The Grand National Day 2 Odds are shaping up and there are some fantastic races to enjoy at Aintree on Friday – we’ve got tips for all of the action…
Grand National Day 2 Tips
The Merseyrail Handicap Hurdle (1.45pm) gets racing at Aintree underway on Day Two of the Grand National Meeting and there have been just two winning favourites in the past 30 years, which doesn’t bode well for current market leader Brio Conti (8/1).
Nicky Henderson does have a good record in this though, training three of the past six winners, and there is much to like about Kobrouk (16/1 with William Hill). The French raider is something of an unknown quantity but produced some good efforts in his homeland and looks each-way value here.
| Friday – 1.45pm | Odds | Bets |
|---|---|---|
| Merseyrail Handicap Hurdle – BEST BET | ||
| Kobrouk (each way) Best Bet | 16/1 |  |
Next up at 2.20pm is the Betway Top Novices’ Hurdle and it is worth looking at the front-four in the betting – they have won 21 of the last 28 editions. Furthermore, nine of the past 20 winners posted a top-six finish in the Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Willie Mullins’ Aramon finished 6th in the Supreme as the hill at Cheltenham got the better of him last month but we fancy him to be better at Aintree, where he is worth an each-way poke at 7/1 with Hills.
| Friday – 2.20pm | Odds | Bets |
|---|---|---|
| Betway Top Novices Hurdle – BEST BET | ||
| Aramon (each way) Best Bet | 7/1 | |
At 2.50pm it is the Mildmay Novices’ Chase and Topofthegame (8/11 with William Hill) is looking like the banker of the day. The Paul Nicholls-trained 7-year-old was narrowly beaten by La Bague Au Roi – who runs in the Manifesto on Thursday – at Kempton earlier this season and he has since won the RSA at Cheltenham.
Of the last 17 Mildmay winners, 14 ran at Cheltenham Festival and Topofthegame can hand Paul Nicholls a third winner in eight renewals of this race.
| Friday – 2.50pm | Odds | Bets |
|---|---|---|
| Mildmay Novices Chase – BEST BET | ||
| Topofthegame to win Best Bet | 8/11 | |
The race of the day is undoubtedly the Melling Chase (3.25pm) as the likes of Waiting Patiently, Politologue and Min are set to clash in this Grade 1. Min ran decently enough when fifth in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham Festival but was eclipsed by Politologue, who was a brave second to the legend-making Altior.
Politologue won the Melling twelve months’ ago and we’ll back him to become the sixth horse to win this race back-to-back, and the first since Voy Por Ustedes in 2008, 2009. Politologue is currently 9/4 with Betfred.
| Friday – 3.25pm | Odds | Bets |
|---|---|---|
| Melling Chase – BEST BET | ||
| Politologue to win Best Bet | 9/4 |  |
The Topham Chase, raced over the National fences, is at 4.05pm and Theatre Territory is our 14/1 tip here (Hills). A brilliant 3rd in this race last year, Warren Greatrex’s 9-year-old hasn’t been seen at his best since wind surgery in October but a return to Aintree for what is the main target of his season could see him return to form.
| Friday – 4.05pm | Odds | Bets |
|---|---|---|
| The Topham Chase – BEST BET | ||
| Theatre Territory (each way) Best Bet | 14/1 | |
The penultimate race of Day Two is the Sefton Novices Hurdle (4.40pm) and what a good race this promises to be. Lisnagar Oscar stills offer a touch of each-way value at 6/1 (Bet Victor) as he has been rock solid this season, finishing runner-up in the Bristol Novices Hurdle before winning the Prestige at Haydock and taking a respectable fifth in the Albert Bartlett at last month’s Festival.
| Friday – 4.40pm | Odds | Bets |
|---|---|---|
| Sefton Novices Hurdle – BEST BET | ||
| Lisnagar Oscar (each way) Best Bet | 6/1 |  |
Finally, Day Two of the Grand National Meeting closes with the Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race at 5.15pm and Master Debonair gets the nod from us. Colin Tizzard’s 5-year-old had two wins and a place to show from three starts before disappointing at the Cheltenham Festival, where he was perhaps a bit keen. No matter, six of the 19 winners of this Aintree race were unplaced in the Champion Bumper last time out and we fancy Master Debonair to enhance that record.
| Friday – 5.15pm | Odds | Bets |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race – BEST BET | ||
| Master Debonair (each way) Best Bet | S/P | |