It is the first day of the Grand National Festival, dubbed A Day Of Champions, and one of three Grade One races on Thursday is the Anniversary 4-Y-O Hurdle.
This will be the first race shown live on ITV, running at 2.20pm, and as the name suggests it is for four-year-olds - often who ran well in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Band Of Outlaws and Pentland Hills lead the betting market for trainers Joseph O’Brien and Nicky Henderson respectively and the ITV Racing experts have been giving their opinion on the two horses - and other Aintree runners - on The Opening Show.
Grand National 2019 sweepstake kit - download your free PDF of the runners
“I think they're very good horses,” said former jockey Mick Fitzgerald. “You can't rule out Fakir D’Oudairies either.
“It depends what happens this afternoon weather wise. That's quite a bit of rain forecast this afternoon and if that comes and it turns it into a little bit of a slog, you have to ask who does it suit better? It could come down to that.”
Fitzgerald is backing Pentland Hills at Aintree for the Grand National festival, but both Luke Harvey and Matt Chapman are with bookmakers’ favourite Band Of Outlaws.
“He hasn't even had a hard race,” said Harvey. "Admittedly this is another step up for him, but on the evidence we've seen he's very good.”
Chapman added: “Official BHA ratings, Pentland Hills is a 4lb better horse. That's what the BHA handicappers think. On handicap ratings Pentland Hills should win.
Grand National final 40 horses declarations - full list of runners and riders for 2019
“Joseph O'Brien's Band Of Outlaws for me is just too good. I just think he's far too good.
“What I love about this horse, is when you look at his flat form he was a seven furlong rider and you could have argued he might have been a dodgy stayer at two miles. But everything about that flat form suggests this tighter track will be right up his street.
“He should be even better at this track than at Cheltenham. Outstanding turn of foot, outstanding hurdler. Could be a Champion Hurdler in the making.”
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