Wednesday, April 03, 2013

Aintree 2013 - Thursday

A quick post and some quick picks for those of a carefree disposition...

I'm inclined to give Irish Saint another chance against Rolling Star in the opener; he missed Cheltenham and comes here fresher than most. Kim Bailey's Hefner could be anything but the handler will not have entered the gelding on a whim.

Silviniaco Conti is the form choice in the Betfred Bowl (2.30) but he'll be no price. Only one favourite has obliged in the past ten years so I'll chance course and distance winner Quito De La Roque each-way.

The Aintree Hurdle looks very trappy. Barry Geraghty deserts previous winner Oscar Whisky to ride Grandouet who fell in the Champion and isn't always the most fluent of hurdlers. On official ratings The New One has enough to find with several of these more experienced rivals but the impressive manner in which he quickened to take the Neptune stays in the mind - The New One gets the vote.

1 comment:

GeeDee said...

Ruby Walsh tried to make all on Irish Saint (3/1) but the distress signals came out between the final two flights - the selection was passed by the only filly in the race and eventual winner L'unique (10/1) and Runswick Royal (20/1), finshing third beaten some five and a quarter lengths.

A bold effort from Quito De La Roque (7/1) who was sent to the front by Paul Townend from the seventh and was stoked up again five from home but he ran out of petrol, finishing fourth behind First Lieitenant (7/2), with odds-on favourite Silviniaco Conti third.

And another decent effort from The New One (11/4f) who looked all over the winner two out but he couldn't pass Zarkander (11/2) who stuck admirably to his guns and had half a length to spare at the line.