Thursday 9th April 2026
NAP (Best Bet)
Welcome back to the blog after just over a week off. We head to Aintree for the Grand National Meeting over the next few days, starting with the Thursday card. My best bet of the day on the opening day comes within the 4.40, which is the Red Red Handicap Chase, a Premier handicap over two miles. I’m fairly strong on the chances of SANS BRUIT here for the team of Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden. He’s won the last two renewals of this race, and it’s clearly been the plan for him to come back here once again in an attempt to claim an impressive hat-trick of victories. He was a comfortable four and a half length winner here last year off just three pounds lower, and another bold showing is likely.
4.40 Aintree – SANS BRUIT – (3/1) (Win) (NAP)
NB (Next Best Bet)
I turn the attention to the opening race of the meeting for my next-best bet of the afternoon, which is the 1.45, and the Grade 1 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle over two miles and a furlong. I think that Willie Mullins could well hold the key to this particular contest with SELMA DE VARY, who sports the Ricci silks and is the mount of Paul Townend. She ran a very encouraing race when second behind her smart stablemate Narciso Has within Grade 1 company at the Dublin Racing Festival in February, before once again running well at Cheltenham, where she finished fourth in the Triumph, and just three and a quarter of a length behind eventual winner Apolon De Charnie. She was arguably unlucky not to get closer on that occasion, as she met interference from the reopposing Maestro Conti, and I think she can reverse that form here. She looks like another nice prospect for her powerhouse connections, and a big run here would be no surprise.
1.45 Aintree – SELMA DE VARY – (11/4) (Win) (NB)
3B (Third Best Bet)
My third best bet of the day comes within the Bowl at 2.55, which is a Grade 1 chase over three miles and a furlong. Jango Baie sets a high standard at the top of the betting here on the back of his Gold Cup second to Gaelic Warrior. However, I generally try to take horses on who come here having had a tough race at Cheltenham; therefore, I like the chances of SPILLANE’S TOWER here for the Mangan outfit, who’s the mount of Mark Walsh. He’s a horse who’s always had a lot of promise surrounding him, and whilst he hasn’t always put it all together in his races, he does have pieces of excellent form. Notably, when finishing half of a length second to Fact To File in the John Durkan a couple of seasons ago. He also won back-to-back Grade 1s as a novice, and returned to the winners’ enclosure on his most recent outing when beating L’Homme Presse in the Grade 2 Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham in January. He’ll need to take another big step up here on that form, but I think he could take advantage of his freshness, and that could well be key here.
2.55 Aintree – SPILLANE’S TOWER – (9/2) (Win) (3B)
Each-Way Bet
The each-way bet of the afternoon on Thursday comes up at 3.30, and this is the Hunter’s Chase over two miles and five furlongs. Cheltenham winner Barton Snow will likely be tough to beat here if he turns up in the same form. However, I find it hard to see IT’S ON THE LINE out of the placings here, who finished a neck second to the favourite in that Cheltenham clash last month. Emmet Mullins nine-year-old is no stranger to success in these contests, and won this particular affair in 2024 before going on to win back-to-back renewals of the Punchestown Festival equivalent, as well as several narrow second-placed efforts at Cheltenham. He’s ultra-consistent within this sphere, and at these Spring festivals, and there’s nothing to suggest that he won’t be bang on the premises again under Derek O’Connor.
3.30 Aintree – IT’S ON THE LINE – (5/1) (Each-Way) (4 places)
Longshot
My longshot on Thursday is in the Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle at 4.05, which is contested over two miles and four furlongs. Brighterdaysahead and The New Lion dominate the market here, which is probably correct on all known form, and their respective runs in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. However, I’ve tried my hand with a horse who skipped Cheltenham, and that’s POTTERS CHARM for the Twiston-Davies team. He’s not actually too far away from the market principals on official ratings, and is a talented horse on his day. He also comes into the race in good form, having won at Windsor before following with a two-length success in the Grade 2 National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell back in February. He’ll clearly need to take a big step forward from that Fontwell form, given that the veteran Brewin’upastorm was back in second; however, a lot like the thinking behind my Spillane’s Tower selection, he’ll come into this contest without the burden of any Cheltenham exploits, and that freshness could see him pick off a few of these. Several firms are also offering three places within this seven-runner affair.
4.05 Aintree – POTTERS CHARM – 14/1 (Each-Way) (3 places)
(3 place firms – bet365, Betfred, BetMGM, Virgin Bet, Sky Bet, Paddy Power)
Aintree Day 1 Selections
1.45 – Selma De Vary – (11/4) (Win)
2.55 – Spillanes Tower – (9/2) (Win)
3.30 – Its On The Line – (5/1) (E/W)
4.05 – Potters Charm – (14/1) (E/W)
4.40 – Sans Bruit – (3/1) (Win)
