Aintree selections Friday 10th April
Day Two at Aintree and this one has a more open look to it with plenty of big field handicaps and the Grade 1’s look much more competitive. I have selections from three races on the card Jasko Des Dames was placed for the each-way bet yesterday (SP 18/1)
Aintree 1.45: Joyeuse & Ballykinlar
A fiercely contested handicap with plenty of early pace in the offing, which could set this up for a traveller in behind.
JOYEUSE has been plying her trade over 2m this season, but keeps shaping as if this is her trip and her natural pace at that distance could be a useful asset. She was a fine third in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham last time, getting slightly outpaced turning for home before flying up the hill. On this sharper track the extra distance should be a great bonus.
She had an aborted attempt at chasing in the autumn and took a couple of races to get back into the swing of it over hurdles, but her Cheltenham run shows she is back in form. Her only previous attempt in a handicap over this distance saw her finish second to the top class Wodhooh at Cheltenham and she is definitely worth another try over 2m4f.
BALLYKINLAR was making his debut for the Bowens’ when running in the Martin Pipe at the Festival last month. I thought he was a real eyecatcher as he cruised to the front two out only to fade from the last. Whether he needed his first run since October, or simply did not get up the hill, he will either have a fitness boost for today, or will prefer this flatter track.
He had run consistently well in the late summer when trained in Ireland, culminating in a second place in a listed novice at Limerick and he will definitely be suited by this drying ground. He might just have slipped under the radar for this.
Aintree 2.20: Regents Stroll
Narrowly touched off over 2m4f in a Grade 1 novice hurdle at this meeting last season, REGENTS STROLL can make a successful first attempt at 3m here.
His big problem has always been racing too freely in his races, but he has been far better settled over fences since the hood has been reapplied and that should enable him to give of his best at what is probably his natural trip. In the Jack Richards at Cheltenham last month, he was off the bridle from some way out, but kept on gamely to claim third place in the style of a horse that needed further than that 2m4 distance.
He showed he can operate around this totally different track when almost making all, only to be denied by Honesty Policy in the closing stages. He then pulled far too hard on his chasing debut in a Grade 2 at Newbury, but the hood has seemed to calm him since, so he should be able to last far better into the end of the race, even over this longer trip.
Aintree 4.05: Ile Atlantique, Will the Wise & Lisnamult Lad
Despite three withdrawals, this race still looks extremely tricky, so three attempts at this look in order.
ILE ATLANTIQUE is a rare ride in a handicap for Paul Townend, and his choice over the other Mullins runners, so that in itself is a tip. This horse has plenty of class going back to his hurdling days, where he was second in a Grade 1 at Navan, and he won a Grade 2 novice chase at Naas last season.
However he has not progressed totally from that, not helped by some jumping errors in key races. Aintree is no longer the jumping test it once was and I though his second place to Heart Wood at Tramore in a Grade 2 confirms he retains his ability and also that he might well favour sharper, or flatter tracks. A bad mistake two out did for his chances at the Dublin Racing Festival, but I think he has the class to feature here.
WILL THE WISE does have a tendency to jump to his right on occasions, but it did not stop him at Cheltenham where he chased home Madara in the Plate and on 8lbs better terms (11lbs taking into account the claim of Conor Stone-Walsh) hen can reverse fortunes here.
This horse has taken well to chasing winning at Galway in the autumn before running a cracker to be fourth in the Troytown. He seems happy racing on this sort of ground and has the stamina for 3m, so will be one who will enjoy the long run-in on this course.
However first choice will be LISNAMULT LAD who has surely been laid out for this race ever since going so close when second in 2025. This bold jumping front-runner seemed to love these fences and as a top of the ground specialist will enjoy the prevailing conditions on track.
He has run only twice since this race, falling late on over hurdles and then running over an inadequate 2m at Leopardstown over Christmas. That has preserved his handicap mark for today, only 3lbs higher than for last year, and trainer Ian Donoghue is already gaining a reputation as a real target trainer.
Recommended bets:
1pt each-way – Joyeuse – 1.45 Aintree – 9/1 William Hill (1/4 odds 1st 5)
0.5pts each-way – Ballykinlar – 1.45 Aintree – 40/1 Bet365 (1/5 odds 1st 5)
1pt each-way – Regents Stroll – 2.20 Aintree – 11/2 general (1/5 odds 1st 3)
0.5pts each-way – Ile Atlantique – 4.05 Aintree – 7/1 Unibet (1/5 odds 1st 6)
1pt each-way – Will the Wise – 4.05 Aintree – 9/1 Unibet (1/5 odds 1st 6)
1pt each-way – Lisnamult Lad – 4.05 Aintree – 18/1 Unibet (1/5 odds 1st 6)
