Balko Des Flos to give you that Friday Feeling at Aintree?
Published:
Tips for Friday’s racing
Day Two of the Grand National Festival sees more than three Grade 1 races across the afternoon.
Thursday was a mixed bag of results and today’s contests could see a similar set of events with a number of close handicaps.
The ITV cameras will be present for five of the races in Liverpool but the Coral News Team have three major tips, and all seven renewals covered…
Balko Des Flos to bolt up
The JLT Melling Chase will see one of the stars of the 2018 Cheltenham Festival make an appearance in Balko Des Flos.
The winner of the Ryanair Chase came from relatively nowhere to dismissively outgun Un De Sceaux. And he’s back at Aintree to take on Un De Sceaux’s stablemate Min in this 2m4f renewal.
A chat with our trader revealed that Henry De Bromhead’s charge was one of the most fancied horses of this entire festival. Can he justify that sort of recommendation?
If his Prestbury Park performance hasn’t unduly affected him, that sort of form should be too good for even the likes of Min.
Magic-looking Mildmay Chase
The Grade 1 Mildmay Novices’ Chase looks the race of the day with a host of Cheltenham stars involved.
Terrefort, Elegant Escape, Ms Parfois, Coo Star Sivola, and Black Corton will all fancy their chances of winning the 3m1f renewal.
However, the majority of those names all had hard rides at Prestbury Park. Elegant Escape was a respectable third to Presenting Percy in the RSA Chase. And Coral ambassador Joe Tizzard has waxed lyrical about him in his recent blog.
With a similar profile to Native River, Tizzard reckons six-year-old is the best 3m chaser in Britain. And that’s good enough for this column.
Skelton’s Roksana looking good
On a similar thought pattern to the Mildmay Novices’ Chase, it may be prudent to look down the betting for the winner of the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle.
On the face of it, Santini, Ok Corral, and Chef Des Obeaux all have claims for favouritism in the Grade 1 renewal. But all three had very tough races in the Albert Bartlett at Prestbury Park.
Dan Skelton’s Roksana however, was supremely impressive in a Grade 2 handicap at Newbury a few weeks ago.
The six-year-old is a progressive sort and looks primed for the step up in trip. He’ll race off a nice weight and maintains attractive each-way odds.
Aintree Racing Tips:
1:45 Aintree – Spiritofthegames
2:20 Aintree – Style De Garde
2:50 Aintree – Mia’s Storm
3:25 Aintree – Balko Des Flos
4:05 Aintree – Top Gamble
4:40 Aintree – Roksana
5:15 Aintree – Danny Kirwan
