Top tipster Andrew Mount has been in good form already this week and has four bets across two races on Day 1 of the Aintree Festival. Check out his selections below, along with a Bet £10 – Get £20 Sign-Up Bonus sign-up bonus at LiveScore Bet.
WAR LORD – Aintree 1.45 – (2pts win – 11/4)
Pic D’Orhy, who landed the Grade 2 Pendil Novices’ Chase at Kempton on his most recent outing, could be vulnerable here as he’s yet to win back-to-back races and his trainer, Paul Nicholls, is 0-13 in this race. Arkle fourth WAR LORD looks by far the better bet and I expect him to start as clear favourite (they were 11-4 joints at the time of writing).
Colin Tizzard’s seven-year-old stayed further than two miles over hurdles and looks a likely improver now going a longer trip for the first time since switched to fences. His chase record reads 11214 (3-5), with both defeats by the brilliant Edwardstone, the only British-trained runner to beat him in a chase (the Arkle runner-up and third were Irish-trained).
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MILLERS BANK – Aintree 1.45 – (1pt win – 15/2)
I want to save on MILLERS BANK who was just one length behind Pic D’Orhy in the Pendil despite losing ground by jumping out to his left on the right-handed track. That was his first start following a wind operation and he scored on his second start following wind surgery last year. This track will suit and he was placed at 80-1 in the Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle at this meeting last year.
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BREWIN’UPASTORM – 3:30 Aintree – (1.5pts win – 11/2)
The more I look at the 2m 4f Aintree Hurdle, the more I think this Grade 1 contest is ripe for an upset. The market is dominated by 15-8 shots Epatante and Zanahiyr, runner-up and third in last month’s Champion Hurdle. The former has always avoided running at Aintree and after her gallant second to Honeysuckle, Nicky Henderson, quoted in the Racing Post, said “I’d have thought she’d run again this season but it’s a question of where.
Aintree comes quick and Honeysuckle will be lurking again at Punchestown, so where do you go?” She was roughed off for the season after running at the Cheltenham festival in 2019 and in 2020. She did run at Punchestown last year but that run came 45 days after her Champion Hurdle third to Honeysuckle and she finished further behind her old rival in Ireland. The consistent Zanahiyr is perhaps more difficult to make case against, though he has won just scored just once (when 8-13 favourite) from his last seven starts and trainer Gordon Elliott has struggled for winners of later, scoring with just one of his 69 runners since St Patrick’s Day when the betting market suggests eight of those horses should have won.
BREWIN’UPASTORM hasn’t got the greatest record on tracks with stiff uphill finishes, his combined record at Cheltenham, Carlisle and Sandown reads F41U65F (1-7), with the sole win by a head. On easier tracks, his record stands at 141421115112 (7-12). Olly Murphy’s nine-year-old has yet to win in Grade 1 company but likes Aintree and is fairly priced at around the 11-2 mark.
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MCFABULOUS – AINTREE 3.30 – (1pt win – 16/1)
I also want to side with MCFABULOUS, who missed the Coral Cup because of the soft ground when I fancied him for that race. I’ve long felt that the eight-year-old is best after he’s had a couple of runs…
First two runs each season: 17241324 (2-8)
Third or subsequent runs: 1111128 (5-7)
Paul Nicholls does well with first-time cheekpieces on runners who finished fourth or worse last time out, scoring with 28 of the 122 qualifiers since 2010 for a profit of £33.17 to the usual £1 stake. He was only eighth in this race last year (beaten by 11 lengths) but was a 9-2 shot and only finished three lengths behind Brewin’upastorm who is a third of his price today.
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Today’s Best Bets
War Lord – 2pts win – 1.45 Aintree (11-4 bet365, Boylesports)
Millers Bank – 1pt win – 1.45 Aintree (15-2 William Hill)
Brewin’Upastorm – 1.5pts win – 3.30 Aintree (11-2 generally)
McFabulous – 1pt win – 3.30 Aintree (16-1 generally)
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