Aidan O'Hara landed a huge 80/1 place winner yesterday and now returns with his best bets for Grand National Day.
1:20 Aintree
Tip 1: Bold Endeavour - 1 Point EW
Best odds of 33/1 at Unibet while publishing.
Chart Topper - ½ point EW (5 places)
Best odds of 40/1 at bet365 while publishing.
BOLD ENDEAVOUR was the best of those that stayed up with the pace in the Pertemps final at Cheltenham. All the others were right out the back, making his run seem fair bit better than his finishing position indicates. He has also had a very light season which is an advantage here.
His current mark will 10lbs below what he has run to in the past, and I think he looks a short price to be competitive here. He has been placed in 2 Pertemps of up to a stone higher.
We will be going split stakes in this difficult race, and will also go with Chart Topper .He fell 2 out when looking like the winner at Haydock in a Pertemps qualifier, and it made a mess of the plan to get him to the final in Cheltenham. He then ran in the Coral Cup, ran too free and faded in the finish.
This is more his trip and that run at Haydock along with a couple of other good handicap runs have him down as a possible improver here.
4:00 Aintree
Tip 2: Stellar Story - 2 Points EW
Best odds of 33/1 at bet365 while publishing.
Sometimes I start the season with a bet or two in mind right from the off. This is one of those bets. To my eye, STELLAR STORY is an ideal national type. His run in the Betfair chase, was relatively eye-catching in that he did jump better than last year and finished the race well. It was an ideal sighter across the water for his first start this year.
He then ran a relatively nice race in the Irish Gold Cup at Christmas, when he went around the unfavoured inside, and got tired late on, after again a positive looking ride.
I just think the market have this horse all wrong. He was one of the top staying novices last year, having been second in the Brown Advisory. Before that he was a winner of the Alfred Bartlet over hurdles also at the festival, which is for proven stayers.
This year he is a second season chaser, that will, to my mind will have been aimed at the national all season, Gordon has said as much. The real eyepopping run is the 3rd in the Bobyjoe chase giving Granceclaire West and Gerri Colombe 8 lbs . He is 21 lbs better off with Grangeclaire West and that in my view puts him right in the running here to say the least
There is a possible negative with the ground, but I’m not as worried about it as even the stable. He has run well on decent ground before including 2nd in the RSA on good/soft last year.
He has now drifted to 33/1 with 6 places, which looks great value to me, It’s the national and of course he has to avoid trouble, take to the fences etc, but at least we are getting the price to take that chance.
Kwiff
Tip 3: Three Card Brag - 1 Point EW
Best odds of 66/1 at William Hill, Unibet at the time of publishing.
I have struggled with my other picks for this national more than any other year.
One horse that is feel might be underestimated here is Three Card Brag. I would be very difficult to have better collateral form that his runs this year. He was beaten in the Kerry National by Spanish Harlem, which then would have won the Thyestes bar a last fence fall. He then beat Backmeorsackme at Cheltenham, and that horse won the big 3-mile handicap at the DRF. He then got left in front and ended up taking back second in the Hennesey behind Panic Attack, who he is 10lbs better of with.
He was then poor after being backed on heavy ground in the Bobbyjoe, and that is probably the reason he is a huge price here.
Last year in the national, he was left in front, and as far as I could see they went too fast on the second circuit and the horses in behind had the race setup for them. He is off a higher mark now but looks a much better horse. He looked to really enjoy the fences last year, and if he is both a better horse, and the pace can be got right this time around, I think he will be there at the last fence. 66/1 looks value.
