Saturday 11th April 2026
Welcome aboard to this Saturday blog, where it’s one of the biggest ones of the season, as it’s Grand National Day at Aintree. Also, this is a significant Saturday blog for me, as this will be my final National Hunt blog on this site for the foreseeable future. I want to focus solely on the flat going forward, as that’s always been my preferred code, and I also seem to get better results on the level. Hopefully, we can bow out over jumps with some winners.
The first race of the afternoon is at 12.45, and this is the Grade 1 Maghull Novices’ Chase, which is contested over a distance of two miles. The Willie Mullins-trained SALVATOR MUNDI should be tough to beat here under Paul Townend. He won the Grade 1 novices’ hurdle at this meeting last year by seven lengths, and finally seems to be finding his feet over fences, having won by twenty-eight lengths when a short price last time out. There should be a lot more to come, and he’s the one to beat here.
We move into handicap company at 1.20, with the William Hill Handicap Hurdle, a Premier Handicap over three miles and half of a furlong. This is extremely competitive, however, I’ve come down on KAKA’S COUSIN for Jonjo & A J O’Neil, who’s the mount of Jonjo Jr. He was an eight and a half length winner of a novice event at Kelso on his penultimate start in February, before finishing a very creditable fourth of seventeen in a competitive Grade 3 handicap at Sandown last time out. He should take another step forward here on his second start within handicap company, and he’s just two pounds higher than last time out. The step up in distance could also unlock further improvement.
The third race of the afternoon is the 1.55, and this is more Grade 1 action in the form of the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle over two miles and four furlongs. Bossman Jack will be a warm order at the top of the betting here on the back of his Cheltenham effort when sixth in the Turners, however, I’ve come down on one at a slightly bigger price in SCORPIO RISING for Olly Murphy and Sean Bowen. He’s a highly progressive six-year-old, having won his last four starts over hurdles, and took his form to the next level last time out when winning a Grade 3 handicap at Sandown in comfortable style, the same race in which Kaka’s Cousin was fourth. He’s well worth a try at this level given his current rate of progression, and he’s got every chance of going in again.
We move on to the fourth race of the afternoon at 2.30, and this is the William Hill Handicap Chase, another Premier Handicap, this time over three miles and half of a furlong. I’ve sided with CRUZ CONTROL here, who represents the team of Tom Lacey and Stan Sheppard, in what is another fiercely competitive affair. He’s won the last two renewals of this particular contest, and it’s clearly been the plan to come back again in an attempt for a third success. He was a five-length winner here last year, and he’ll contest this year’s edition off just a pound higher than that success. He’s got every chance of posting a bold bid once again.
Next up it’s the 3.05, and this is the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle, which is also contested over three miles and half of a furlong. Gordon Elliott has already had a successful meeting at the time of writing this, and I think that he has a big chance of adding to his tally here with HONESTY POLICY, who’s the mount of Mark Walsh. He won the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at this meeting last year, getting the better of Regent’s Stroll by half of a length, and he’s held his own within open Grade 1 company this term. He was placed in Grade 1s at both Punchestown and Ascot, before not being disgraced when sixth at Cheltenham last time out in the Stayers Hurdle. I think that this track should suit him more than Cheltenham, and there should be plenty more still to come from him.
The big one comes up at 4.00, which is, of course, the Grand National, a Premier Handicap Chase over four miles and two and a half furlongs. I’ve tried my hand with three picks in this year’s renewal, the first of which is JAGWAR for Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero, who’s the mount of Mark Walsh. He’s only a seven-year-old and is still improving. He won the Plate at last year’s Cheltenham Festival and was narrowly denied this time around when he finished half of a length second in the Ultima on his most recent start. This marathon distance could unlock further improvement, and he has a handy weight.
I also like the chances of Dan Skelton’s mare PANIC ATTACK, who’s the mount of brother Harry. She’s another who could well relish the distance, and she’s a very admirable performer, who often gives a good account of herself. She completed an impressive big-race double throughout the winter, when winning the Paddy Power Gold Cup and the Coral Gold Cup, and also added a fourteen-length success in a Listed event following those victories. She also has a low weight, and could make her presence felt.
My third and final selection in this year’s race is an Irish raider in MONTY’S STAR for Henry De Bromhead and Darragh O’Keeffe. This yard knows how to win this race, and this nine-year-old is very interesting. He’s been plying his trade within top-level Grade 1 affairs as of late, and wasn’t disgraced when finishing fifth and sixth in the Savills Chase and the Irish Gold Cup, respectively. The revert to handicap company here, as well as the step up in trip, could be right up his street, and a bold showing would be no surprise.
Grand National Day Selections
12.45: SALVATOR MUNDI – (10/11) (Win) (NAP)
1.20: KAKA’S COUSIN – (9/1) (Each-Way) (5 places)
1.55: SCORPIO RISING – (7/1) (Each-Way) (4 places)
2.30: CRUZ CONTROL – (6/1) (Each-Way) (5 places)
3.05: HONESTY POLICY – (3/1) (Win) (NB)
4.00: (Grand National)
JAGWAR – (10/1) (Each-Way) (6 places)
PANIC ATTACK – (8/1) (Each-Way) (6 places)
MONTY’S STAR – (14/1) (Each-Way) (6 places)
