Joe Logue’s Aintree Racing Tips
13:20 – West Balboa
13:55 – Caldwell Potter
14:30 – Twig
15:05 – Hiddenvalley Lake
16:00 – Coko Beach (each-way)
17:00 – Quilixios (each-way)
17:35 – Mister Meggit
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
13:20 West Balboa
WEST BALBOA is the most interesting. She will enjoy the trip and wasn’t really put into the race the last twice with different jockeys on board. Now Harry Skelton takes the ride she’s intriguing off a mark of 141. She was sent off as favourite for the Long Walk Hurdle and ran too free that day. So it looks like a change of plan to aim her at a big Festival handicap and she won this last year.
13:55 – Caldwell Potter
CALDWELL POTTER was a top notch performer in Ireland before going to the sales. Paul Nicholls said he was coming to Aintree and skipping Cheltenham which allowed the horse to settle in after moving from Ireland to the UK and that’s a positive to me. This has been the target. The trip is perfect for him and the ground is ideal. It’s going to be testing and his best Ireland form is on proper winter ground at tracks like Navan. Looking back maybe the race he won at Christmas wasn’t the strongest piece of form, with Predators Gold down the field at Cheltenham. But he did all he could. He’s going to be fresh against Cheltenham horses and that’s a positive here. He is potentially top-class.
14:30 – Twig
TWIG is one I’m choosing in a race I don’t have a strong view on. He had a good run behind Whacker Clan at Cheltenham in October and that one subsequently ran well in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham. Twig was off for 100 days before a cracking run when second to Chianti Classico in the Ultima Chase last month at the Festival. He did get a 4lbs rise for that which isn’t ideal, but he is a consistent type and will get the trip and handle the ground.
15:05 Hiddenvalley Lake
HIDDENVALLEY LAKE is still unexposed and has been in good form, beating Cool Survivor over hurdles in a Grade Three at Mallow before being turned over at Clonmel by Montys Star. He was disappointing in the Albert Bartlett in 2023 which was won by Stay Away Fay and chasing didn’t work out for him and again he’s missing time in between runs.
Things haven’t gone to plan and he might not be the easiest to train., but he was solid last time out winning a deep enough Boyne Hurdle with Beacon Edge in second and De Capo Glory in third, who went on to run a cracker in the Coral Cup. It looks like this was always the aim and Robcour seems to be targeting Aintree as well. He looks tailor-made for this 3m contest.
Grand National 16:00 – Coko Beach (each-way)
COKO BEACH is high in the weights but is a genuine horse who runs his race. He won the Troytown on heavy ground, beating Limerick Lace. He also had a great run in the Becher Chase, so you know he takes to the fences. He then won a Cross Country chase at Punchestown and I fancied him to win it at Cheltenham, but it was abandoned. He’s going to be a fresh horse in this now and is very interesting.
NASSALM will love the ground and is a definite stayer. He is high in the weights but with the ground the way it is I have to back the Welsh National Winner.
VANILLIER is an obvious choice. He was 15 lengths down at the last hurdle last year, finished with a rattle but could only manage second. This has been the target all season and the formbook wouldn’t urge you to back him but he is being peeked for this and will go close.
LIMERICK LACE has a nice light weight. She was impressive at Cheltenham needing every yard of the 2m 4f trip. She’s related to proper stayers and was second in the Troytown behind Coko Beach. She looks to have a cracking chance.
17:00 Quilixios (each-way)
QUILIXIOS is one I liked for the Arkle at Cheltenham, but his chance was gone at the start. Rachael Blackmore seemed to be well behind the field, the starter let them go and she missed out on about seven or eight lengths. He was then hampered by a faller at the second fence and it was curtains after that. If you can forgive him that run, you’ll want to back him again. He improved for dropping back to 2m at Naas before Cheltenham and his jumping should see him get a nice position here.
Found A Fifty ran a cracker at Cheltenham, but his jumping can sometimes go to the right and it’s probably not ideal at a left-handed track like Aintree. It’s a tough race to pick the winner so it’s a tentative vote to Quilixios (each-way).
17:35 Mister Meggit
MISTER MEGGIT has won very easily on two occasions. He was impressive at Carlisle winning by 12 lengths. His form looks impressive. The second, third and fourth horses that day have all won over hurdles since. He came out and hosed up on the bridle under a penalty at Doncaster on the bottomless ground which bodes well here given the predicted heavy ground.
Joe Logue’s Aintree Racing Tips
13:20 – West Balboa
13:55 – Caldwell Potter
14:30 – Twig
15:05 – Hiddenvalley Lake
16:00 – Coko Beach (each-way)
17:00 – Quilixios (each-way)
17:35 – Mister Meggit
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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