelton to finesse him to challenge as ideally, he wants producing just after the last just like when scoring in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November. His main rival is Ryanair winner Heart Wood and he is certainly a worthy adversary but Grey Dawning’s back form and the way the race is likely to be run give him the edge.
GENTLEMAN DE MEE / (16:05 Aintree) is 2/2 at this meeting having won the Grade 1 Maghull Novice Chase from Edwardstone in 2022 and winning the Topham last year. He lines up in the race over the National fences again and is another who looks to have been campaigned for a repeat bid. A lack lustre return at Clonmel and a run round towards the rear at Tramore on New Year’s Day in Graded company have seen his mark drop to 158, 3lbs higher than when scoring last season. He tends to come from off the pace so the presence of the likes of Mahon’s Glory, Coming Up Easy and Viroflay all of whom like to go forward should have bring his stamina into play. Just like in the Grand National itself on Saturday, Gentleman De Mee looks a J P McManus owned horse who has had a race over the National fences as his sole objective this season.
NO DRAMA THIS END / (16:40 Aintree) had nothing go right from the word go at Cheltenham and is worth another chance up in trip in the Grade 1 Sefton Novices Hurdle. He got shuffled back from an early stage and then found every path blocked on the inside as he tried to creep back into the race. Harry Cobden accepted his fate that day and his decision to pull up before the last spared the horse any sort of hard race. With Cobden taking up his new J P McManus retainer next season, Sam Twiston-Davies is in the saddle and connections will be hoping the forecast showers on Thursday materialise as he handles cut in the ground well. With a smaller field and a longer trip, things should unfold in a far more favourable manner than they did at the Festival and he can show what he is fully capable of here.
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