11.45am Latest going news
The clerk of the course has called it soft, good to soft in places on all three tracks at Aintree on Friday morning. That’s not what I was expecting (see below) but we’ll see how today’s races pan out. I’m expecting the ground to provide a significant test.
9.45am Friday: going and betting update
The going at Aintree is officially soft all round on Friday morning but I believe the clerk is out by the Canal Turn with his GoingStick just now and it will be interesting to hear from him on his return. From lunchtime until I left the course about 8pm on Thursday there was barely a dry five minutes and I expected to be hearing about “heavy in places” today. In total, 12mm fell, adding to 14mm earlier in the week. Friday and Saturday are due to be dry but I expect it will still ride soft in the National.
In light of all that rain, 2-1 about Waiting Patiently is all that could be hoped for. I wonder if those odds have something to do with his trainer, Ruth Jefferson, still being slightly new. I’ve got no doubts about her at all and would be really happy to see her get a Grade One for the second time in her 14-month career.
Adrien Du Pont is 14-1 for the Topham, which I like. The market has really latched on to Call It Magic, trained by Katie Walsh’s other half, Ross O’Sullivan, who is 5-1 with most firms after opening at 14s. He led over the last in the Becher before tiring.
Felix Desjy seems to be attracting support and is now 4-1 from an opening 7-1 for the second race. That’s now a bit short for me but 8-1 Canardier in the opener appeals. The bumper at the end of the card is hot but I didn’t expect 14-1 about Blackhillsofdakota, who is really well bred by the standards of this race and improved a lot during his second run, albeit it was only last Sunday.
Friday’s TV races
It has been a long, frustrating season for connections of Waiting Patiently (3.25), who must have soft ground but found the forecast drying up whenever an entry was made for him. Finally, he has had a turn of luck, the heavens having opened on Aintree on Thursday, giving him ideal conditions for Melling Chase.
His trainer, Ruth Jefferson, could hardly believe her eyes when Waiting Patiently was taken out of the King George by Bristol De Mai falling in front of him. When he tried to win the Ascot Chase for the second year running, he bumped into Cyrname as that one turned himself into the highest rated steeplechaser in the country.
Surely this is where it all starts to go right for Waiting Patiently, who has twice beaten Politologue, the likely second-favourite. Min is worth respecting but he was behind Politologue in this race last year and again last month in the Champion Chase.
Hell’s Kitchen could be dangerous, having run a personal best when fourth in that race. This return to a longer distance should be a help to Harry Fry’s runner.
1.45 Brio Conti was last off the bridle in Cheltenham’s Coral Cup and is the obvious one here but Canardier finished close behind and may have needed that first run since October. The Irish raider can turn the tables here.
2.20 Gordon Elliott has been kept out of the winner’s enclosure at Aintree so far but Felix Desjy can get him there. He faded late but ran a cracker in Cheltenham’s Supreme and might find it easier to impose his will on this much smaller field.
2.50 It looked a strong renewal of the RSA that Topofthegame won last month and it will be very disappointing if he cannot underline his worth by following up here. Lostintranslation is likeable but he has a low strike-rate and comes from a yard that seems in the doldrums.
4.05 His last race at Kempton didn’t work out very well for him but Adrien Du Pont gives the impression he has a big handicap in him off his present rating and this could be it. A Grade One winner as a hurdler, he goes well with some cut in the ground.
4.40 The step up in distance will be a real test for Champ and Lisnagar Oscar might be a better bet. He tired into fifth up the Cheltenham hill but this flat circuit may be more of a help to him.
Aintree 1.45 Canardier (nb) 2.20 Felix Desjy 2.50 Topofthegame 3.25 Waiting Patiently 4.05 Adrien Du Pont (nap) 4.40 Lisnagar Oscar 5.15 Blackhillsofdakota
Leicester 2.00 Mr Fudge 2.30 Plumette 3.05 Landa Beach 3.40 Showroom 4.15 Scofflaw 4.50 Stealth Fighter 5.25 Noble Prospector 5.55 Cheerfilly
Sedgefield 2.10 Enforcement 2.40 Inessa 3.15 The Pine Martin 3.50 Dead Right 4.25 Tigeralley 5.00 Houndscourt 5.35 Point N Shoot
Wolverhampton 5.30 Skyva 6.00 Badenscoth 6.30 Engrossed 7.00 Copper Rose 7.30 French Riviera 8.00 A Hundred Echoes
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