talkSPORT betting tips – Best Aintree racing bets and expert advice on Grand National Day
It’s the third and final day of the Aintree Festival on Saturday and the world’s most famous steeplechase, the Grand National, takes centre stage on a glittering seven-race card from the Merseyside track.
As well as the 34-runner Grand National, there are three Grade 1s on the card, as well as another pair of Premier Handicaps and a Grade 2 bumper.
Our expert, Trevor Paige, has a trio of selections on the card, including one in the showpiece Grand National.
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Saturday’s Racing Tips
12.45 Aintree – Salvator Mundi
The Willie Mullins-trained Salvator Mundi looks destined to go off a short-priced favourite for the opening Grade 1 Maghull Novices’ Chase and rightly so, having created a big impression when winning his last start at Thurles in February.
The six-year-old proved himself one of the leading novice hurdlers around last season, winning three of his four starts, the highlight being his seven-length defeat of Romeo Coolio in the Grade 1 Top Novices’ Hurdle at this fixture.
Runner-up at the Punchestown Festival subsequently, he suffered a disappointing reversal at long odds-on, on his chasing debut at Thurles in November and was again well below his best when only sixth of the nine runners in the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas (won by Romeo Coolio).
Eased in grade, he was back to his imperious best when winning by 28 lengths in a canter at Thurles last time and comes here a fresh horse, having bypassed the Cheltenham Festival.
2.30 Aintree – Lookaway
Neil King’s Lookaway has top weight of 12st to overcome, but he’s thriving over fences and is entitled to be bang there, despite the 6lb rise he incurred for winning the Grade 3 Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase at Kempton in February, a race with a rich history and known as the Racing Post Chase for many years.
A Grade 2 winner over hurdles, he’s won three of his five chases so far and has run to Racing Post Ratings matching or exceeding his new official mark of 145 on each of his last three outings.
He’s well suited by flat tracks and remains open to plenty more improvement on only his second try over this far.
4.00 Aintree – Iroko
With six of the 34 runners in the field, JP McManus has every chance of claiming a fourth Grand National victory, having won it previously with Don’t Push It (2010), Minella Times (2021) and I Am Maximus (2024).
The latter, who also finished second last year, could well top the market, but I’m hopeful that the Olly Greenall and Josh Guerriero-trained Iroko can better his fourth of 12 months ago.
The eight-year-old, barring a disappointing run at the Cheltenham Festival last month, has had an excellent season, appearing to show the benefits of wind surgery when an excellent second to subsequent King George VI Chase winner The Jukebox Man on his reappearance at Haydock and when easily beating the reopposing Firefox at Ascot.
Favourite when staying on strongly to be beaten seven-and-a-half lengths last year, he’s only 4lb higher this time around and should have something like his ideal ground.
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