Four Horses To Watch Out For At The Grand National Meeting

The seven year old has been a superb horse during his career, really bouncing onto the scene in 2019 when taking the old Novices' Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham festival.

Last season he again put up another superb performance at Leopardstown over Christmas, when becoming one of the very few horses to beat Chacun Pour Soi in a Grade One.

He went to Cheltenham off the back of that run in the Ryanair and when punted to run a big race, could only finish third behind Min.

Back for another term, he made his seasonal debut in the two mile Grade Two Fortria Chase at Navan, where he was narrowly beaten by Castlegrace Paddy.

It was obvious that two miles was not his trip and De Bromhead last time out sent him over three miles for the first time in his career and didn't half suit him.

In the Grade One Savills Chase he came from a long way back off the pace to snatch victory at Leopardstown, proving a staying trip is what he now needs.

This was also backed up last time out in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham when a narrow second to stablemate Minella Indo, staying every bit of the 3m2f.

The Grade One Betway Bowl seems to be the race he will be heading into, with De Bromhead heading into the meeting still in solid form off the back of six winners at the Cheltenham festival.

Betway Bowl

The Tom Lacey trained Kimberlite Candy is a stout stayers that has been primed for the Grand National all season and we believe there are worst each way bets out there.

The nine year old heads into the event off a mark of 153 which sees him getting a workable weight against some of the better horses in the contest.

The gelding has been highly consistent over staying trips during his career and having been really lightly raced over the last years it seems as though a got at this race has been in the offing for some time.

Back in December 2019 he headed to Aintree for the first time in his career in the Grade Three Becher Chase over the National horses and was a superb second of 18 behind Walk In The Mill.

From there, in January 2020 he headed to Warwick for his final run of that season when winning the Grade Three Classic Handicap Chase over 3m5f by 10 lengths.

He was probably being aimed at last year's Grand National, but with it being postponed the team turned their attention to this seasons renewal.

With that in mind he has only been seen once to keep fresh and once again he was a good second in the Becher Chase in December, finishing in behind the veteran Vieux Lion Rouge.

Having only three runs in the last two seasons should see him fresher than most for this event and at 16/1 he looks a big player for JP McManus, being a proven stayer and jumper of these fences.

A very interesting runner at Aintree could be Abacadabras for Denise Foster in the 2m4f Aintree Hurdle which would see the Grade One winner step up in trip to this distance for the first time.

Abacadabras started his life over hurdles last season in great style showing clear pace in the final stages of his races.

Having landed a decent contest at Gowran on his seasonal debut last term, he then went on to take a Grade Three at Navan showing clear progression.

Although finishing second on his next start it saw him give his best performance to date when a narrow second to the superstar Envoi Allen in a Grade One at Fairyhouse.

He then headed to the Dublin Racing Festival and he landed his first Grade One of his career in the future Champions Novice Hurdle.

It was all systems go for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival and he finished a narrow second to the smart Shishkin in a photo-finish, which looks incredible form.

Staying over hurdles this term he made his debut in the Grade Two WKD Hurdle at Down Royal and although only finishing second behind Aspire Tower, the run would have done him good.

It did just that as it saw him get off the mark for the season in the Grade One Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown, seeing off some of these rivals in this event.

However, next time out he gave a much lesser run in the Grade One Matheson Hurdle, when falling out the back of the TV to finish a weak fifth.

Plunged again against some familiar faces he went to the Dublin Racing festival in the Irish Champion Hurdle and chased home the easy winner Honeysuckle.

Many thought that would put him right for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, which is a track he is proven at handling but unfortunately he fell early on.

He came back fine and with not running much of a race should be spot on for this event and 2m4f will either make or break the horse.

The final horse we believe may be worth following at Aintree next week is the Pam Sly trained Eileendover who looks set to run in the Grade Two Mares' Bumper.

The four year old has been three times on the level in bumpers during her career to date and has landed a hat-trick of wins, getting better and better with each run.

She made her debut at Huntingdon in November where she went on to bolt up by 29 lengths on good ground.

The daughter of Canford Cliffs was then sent to Wetherby in December, this time on soft ground and she handled it just aswell to score by another wide margin 16 lengths.

In January her handler decided to step her up into Listed company at Market Rasen in heavy ground and she again trounced a field by close to seven lengths.

What was taking about this performance is that the third has since landed a Grade Two bumper and the fourth has since won a Listed event over hurdles.

She skipped the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham festival in favour of this and if improving again looks one of the bets of the meeting.