Today's Tote Placepot Tips for Aintree

Leg 1 Selections: Saint Roi, Banbridge

The Aintree Festival starts with leg 1, the 2m4f Grade 1 Racehorse Lotto Manifesto Novices’ Chase, where three good horses are fighting for favouritism at the top of the betting. 

The Paul Nicholls-trained Stage Star won the Turners Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, which in turn, took his record to three wins from just four starts over fences.

I am not inclined to trust the overall quality of the form though, as he was only around three lengths in front of Notlongtillmay and a few who were in behind ran below form. He won’t be granted such a soft lead here. 

Instead, I’ll take him on with a few of the Irish representatives. Firstly, Willie Mullins’ SAINT ROI, who’s a Grade 1 winner over fences himself and the form of his third in the Arkle looks solid. 

He came from well off the pace to make the frame and this longer trip promises to suit. He won’t mind a drop of rain and could be hard to beat. 

BANBRIDGE won at the Festival last year and has developed into an even better chaser. He caught the eye with a second in the Irish Arkle and missed the Cheltenham Festival last month on account of the ground.

I am not sure if that will be a positive or a negative, as conditions could change by post-time but he is a solid individual, who should again run his race and make the frame.
 

Leg 2 Selections: Zenta, Scriptwriter

Leg 2 is the 2m1f Jewson Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle and it is noteworthy to see Triumph Hurdle third, ZENTA, is Willie Mullins only runner in the race and is JP McManus only runner as well due to the absence of Comfort Zone. 

This filly returned a good winner of her first two starts over hurdles and while she could have been flattered by her third in the Triumph, I thought that was an excellent effort in defeat, especially the way she travelled and jumped well and briefly looked dangerous. 

On that piece of form, she just about sets the standard and it is difficult seeing her out of the frame. Nusret won the Adonis Hurdle but the form has taken quite a number of knocks since and he isn’t for me in this tougher race. 

Milton Harris trained the winner of this race last year (Knight Salute) and although SCRIPTWRITER could only finish sixth in the Adonis Hurdle after jumping poorly, he is better than that and previous evidence proves it. 

He won his first two hurdle starts, including a Grade 2 and should be suited to this course. He retains potential and has the assistance of Harry Cobden this time. His form looks stronger than what Greyval has achieved. 

Leg 3 Selections: Conflated, A Plus Tard

The Grade 1 Aintree Bowl Chase could be one of the races of the meeting and it makes up leg 3 on the preview. 

With the late deflection of Bravemansgame, CONFLATED gets the main vote, who ran a huge race to finish third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and would have finished closer to the runner-up without being impeded and short of room when trying to mount a challenge before the second last fence. 

His second in this race last year behind Clan Des Obeaux was a good performance, as he kept on well to only be beaten a length after taking what was a heavy fall in the Ryanair Chase a month earlier at the Cheltenham Festival. He should be competitive. 

I’ll also cover with former Gold Cup winner A PLUS TARD, who’s reported to be in top shape ahead of this assignment. This season hasn't gone to plan but he was travelling well until being badly hampered six out when bidding to retain his Gold Cup crown last month. 

His campaign has been much lighter compared to a few of these and the nine-year-old still remains top-rated, though that could be questionable. Nevertheless, if he bounces back to something near his best, he has a chance. 

Leg 4 Selections: Constitution Hill

The Aintree Hurdle, leg 4, is undoubtedly CONSTITUTION HILL’s to lose. He absolutely battered Irish Champion Hurdle winner State Man with the minimum of fuss at Cheltenham last month and is difficult to oppose here. 

He is stepping up in distance but that should bring about further improvement and all of the racing community will expect him to conclude this season with another imperious display on Merseyside. It is hard to argue with that case. 

Leg 5 Selections: Coastal Tiep, Winged Leader, Envoye Special, Benny’s King

An ultra-competitive renewal of the Foxhunters’ in leg 4 with a host in with chances but BENNY’S KING is the interesting runner. Dan Skelton has two runners but this veteran has won both completed starts in hunters’ this year and each of those wins were under inexperienced riders under rules. 

The experienced John Dawson takes over this time and this soft-ground lover should flourish over these fences under a positive ride. He is right up there on ratings and makes plenty of appeal. 

COASTAL TIEP could represent a bit of value as well at a wild price, who has returned from a fairly long absence to finish third in two prep runs for this contest. 

The 11-year-old returns to Aintree for the first time in four years and the last time he ran here was when he finished a staying-on fourth of 27 over course-and-distance in this race. He was sent off 50/1 that day but took to the course well and everything about him makes him a great bet at the odds. 

He is applied with the cheekpieces and the soft ground will be in his favour. He jumped for fun here when he competed in this before and, unlike most of these, he has the course form to his name. With this race likely to have been a long-term plan, I can see him outperforming his double-figure odds. 

David Christie’s WINGED LEADER is a bit of a winning machine and was narrowly denied Cheltenham Festival glory last year, where he looked to have obligated a good field in the St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase when he jumped the last clear, only to be caught in the shadows of the post by hot favourite Billaway when his stamina reached its limit. 

He was due to gain compensation in this race, the Foxhunters Chase, last year, but connections decided to wait another season and he will arrive a fresh horse having bypassed Cheltenham this year. The nine-year-old hasn’t been seen under rules since his narrow defeat at last year’s Cheltenham Festival but has cleaned up in three point-to-points this year. 

All of those wins were over three miles but the shorter trip at Aintree should really suit and he’s a very assured jumper, who should take to the fences. He has only tasted defeat once in nearly two years and it seems like this race has been the plan for a while. He could be extremely hard to beat. 

Another outsider to consider include ENVOYE SPECIAL, who completed a four-timer at Ffos Las in February and was far from discredited at Wincanton next time behind Magic Saint. James King rides, who has bags of experience around the National course and won this race in 2017 on Dineur. If his mount takes to the course, he could surprise a few at monster odds. 

Selections: Pay The Piper, Hatcher, Dancing On My Own

The sixth and final leg is the highly-competitive Red Rum Handicap Chase and we have seen plenty of big-priced winners over the years but I really like the claims of last year’s second DANCING ON MY OWN, who has deliberately been saved for the race after two efforts mid winter. 

The fact that connections bypassed Cheltenham this time is a major positive, so he’s got a big chance from only a three pound higher mark than last year, while bottom-weight HATCHER bounced back with a good third at Ascot last time and isn’t out of this either.

Ann Hamilton’s PAY THE PIPER has taken well to this sphere and was marginally denied last time in a muddling race. He won in good style at Musselburgh on his penultimate start and what is interesting is that this race will be the first time he’ll compete in a large-field scenario over fences. 

I think it will serve him well, as he travels strongly, and this mark isn’t beyond his capabilities as well.