ITV Racing Tips: Saturday Each-Way Double for Aintree

This year's Grade 1 Turners Mersey Novices' Hurdle isn’t the strongest of renewals and offers plenty of value. Irish Point would be the obvious starting point, who’s neck second to Marine Nationale reads good form given the latter went on to win the Supreme.

Gordon Elliott’s charge should relish the step up in trip but the left-field choice, who has seemingly slipped under the radar, is AUTHORISED SPEED (best price 14/1). 

Last year’s Champion Bumper fifth is held in high regard by connections and won his first two starts over hurdles in good style. He was sent off as a warm favourite for the Tolworth Hurdle but ran disappointingly to finish a well-beaten fifth. That wasn’t his true-running though, so I am happy to draw a line through that performance as he scoped dirty afterwards.

Since then, he bounced back to form by winning by 19 lengths back at Sandown and this race has been the target since. He has often left the impression he would be suited to a step up in trip and that could unlock further improvement here, while the course should play to his strengths.

I know he can’t afford to make any mistakes but he’s a good horse and we haven’t seen the best of him yet. He is a great each-way price with four places generally available. 

The eight-year-old FLOORING PORTER (best price 5/1) won the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2021 and 2022 and while he couldn’t succeed for a third time in a row this year, he ran a great race to finish fourth, beaten only three-and-a-half-lengths.

He reported to be no better than “50-50” to even make the trip to the Cotswolds, so it was worthy of an upgrade, where he adopted his customary pacesetting role for much of the three-mile contest. While it initially looked like he was going to weaken completely out of contention once headed, he kept on again in the closing stages to be on the heels of the front three under a tentative ride.

He is sure to be even fitter for his return to Aintree and ran very well to finish second last year behind Sire Du Berlais when only beaten a length-and-three-quarters and would have finished much closer without being impeded inside the final 100 yards as well. 

The front pair pulled well clear of the third, Champ, who was 20-lengths adrift and his experience of Liverpool will count for plenty plus the better ground will suit better. He might just be coming to the boil at the right time and is still the highest rated of the field. With a clutch of positives about his chances, he has the class to go one better than 12 months ago. 

GATSBY GREY (best price 16/1) caught the eye when fifth of 17 in a valuable handicap two starts ago at Leopardstown on his first start over three miles and has been aimed at this race since. 

He ran over an inadequate trip last time over two-miles-two-furlongs when third behind Fils D’Oudairies and Saint Sam and is only two pounds higher back in a handicap. 

His connections skipped Cheltenham in favour of this race and he is open to a lot more improvement over this distance. He is an appealing project representing Ireland with five places widely available. 

Grand National Tips

DELTA WORK (best price 10/1) ran a nice race in this last year to finish a never-nearer third having been too far back and is eligible to compete in this year’s renewal from a pound lower mark. 

He has won the cross-country at the Cheltenham Festival for the last two years and is better off at the weights with Noble Yeats and Any Second Now this time around. 

There are a lot of positives about his chances this year and he makes the most appeal of those towards the top of the market with six places generally available. 

LIFETIME AMBITION (best price 40/1) jumped and travelled really well on his return in the Grand Sefton and warmed up for this with a spin over hurdles last time. 

He has his stamina to prove but Jessica Harrington is confident he will stay and he has a touch of class plus he is lurking on a nice weight from a mark that isn’t beyond him either. 

His trainer has yet to win this race but she has gone close in it before and this classy old-fashioned chaser has an excellent each-way chance with the seven place available. 

ROI MAGE (best price 25/1) is the most experienced chaser in the field and ran a tidy race when second to Longhouse Poet when last spotted. He won’t lack stamina and he will be suited to the large field and the pace of the race. 

He is ground-versatile and while he fell in a cross country at Cheltenham in January, he is generally a good jumper who is on a nice weight and ticks a lot of boxes for the race. If he’s there or thereabouts on the second circuit, he will definitely run well with seven places available. 

CAPODANNO (best price 22/1) has a good record in big-fields and won a Grade 1 last spring plus his comeback run should have straightened him ahead of his big test. His best form is around this time of year and the fact that connections skipped the Gold Cup with him to tackle this race instead is an interesting move. 

He is a class horse with more to come and Danny Mullins is booked to ride. His jumping isn’t foot-perfect but he could take to these fences and if he’s within striking distance as they cross the Melling road, a big performance could be on the cards with seven places available. I like his chances. 

VANILLIER (best price 18/1) isn’t the most fluent of jumpers but after all, he is a Grade 1 winner who ran a good trial race for this race last time. He is a stronger stayer, who gets his conditions, and gets into this on a really nice weight. 

The only negative thing about him is he can be prone to mistakes but if he puts in a clear round, surely he has a big chance from this mark carrying a tiny weight. He ticks plenty of the main trends. Six places generally available.