Three Stats To Help You On Day One Of The Grand National Meeting

In the first race of the day Trainer Emmet Mullins on Thursday is looking to have a winner at Aintree, sending just one runner to the Liverpool based track today, coming over from Ireland with a superb strike rate.

The shrewd Irishman is superb at placing horses and with only one runner on the first day you must take notice, with Mullins having 16 winners from 56 runners during his career when bringing them over to England and that sees him pose a 29% strike rate.

The Shunter runs in the first race of the day with it seeing him step up into Grade One Company over fences for the first time in his career in the Manifesto Novices' Chase.

The eight year old has been a fine servant for the yard this season, over both hurdles and fences and off the back of his last run at the Cheltenham festival he deserves his chance in this company

.Frequently raced this term, his first stand out win of the season came at Cheltenham in the Grade Three Greatwood Hurdle, when bolting up over two miles.

Still on a nice mark over fences he was sent to the Dublin Racing Festival in the Matheson Handicap Chase and he finished a staying on third of 20 runners.

Not afraid of travelling this horse, Mullins took him next to Kelso for the Morebattle Hurdle, where the winner of the race would have a chance of a £100,000 bonus if going on to win the race and then at the Cheltenham festival.

Having stayed on well to take that race in Scotland, he was then sent into the Paddy Power Plate at the Cheltenham festival over 2m4f and under a superb ride by 7lb claimer Jordan Gainford he took the event.

He is versatile with ground and has shown he stays this trip well, and if proving he can do it at this level now out of handicap company, he has a huge chance.

Adagio looks to be the form pick going in to the Grade One Doom Bar Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle and with it being Tom Scudamore's only ride of the day it is worth taking notice of.

Scudamore is in electric form heading into the meeting, where he is set to sit on the Grand National favourite Cloth Cap, as he is running at a 24% strike rate having landed five winners from his last 21 rides over the last fortnight.

With that David Pipe has loved bringing his horses to Aintree this season running at a 50% strike rate for the season having two wins from four runners, picking up £16 from a £1 level stake from his winning horses.

For Adagio, the youngster made his debut in November at Warwick when winning a decent event and then two starts ago stepped over two miles at Cheltenham and finished a good second behind the Gordon Elliott trained Duffle Coat.

He used that form next time out to drop back in class and easily land the Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle over the same course and distance.

The gelding took the race with ease, travelling well throughout the race and Pipe then gave him his chance at the top level when sending him to Chepstow last time out.

Stepping up against Nassalam, Adagio was pitched into the Grade One Finale Juvenile Hurdle and was a superb winner, staying on in the final stages to dominate the field.

With Grade One winning form, Pipe waited on him and sent him to Cheltenham in the Grade One Triumph Hurdle and he finished a superb second behind the smart Quilixios.

Having now proved it twice at the top level it sees him have a slight edge over the favourite Monmiral and we are backing him to go well once more.

Tiger Roll is nearly everyone's favourite horse in the sport and although unfortunate not to be seeing him go his third straight Grand National, he still heads to Aintree with a huge chance.

The 11 year old loves coming to Liverpool having been three times in his career and won twice which sees him pose a 66.66% strike rate when running at Aintree.

Although he is taking on a different track today, the veteran will know what track he is at and for his backers will hopefully light up like he has done in the past.

The five time Cheltenham festival winner made his seasonal debut at Navan on the flat over 1 mile 6 furlongs this season and although only beating a few home, Elliott was happy with his blow out and believed it was just what he needed ahead of the season.

The yard explained that last year did not go to plan with Tiger Roll picking up an injury which impacted how his season played out, only being able to finish a long way second to Easysland in the Cross Country Chase at Prestbury Park.

However, this season the plan was to head back to Cheltenham ahead of the National in April and let the horse try and land a third consecutive renewal of the race.

He heads into the race off the back of his best run, since his second win in the Grand National when reversing the form with Easysland in the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham festival.

A horse of a lifetime that comes alive at Aintree and he is seeking his third straight victory at the track.