Thursday Horse Racing Tips from Steve Ryder including Aintree feature race

Willie Mullins last won the Aintree Hurdle in 2016 with Annie Power but he looks to have leading claims this year with IMPAIRE ET PASSE (best priced at 13/8) bidding to bounce back from a disappointing run last time. The six-year-old was unbeaten in his four hurdle runs last season including an impressive 6 ½ length victory at the Cheltenham festival over Gaelic Warrior and a 7 ½ length success at the Punchestown festival. 

At the time, it was disappointing to see Impaire Et Passe lose his unbeaten record to Teahupoo in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle on his reappearance but he was too fresh that day and that rival boosted the form last time winning the Stayers’ Hurdle easily. He finished 2nd behind State Man at Leopardstown at Christmas over 2 miles before a change of tactics didn’t suit last time at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Connections resisted the temptation to run in the Champion Hurdle so he comes here fresh and he should be able to reverse form with Bob Olinger from last time.  

The Richard Hughes stable have started this season in fantastic form and ROAD TO WEMBLEY (best priced at 11/10) still looks well ahead of his mark. The three-year-old finished well beaten in novice/maiden races over 7f before winning on his handicap debut at Wolverhampton when upped in trip to 1m4f off an opening mark of 58. He beat Cock And Bull that day by a neck who won on his next start and is now rated 8lbs higher. 

Road To Wembley followed up easily at Lingfield last time under a 6lb penalty by seven lengths and the handicapper has re-assessed him with a mark at 76. He instead runs here under a 6lb penalty so he is 4lbs “well in” at the weights and should prove hard to beat once again. 

This looks a competitive 0-75 handicap but preference goes to AIRSHOW (best priced at 9/2) who ran well on all three of his starts in March. The Rod Millman trained nine-year-old finished 4th at Kempton beaten only 1 ¼ length off a mark of 69 before winning by a head at Chelmsford off a mark of 68 with cheekpieces re-applied. 

Airshow finished 2nd by a head over this course and distance last time off a mark of 70 under Oliver Searle and he gets to run here off the same mark despite the handicapper raising him 2lbs for that effort. He looks sure to run well once again and has a good chance of getting back to winning ways.