Donn McClean: Aintree Festival Day 2 Banker, Next Best And Each-Way Bets
Racing TV pundit Donn McClean is at the heart of the action at Aintree, and he has three selections for day two of the Grand National meeting.
Donn has picked out a banker, a next best and one each-way tip from Thursday's races.
Check out his selections below, and the best odds available on betting sites.
Donn McClean's Aintree Tips: Day 2 (Friday)
Banker: 14:55 Aintree - Sober Glory
Sober Glory is going to be a short price with betting apps for the Top Novices’ Hurdle, but he is the most likely winner of the race by a fair way.
The Mount Nelson gelding ran a big race in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last time.
In front from flagfall, he was still in front when he made a bad mistake at the final flight. In the circumstances, he did well to recover his equilibrium and keep on as well as he did to finish second, splitting Old Park Star and Mydaddypaddy.
Neither of those will be in opposition here, and his most serious rival could be Baron Noir, who finished fourth in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, seven and a half lengths behind Sober Glory.
He is a danger; he could get closer to him today, but it is a big deficit to have to overcome, especially given that Sober Glory made that mistake at the last.
Sinnatra is also a danger, and Starting Fifteen is a really interesting contender, but Sober Glory has the best form by a fair way going into the race.
He went into Cheltenham on an upward trajectory, on the back of two wins, and he put up a career-best at Cheltenham.
Another bonus is that the runner-up from the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham has a really good record in this race.
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Next Best: 15:30 Aintree - Heart Wood
Henry de Bromeahd and Darragh O’Keeffe teamed up to win the Grade 1 Manifesto Chase one day one with Koktail Divin, and they could bag the Grade One Melling Chase today with Heart Wood.
The Robcour-owned gelding was seriously impressive last time in winning the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.
He finished second in that race last year behind Fact To File, and although he didn't have to contend with him this year, he couldn't have been much more impressive than he was in winning.
He got into his racing rhythm really early for Darragh O’Keeffe, and you could have called him the most likely winner from a long way out.
Hitting the front on the run to the second last fence, he came home 10 lengths clear of Jonbon.
Still just an eight-year-old, and he is in the form of his life, and won the Grade 3 O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey Chase at Tramore on New Year’s Day over two miles and seven furlongs, but this intermediate trip is probably his optimum.
Grey Dawning is a danger dropping down in trip, although he hasn’t run over two and a half miles since he finished third behind Il Etait Temps in the Manifesto Chase at this meeting in 2024.
The fitting of cheekpieces for the first time may help in that regard, and it is obviously significant that Harry Skelton rides him in preference to his stable companion L’Eau Du Sud, but Heart Wood may have too much pace for him.
You can see Solness getting out there in front and setting a good pace, and Aintree’s chase track suits that style of racing.
Gidleigh Park is interesting. This is his trip too, and he ran well on his only run at Aintree to finish second to Impaire Et Passe in the Manifesto Chase last year. But Heart Wood is the one they all have to beat.
Best Each-Way: 16:40 Aintree - Zeus Power
Zeus Power could be a big player in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle, stepping up in trip to an extended three miles for the first time.
Winner of his maiden hurdle at Thurles just before Christmas over two miles, Joseph O’Brien’s horse stepped up on that in January when he stayed on well to get the better of a talented rival in Lazare De Star at Navan next time.
He stepped back up in trip next time at the Cheltenham Festival for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle, for which he went off at 50/1, but he belied those odds in staying on well to take third place behind King Rasko Grey.
He didn’t have a lot of luck in-running through that race either, was short of room at the fourth last flight and again on the run to the home turn, but he stayed on powerfully on the far side to snatch third place.
It is interesting that his astute trainer is stepping him up in trip now to three miles, when he could have run in the Grade One Mersey Novices’ Hurdle over two and a half miles instead.
Not obviously bred for staying trips, there is lots of speed in his pedigree, but such was the strength with which he finished off his race at Cheltenham, there is every chance that he will improve for a step up in trip.
He is only five and, while that is not a positive historically in the context of this race, it does mean he has the potential to continue his progression and could put up a better show against some better-fancied rivals.
