Aintree Festival 2025: Race By Race Guide For Day 3

Grand National day has arrived at Aintree and Dean Ryan is back for a full analysis of day three of the Festival with a race-by-race guide to the best value in the betting markets. 

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Aintree 13.20 – Premier Handicap Hurdle

Selection: Double Powerful  –  0.75pts Each Way @ 12/1 With Bet365

Racing at Aintree on Saturday gets underway with a big field handicap hurdle and many eyes will be on Jeriko Du Reponet who almost delivered his finest moment at Cheltenham in the Pertemps Final. 

It’s easy to think they will go close once more and he is priced accordingly. 

Taking a chance on something a bit further down the market might pay off however and one that will be traveling well and staying on late to line at this trip is Neil Mulholland’s Double Powerful. 

They enjoyed a remarkable run in handicaps with six wins on the bounce until defeat in December at Ascot. 

Well needed break was given to the 6-year-old and then a spin at Kempton last month would have got the wheels well-oiled for this test. 

Should give a very good account upped in trip here. Others to consider include Nurse Susan and Bo Zenith at double-figure prices with some upside for each way players.

Aintree 13.55 – Mersey Novices Hurdle 

Selection: Lulamba - 2pts Win @ 6/5  With Bet365 

The run of Lulamba at Cheltenham in the Triumph was hugely unlucky.

I expect he will taste very few defeats for a while and is a true star on the rise for the Nicky Henderson team. 

It would be a shock if anything in this field is ready to get to the level already reached by the 4-year-old and it looks a straightforward task with an allowance for age applied in the Grade 1 here. 

He will surely start odds on with betting apps, but anything better than that looks a value wager.

Check out how racing experts Dean Ryan and Diarmuid Nolan assess and rank every horse set to race in Saturday's Grand National in the video below: 

Aintree 14.30 – Handicap Chase 

Selection 1: Weveallbeencaught – 0.5pts Each-Way @ 11/1 with Bet365

Selection 2: Frero Banbou – 0.5pts Each-Way @ 33/1 with Bet365

Two darts at the trappy handicap chase and Weveallbeencaught can build on recent runs at Cheltenham and Doncaster to at least hit the frame here for the Twiston-Davies team. 

The mark of 135 would look very fair on best efforts and conditions will suit ideally. 

The other is Frero Banbou who ran a lot better than a bare look at the form will tell you at Cheltenham and is hugely capable of better, like the victory at Newcastle over The Changing Man will tell you in November. 

Off a light weight the huge odds with horse racing betting sites underestimate the chances for Venetia Williams and Charlie Deutsch.

Aintree 15.05 – Liverpool Hurdle 

Selection: Teahupoo – 1pt Win @ 5/2 with Bet365

Teahupoo was a gallant second at Cheltenham in the Stayers' Hurdle and whilst that was a disappointment the form is still a stand out here.

In fact, Teahupoo has been an absolute model of consistency in carefully tailored campaigns for a couple of years all at the highest level. 

There is nothing in here to match that bar fairly steep improvement, so even allowing for a quick turnaround, Aintree rather than Punchestown, connections must feel all is well to go again. 

I expected a price of closer to even money and therefore is playable to get swift compensation.

Aintree 16.00 – Grand National

Selection 1: Three Card Brag 1pt Each Way @ 28/1 With Bet365

Selection 2:  Beauport - 0.5pts Each-Way @ 28/1 With Bet365

It's not quite the test it was, expect a lot of finishers, plenty in the race with three or four to jump and that makes for a great spectacle for all. 

I’ve two main plays against the top of the market but Iroko, I Am Maximus, Intense Raffles and Perceval Legallois all look perfectly strong contenders priced accordingly. 

Three Card Brag has been prepped nicely, has a little bit up the sleeve with the mark and could just relish this from the front end which is hopefully the tactics employed. 

Beauport is a type of stayer that in the older format of the race, with a stiffer test would have been perfect for the race but is blessed with enough speed and can still figure at a big price especially if getting a good rhythm somewhere midfield or more forward.

Aintree 17.00 – Maghull Novice's 

Selection: Kalif Du Berlais – 0.5pts Win @ 9/2 With Bet365 

Take a chance that L’Eau du Sud and Only By Night will suffer a slight Cheltenham hangover from the Arkle and have a small play on the exciting Kalif Du Berlais who has been aimed here with intent. 

Will need to improve and produce a career best so stakes are small.

However, conditions look ideal to give the shorter priced pair a big threat.

Aintree 17.35 – National Hunt Flat Race

Selection: No Bet Advised

Head for the car park early or stay for the last and enjoy the after party will be a difficult enough question to answer than find the winner of the bumper. 

The market often guides well but so many unexposed stars of the future are on show here. 

A tentative nod goes to Mossy Fen Road for the Derham team who won as they pleased at Wetherby in February, but measuring that with similar performance from others is almost impossible