4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle

Pied Piper

Pied Piper is the most backed horse ahead of the opening day of the Grand National Festival at Aintree since the final declarations were made on Tuesday.

The four-year-old, trained by Gordon Elliott, was well beaten by Vauban and edged out by stablemate Fil Dor in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, but assumes favouritism for the 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree less than three weeks later.

It should be said that the Triumph Hurdle was his only defeat in three outings over hurdles, which included a half length win over Vauban at Punchestown in December. He has taken 59.12% of the bets on tomorrow’s race (14:20) and 9.19% of those across the full day’s racecard.

Bowl Chase

Protektorat

The second most backed horse for Day 1 at Aintree is seven-year-old Protektorat, who will be out to prove his status as one of the best staying chasers in Britain just a few weeks on from finishing third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup behind A Plus Tard and Minella Indo.

He goes into the Betway Bowl Chase (14:55) as the clear favourite ahead of Conflated, himself scratched late from the Cheltenham Gold Cup field. Protektorat, two from two at Aintree including landing the Manifesto Novices’ Chase at this meet last year, has received 34.63% of the backing for tomorrow’s race and 4.66% of those across the whole day.

Mares' Standard Open NH Flat Race

Rosy Redrum

Andy Holding’s fancy in the Day 1 finale at the Grand National Festival, Rosy Redrum, doubles up as the third most backed horse through oddschecker. 

In keeping with the clear Cheltenham links in this article, she was due to run in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival before the heavens opened on the morning of the race and connections decided to pull her out.

That might turn out to be a blessing in disguise in the sense she will arrive here fresh, said Holding, who added: “A keen sort, the first-time hood has been applied in order to help her settle in the early exchanges and providing that turns out to be the case, the four-year-old chestnut should end up being a massive player at the business end.”

Rosy Redrum is the clear favourite for those betting through oddschecker having found herself in 30.61% of the betslips for the Mares' Standard Open NH Flat Race (Law Ella closest with 15.25%).