Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Thursday’s racing coming your way from day 1 of the 2023 Aintree Festival on 13 April 2023.
AINTREE FESTIVAL – DAY 1
Race 1 RACEHORSE LOTTO MANIFESTO NOVICES’ CHASE (Grade 1)
No2 SAINT ROI (Nap)
Trainer: Willie Mullins – Jockey: Mark Walsh
In this cracking opener, BANRIDGE could be fresher than his main foes STAGE STAR and SAINT ROI, who met with mixed fortunes at the Cheltenham Festival. The former chased home El Fabiolo in the Irish Arkle in February and that form was handed a huge boost when the winner followed up in the Arkle itself, beating SAINT ROI into third. STAGE STAR was an emphatic scorer in the Turners Novices’ Chase to make it four wins from five chase starts but this trip is going to suit SAINT ROI the best. He stayed on off a waiting ride to do all his best work at the finish at Cheltenham, and can up his game on this level course which should suit his style of racing.
Prediction: 1st SAINT ROI, 2nd Banbridge, 3rd Stage Star
Race 2 JEWSON ANNIVERSARY 4-Y-O JUVENILE HURDLE (Grade 1)
No1 BO ZENITH
Trainer: Gary Moore – Jockey: Jamie Moore
From a yard that can hardly put a foot wrong, BO ZENITH now enters the stage he was purchased for. The former French-trained gelding has been relatively quietly campaigned, but recent smooth successes at Haydock and Stratford are there to be stepped up on, while this ground will hold no perils for him. ZENTA is the one I fear most, granted she ran well to trouble the judge in the Triumph Hurdle and receives a fillies’ allowance. That 5lb could be worth its weight in gold to a lightly-raced improver from the Mullins academy like her. SCRIPTWRITER endured a day to forget when putting in a tame showing in the Adonis Hurdle at Kempton and missed the Festival. He therefore comes with risks attached, but if on his A-game is definitely a horse to have on your mind.
Prediction: 1st BO ZENITH, 2nd Zenta, 3rd Scriptwriter
Race 3 ALDER HEY AINTREE BOWL (Grade 1)
No1 AHOY SENOR
Trainer: Lucinda Russell – Jockey: Brian Hughes
AHOY SENOR showed a liking for the Mildmay Course with a stunning victory at this meeting last year, and though successful in only one of his five outings this season has to be taken seriously with champion jockey Hughes in the saddle for the first time. Jumping issues have put some black marks on his CV, but he looked to be going perfectly well in front at the time of his fall in the Gold Cup. BRAVEMANSGAME was clear of the rest of the field when second in chasing’s blue riband to consolidate his successes in the Charlie Hall Chase and the King George. The form makes him the go-to horse today, but my view is that CONFLATED was unlucky not to get a lot closer to him after twice getting blocked when making his challenge turning into the straight. Conflated was the subject of a late jockey change that might not have helped him, and with Jack Kennedy still sidelined now gets Keith Donoghue to do the steering for the first time. With GA LAW seemingly outclassed, SHISHKIN enters the argument on a first attempt at the trip, but so prone is Nicky Henderson’s former two mile champ to mistakes that I just can’t have him.
Prediction: 1st AHOY SENOR, 2nd Conflated, 3rd Bravemansgame
Race 4 WILLIAM HILL AINTREE HURDLE (Grade 1)
No1 CONSTITUTION HILL
Trainer: Nicky Henderson – Jockey: Nico de Boinville
For unbeaten CONSTITUTION HILL this looks even more straightforward task than the Champion Hurdle in which he cruised to victory over State Man. Plenty of judges are happy to claim the six-year-old is one of the best hurdlers of all time, but while he should beat these opponents pointless it’s worth remembering he outclassed a far weaker field than is normal for the hurdling championship, and only has one Champion to his name. My own view is that it would be madness to sent him over fences next season, and that if he remains sound he could easily put a couple more Champion Hurdles on his CV. Only then could he be compared to the great champions that have dominated the contest previously. And to indicate how relatively weak (for a Grade 1) the opposition is today, it wouldn’t surprise me to see his stablemate EPATANTE finish second, with County Hurdle fourth SHARJAH also in the money.
Prediction: 1st CONSTITUTION HILL, 2nd Epatante, 3rd Sharjah
Race 5 RANDOX FOXHUNTERS’ OPEN HUNTERS’ CHASE
No27 WINGED LEADER
Trainer: D Christie – Jockey: Mr B O’Neill
WINGED LEADER looks to have been trained with this one race in mind and would be a good winner in more ways than one, as he brings proper pointing form to the table, having been unbeaten in three outings between the flags since getting caught up the final hill in last season’s Cheltenham equivalent. He can lead the charge home from FIER JAGUEN, who was pipped in a Chepstow hunter-chase on a first start for his trainer, but has put in an unbeaten sequence in points, and hails from the same outfit that plundered last month’s Cheltenham Foxhunters. FAMOUS CLERMONT seemed to run out of gas in that race and should be happier over this shorter distance. He can claim a cheque and the same applies to MAGIC SAINT, representing champion trainer Paul Nicholls and his daughter Olive, who won on the gelding at Wincanton last month.
Prediction: 1st WINGED LEADER, 2nd Fier Jaguen, 3rd Famous Clermont, 4th Magic Saint
Race 6 CLOSE BROTHERS RED RUM HANDICAP CHASE
No5 GREY DIAMOND (Each Way)
Trainer: Sam Thomas – Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies
Sam Thomas has his chasers pinging, and an outcome of GREY DIAMOND and BEFORE MIDNIGHT finishing in the frame in this race that remembers the greatest National horse of all time is not unrealistic. GREY DIAMOND ran well to finish just out of the money in the corresponding race two years ago, and has subsequently been unfortunate not to won more than once, as his recent Haydock triumph was preceded by a Sandown fall but for which he would have almost certainly prevailed. Before Midnight is a very good jumper who staged a four race winning sequence in 2021 but has been in the grip of the assessor ever since. He filled a similar position when chasing home The Last Day in this last year, and if a line is drawn through his underwhelming effort in the Grand Annual he has a good earning chance. PAY THE PIPER went down by a narrow margin on his latest start at Doncaster. He should enjoy the conditions and get into the shake-up. GLOBAL CITIZEN was an eye catcher on his return to fences at the Festival, and on a first run in a chase here has to be looked upon as a player along with MACKENBERG.
Prediction: 1st GREY DIAMOND, 2nd Before Midnight, 3rd Pay The Piper, 4th Global Citizen, 5th MACKENBERG
Race 7 GOFFS UK NICKEL COIN MARES’ STANDARD OPEN NH FLAT RACE
No3 CASA NO MENTO
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: Brian Hughes
CASA NO MENTO can break the stranglehold of Irish winners in this race and show that her defeat by Larchmont Lass at Sandown was a tad unlucky. Having won easily on Rules debut at Hereford she travelled much the best on her latest start, only to get mugged up the final hill. While it’s hard to be confident on the most difficult race on the card, I fancy her to go close. NOTKEEPINYAGOING hails from a yard that needs respecting with its runners at any Festival, and one that delivered at Cheltenham. A former winning pointer, she bolted up in a Galway bumper last summer, and while returning from a seven month absence she will be tuned to the minute. SEEYOUINMYDREAMS looks one of the best chances for champion trainer Paul Nicholls judging from her cruising triumph at Newbury, while MAGIC DAWN made a big step up from debut when winning at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve for Gordon Elliott.
Prediction: 1st CASA NO MENTO, 2nd Notkeepinyagoing, 3rd Seeyouinmydreams, 4th Magic Dawn
