Aintree Hurdle

Sharjah

The Aintree Hurdle is undoubtedly Constitution Hill’s to lose, who will start a short-price favourite on the back of such an impressive success in the Champion Hurdle but there will be each-way value in the field and if Willie Mullins sends over SHARJAH, he could be the horse to make the frame.

The 10-year-old and multiple Grade 1 winner has placed in two Champion Hurdles and was last seen running a blinder off top-weight in the County Hurdle back at the Cheltenham Festival, where he was only beaten under three lengths and would have finished closer without being denied a clear run before the final hurdle. 

That was still an excellent effort in defeat and it’s possible the anticipated good ground combined with the step up in trip will suit now that he is older. He is a good horse when everything falls into place and while it could be nearly impossible to see him beating the Champion Hurdle winner, he could still hit the frame. 

Marsh Chase

Captain Guinness 

Fakir D’Oudairies will attempt to win the Marsh Chase for the third year in succession but even some of the greats, who have won this twice, have failed to do so, which includes the likes of Moscow Flyer, Viking Flagship, Direct Route and Voy Por Ustedes. 

Not only does Joseph O’Brien’s charge need to break the trend but he also needs to bounce back from a below-par run in the Ascot Chase last time. He is worth taking on at the odds and preference is for Henry de Bromhead’s CAPTAIN GUINNESS.

The eight-year-old was only sixth in the race last year but that wasn’t a true reflection of his actual performance, as he was making ground and going well before a shuddering mistake at the fourth last fence ended his chance. 

However, there have been positives to glean from each of his three starts this season, winning the Grade 2 Fortria on his return before filling the runner-up spot in two consecutive Grade 1 events, including in the Champion Chase last time. 

Ultimately, he proved no match for Energumene who won the race again, but he was miles clear of the rest and the beaten 10-length margin was better than it displayed, as he raced keenly but travelled really well and kept on well at the back-end of the race. 

The likes of Fakir D’Oudairies, who ran poorly last time, and Pic D’Orhy, who was pulled up at this meeting last year, represent poor value in my opinion. The latter has improved but so has Captain Guinness, who might finally be starting to put it all together over fences and is worth an interest at the odds.

Liverpool Hurdle

Flooring Porter 

The eight-year-old FLOORING PORTER won the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2021 and 2022 and while he couldn’t win it for a third time in a row this year, he ran a great race to finish fourth, beaten only three-and-a-half-lengths and was even reported to be no better than “50-50” to even make the trip to the Cotswolds.

He adopted his customary pacesetting role for much of the three-mile contest though and while it looked like he was weakening completely out of contention once headed, he kept on again in the closing stages to be on the heels of the front three and is likely to be even fitter for his return to Aintree.

In this race last year, he ran very well to finish second to Sire Du Berlais when only beaten a length-and-three-quarters and would have finished closer without being impeded inside the final 100 yards. The front pair pulled well clear of the third, Champ, who was 20-lengths adrift. 

His experience of Liverpool will count for plenty and the better ground will suit better too. He might just be coming to the boil at the right time and could represent some really nice value at the prices. If he jumps and travels as well as he does, he could easily go one better than 12 months ago.

Grand National

Lifetime Ambition 

Trainer Jessica Harrington has captured many of the sport’s biggest prizes, including the Cheltenham Gold and while the Grand National is one of just a few races she hasn’t won, there’s a good chance her main hopeful in this year’s renewal, LIFETIME AMBITION, will outrun his double-figure odds. 

He has yet to tackle a marathon event in his career but he does meet plenty of the requirements needed to be considered one of the leading candidates, especially after his eye-catching fourth in the Grand Sefton over the National fences on his reappearance and the way he conducted himself gives hope he will be a big player if he stays the longer distance. 

He signed off his novice campaign with a fine second behind Capodanno in the Champion Novice Chase at the Punchestown Festival after winning a Grade Three at Limerick. Lifetime Ambition caught the eye with a fourth behind Al Dancer after a 193-day absence, where he jumped and travelled beautifully before a lack of a run took its toll on the latter stages. 

The step up in trip to the extended four-and-a-quarter-mile trip in the Grand National will be unknown territory but he stays three miles well and his second to The Big Dog in the Troytown at Navan reads well. He should have won that day, while his third to subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs in the John Durkan at Punchestown was decent as well. 

Harrington last went close in the race back in 2019 with Magic Of Light and her big hopeful warmed up for the National with a spin over hurdles at Thurles last month when third, which should have put him spot on for his biggest test. He will be ridden up with the pace to stay out of any potential trouble and to me, he has a great chance to at least make the frame.