Steve Ryder returns with three Saturday selections, featuring a promising chaser at Gowran Park, a big-priced contender over the Aintree fences, and a well-handicapped hurdler later on the card.
Tip 1: 11:53 Gowran Park- Lantry Lady 11/10 (1pt)
Henry De Bromhead is renowned for improving hurdlers into chasers and hopefully LANGTRY LADY (best priced at 11/10) can get her career back on track. The seven-year-old was an impressive winner on both of her starts at this track before finishing 4th behind Lossiemouth in the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival later that season.
Langtry Lady has been slightly disappointing on her next three starts but now returns to this track and crucially back on heavy ground which is the surface she has shown her best form on. She has 2lbs to find with Break My Soul on official ratings but is expected to show improved form here for the in form stable.
Tip 2: 14:40 Aintree - Our Power 8/1 -1 pt
The Sam Thomas stable are in fantastic form in the previous two weeks with form figures of 210F1111 and the unplaced horse being an 80/1 outsider in a novice hurdle. OUR POWER (best priced at 8/1) ran well over these unique fences when 11th in the 2023 Grand National when finding the extreme trip a bit too far.
Our Power finished 2nd in his first two starts last season including when 2nd behind King Turgeon at Cheltenham off a 1lb higher mark. He ran well to finish 3rd in the Scottish Grand National on his final start last season but has won after a 228 day break and a 119 day break previously so he has good form fresh. He has very little question marks and he looks overpriced to win this early season target.
Tip 3: 15:15 Aintree - Don’t Mind If I Do (1pt)
DON’T MIND IF I DO (best priced at 13/8) was well fancied for a handicap hurdle at Wetherby a week ago before being a NR and he can win this despite it appearing to be a more competitive contest. The Alan King trained five-year-old finished 2nd behind the 143 rated Regent’s Stoll on his debut in a bumper before running well on his first two hurdle starts last season.
Despite disappointing on his final start last season on heavy ground, Don’t Mind If I Do appears well handicapped off a mark of 120 and he can reward the patience of connections with him being a NR on three occasions since his previous run.
