Day 1 at Aintree is the kind of day you tell your non racing mates to add to their bucket list, a magical afternoon of top class jumps racing, but without the Grand National Day carnage. The 2019 Grand National meeting sparks into life on Thursday in no uncertain terms, with four Grade 1 in a row to kick things off…
The 1.45pm Devonish Manifesto Chase is without Festival winner Defi Du Seuil but remains a top quality Novice event over 2m4f. Warren Greatrex’s crack mare La Bague Au Roi skipped the Cheltenham Festival in favour of Aintree and her run of four wins this term, including a pair Grade 1s latest, make her the horse to beat in the opener. But it is a deep contest and all six are in with a good shout. Glen Forsa may well bounce back but could be better going right handed. Kalashnikov is definitely better going left, but can he put it all together here? Mengli Khan is very talented but needs to build again on his Cheltenham run. Which leaves SPIRITOFTHEGAMES as a danger to all for trainer Dan Skelton, a man firing in winners from all angles over the past 28 days. This 7yo ran another cracker in handicap company in the Festival Plate, where he only found the classy Janika and Siruh Du Lac too good from his big weight. It will be fascinating to see how he gets on here with the ground and trip to suit, and he could well prove to be a Graded performer.
Next up is a quality little renewal of the Doom Bar sponsored Grade 1 Juvenile Hurdle at 2.20pm, where Triumph Hurdle winner Pentland Hills and Fred Winter winner Band Of Outlaws are set to lock horns to see who is the King 4yo hurdler. It really is a tough one to call, but there is something a bit special about the turn of foot Band Of Outlaws seems to possess. We’ll find out how good he is tomorrow. Christopher Wood is unbeaten in two and open to progression, but he does have quite a lot of work on his plate. Fakir D’oudairies has to be respected, while at much bigger prices, the Gary Moore trained Beat The Judge is also worthy of note as one likely to improve on a solid effort in a good race last time out.
At 2.50pm the Grade 1 Bonanza rolls on as the King George hero CLAN DES OBEAUX bids to put a seal on a pretty damned good season. The ground went against him and he came up short in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but the Paul Nicholls trained 7yo still ran a highly respectable race in 5th behind Al Boum Photo. He steps back to 3m1f here on genuine good to soft ground and those conditions are just about perfect. Savill’s Chase winner Kemboy unseated early in the Gold Cup and bids to get back to his Leopardstown form, but does he have the composure in a fast run affair around Aintree, to not make a race costing error? Bristol De Mai is respected, but is a soft ground Haydock horse and has to be considered vulnerable for the win elsewhere, despite coming here after an excellent run in the Gold Cup. It is fair to suggest that Road To Respect is the chief threat to all. He ran a cracking race behind Frodon in the Ryanair Chase and there’s every chance that form can hold up here now Noel Meade’s 8yo is stepping back up to 3m+ on decent ground.
Dual Champion Hurdler Buveur D’Air is a warm order to get his season back on track in the 3.25pm Betway Aintree Hurdle, but the air of invincibility has definitely been lifted from the Nicky Henderson trained star and he faces a stiff field for this two mile test. At around the 11/10 mark, he is easy enough to take an E/w view against. Faugheen can go well from the front back in trip having run so well behind Paisley Park, but one does have to question his overall resolve at this stage of his career. Melon and Supasundae are vulnerable too. Conditions are more obviously in favour of the latter named Jessica Harrington trained runner, but he was brushed aside by L’ami Serge in this last year, this is a hotter race and he’s a year older and perhaps a little more leg-weary than he once was. With that in mind, there is hope for a minor upset in the shape of VERDANA BLUE, who has already beaten the market leader this season and the ground should be just about fine for her. The step up in trip is interesting and she can run a big one under Nico De Boinville. At a huge price, it would be no major surprise to see stablemate Brain Power travel, jump and enjoy himself for a long way here too.
Later on in the Foxhunters, Burning Ambition jumps off the page a bit for the 4.05pm over the National fences. In the 4.40pm, keep a close eye on the Lucy Wadham trained Movie Legend, who has a really good profile for the race, while in the lucky last, Alan King’s mare The Glancing Queen could prove hard to beat after her Cheltenham run.
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