Aintree will be at the center of the British sporting world on Saturday afternoon as the Merseyside venue comes to life for the 2024 Grand National.
The highlight of the three-day meeting includes the big race itself at 4:00 p.m., as well as three other Grade 1 competitions, headlined by the Liverpool Hurdle at 3:05 p.m.
Enda McElhinney has four games for Aintree on Saturday afternoon, including one in the Grand National itself.
Selections
1.20 Aintree – Black bamboo
The opening is a tough handicap hurdle over three miles and features many who excelled at Cheltenham last month in various races. BLACK BAMBOO finished a creditable sixth in the Coral Cup, a handicap contest from which winner Langer Dan emerged to almost win a Grade 1 here on Thursday. John Murphy’s charge made up good ground from the back at Cheltenham and his effort at the Dublin Racing Festival gives hope that moving back in will suit. He’s far from exposed, especially at this distance, and should perform well under Sean Flanagan’s guidance.
3.05 Aintree – Strong leader
The Grade 1 JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle, over three and a half miles, features many names familiar to fans of this division, including Champ, Dashel Drasher, Flooring Porter and last year’s winner, Sire Du Berlais. There are reasons to doubt this casting, particularly over the years, as Crambo was disappointing at Cheltenham last month for Fergal O’Brien and the Long Walk winner has something to prove now.
STRONG LEADER was the best of them in January’s Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham, finishing third on his first attempt over three miles, when beaten just over a length behind Noble Yeats and Paisley Park, now retired. He made up a good gap at the end of the race, but was unable to catch up with the first two on the hill. This track may suit him better, with a satisfactory record in two visits, and there may be more to come on this trip, notably here.
4:00 p.m. Aintree – Galia Des Liteaux
Dan and Harry Skelton arrived at this meeting on the back of their best ever Cheltenham Festival and it would cap off a spring for the brothers if they could land the National. Such a victory, and the £500,000 prize that comes with it, would also propel Dan to an unassailable lead in his quest to become Britain’s champion trainer for the first time.
Mare GALIA DES LITEAUX gives them a solid chance. She ran well here as a novice last season in a race won by Gerri Colombe and has progressed this season, winning at Market Rasen on her return in November and then coming close at Newbury before Christmas, both times against her own sex.
At Warwick in January she well and truly announced her endurance claims with a final second behind My Silver Lining in the 3m5f classic race on soft ground. The winner announced this form afterwards, while it is easy enough to forgive the mare for a lesser effort during her trip to Exeter in February.
She’s relatively fresh coming here, which bodes well, and has a nice racing weight to carry 10s of 7st, so the 25/1 attached to her claims with SIX places looks worth considering.
5:00 p.m. Aintree – I found fifty
Consistency was essential for FOUND A FIFTY this season as a novice chaser, with figures of 12,122 so far, including silver medals from the Irish version Arkle and Cheltenham in his last two starts. He was beaten by Il Etait Temps in the first race, before finding Gaelic Warrior in irresistible form in the Cotswolds. Il Etait Temps shed a hugely positive light on that form by scoring here on Thursday and Gordon Elliott’s side can do the same now in the final 1st year of the encounter.
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