There are few finer sights in racing than a big field streaming over the unique Grand National fences. The races over those obstacles are the big betting races of the day and will provide a grand spectacle but sometimes the thrill and spills also involve hard-luck stories. We have had good reports about Mr Pointment (2.50) and Theatre Knight (1.40) for the races at Aintree over the National course, and while I would not put any one off a punt on that pair in those early-betting events to be screened on BBC2 there are other more tempting bets away from the main action.
12.30pm Laborec, in particular, makes plenty of appeal in the opener at Aintree. The Mildmay track, over which the non-National course races are run at Aintree, is deceptive in that for a tight, sharp course stamina becomes an issue due to the long, sweeping turns which allows quite a pace to be built up. The form of the selection's debut run over hurdles reads well and he is guaranteed to be staying on having done so well when second to Crocodiles Rock over a longer trip here last time.
At Plumpton 1.30pm Roll Along is shorter this morning at around 13-8 than he is in the Racing Post betting forecast which has Dear Villez favourite but maybe that's no surprise given the high regard in which he is held. Carl Llewellyn, his trainer, picked the selection out as his horse to follow when interviewed for the Racing Post stable tour. His schooling over fences has been very good at home and he goes well fresh. 3.15pm Cleymor House is the other interesting one at the East Sussex track as he probably bumped into a well-treated horse last time when second to Surfboard.
Finally, if you can snap up some of the 7-1 still available this morning about 2.30pm Royal County Star at Navan then he looks well worth a bet at that price. He is the Pricewise selection in the Post today which is no surprise given that he hails from the shrewd Tony Martin camp, looks sure to be suited by today's trip and is likely to be ahead of the handicapper off his current mark.
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