Diarmuid Nolan: Three Big Priced Runners To Follow At The 2025 Aintree Festival
I always love the Aintree Festival. It is top-class racing without the pressure of Cheltenham.
Either you arrive at these few days having enjoyed a profitable Cheltenham and are hoping to keep the momentum going, or like myself you are trying to redeem yourself after a woeful few days of punting at Prestbury Park.
The 2025 Cheltenham Festival was full to the brim with shocks, and I think the 2025 Aintree Festival may follow suit.
One of the main pieces of logic I will be following this week is that I will be taking on those horses who had serious races at Cheltenham.
This was only three weeks ago and it will be tough to get over those exertions. It may be profitable to look at the fresher horses this week.
16:05 Aintree (Thursday) - Eva’s Oskar - 33/1
The Randox Foxhunters' Open Hunters' Chase is always one of the most enjoyable races of the week on Merseyside, as it is our first look at horses jumping over the Grand National fences.
The front of the market mostly boasts competitors who do not have Aintree experience, or at least those who have not enjoyed positive experiences.
Famous Clermont is the clear exception, having won this race last season. My Drogo and Willitgoahead have never jumped the national fences and Lifetime Ambition has never completed over them.
Of course, these four rivals have a great chance, if they put their best foot forward. However, I am keen on taking a chance on Eva’s Oskar.
In 2023, Eva’s Oskar was running a huge race over these fences in the Grand National itself, and was going well when brought down by a loose horse after the 21st fence.
He managed the fences with aplomb and that experience should stand to him in these calmer waters.
At his best he was not rated far behind these at all (rated 143), and has looked rejuvenated this season for the switch to hunter chasing. He does want further, but it can pay to be doing your best work late in this race.
This talented 11-year-old can outrun his lofty odds of 33/1 for the father/son combination of Edward and Tim Vaughan.
14:20 Aintree (Friday) - Favour And Fortune - 33/1
Handicap hurdles at the Aintree Festival are always superbly competitive affairs, but Favour and Fortune has been screaming out to go up in trip, and he gets this in Friday's William Hill Handicap Hurdle.
Favour And Fortune boasts some brilliant form, including a brave sixth in the 2024 Supreme Novices Hurdle, and an excellent second behind subsequent Arkle winner Jango Baie in the 2024 Grade 1 Formby Novices' Hurdle at Aintree.
He also won the 2024 Scottish Champion Hurdle off a mark of only one pound lower.
This season he has not quite looked that same prospect, but he did show plenty of promise when fourth in the Betfair Hurdle, before looking uneasy around Kelso.
On both of those starts he looked like he would appreciate a step up in trip and he gets that this week.
He is only seven, handles any ground well, and it would not surprise me at all to see a huge run from Favour And Fortune on Friday.
13:20 Aintree (Saturday) - Deep Cave - 50/1
This selection takes a bit of forgiveness, but there is some logic that Deep Cove could well run a massive race at Aintree on Saturday at 50/1.
I was all over Jeriko Du Reponet at the Cheltenham Festival, and while he definitely can win this race, I am keen to take him on after what was a tough race there.
Many of these horses will also have taken part at Prestbury Park, so I am on the look out for a fresh option. Deep Cave is relatively fresh arriving here, and was a horse full of promise in Ireland when trained by Henry de Bromhead in 2023.
He finished less than five lengths behind Good Land in a Grade 1 novice hurdle at the Leopardstown Festival, and was a winner at the same track that previous Christmas when seeing off the talented Lot Of Joy.
He had a year in France, where he won twice before moving to Wales with Christian Williams for this season.
Last time out, he got stuck in the mud at Sandown and needs to be forgiven, but showed plenty of promise at Windsor before this, when only two-and-a-half lengths behind Titan Discovery.
In second that day was Push The Button, who was a massive eye-catcher in the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham three weeks ago.
That form reads well and he has handled similar ground with ease in the past. Odds of 50/1 could be too big for a horse who may just fulfil his potential any day now.
