Aintree Day 2: Best bet, each-way selection and treble
Recommended bets include:
Litleangel Duseuil each-way in the Debenhams Handicap Hurdle
We’ve got some very exciting action to look forward to on Friday at Aintree and that includes the Topham Chase, which is run over the National fences, and the feature Grade 1, the Melling Chase.
Ryanair Chase winner Heart Wood heads the betting in that race, whilst there are also a further three Grade 1 races on the card, including the Mildmay Novices’ Chase.
Here is a preview of Friday’s action, alongside our best bets to follow.
Day 2 - Key info
First race: 13:45 William Hill Handicap Hurdle
Feature race: 15:30 JCB Melling Chase
The day one card featured four Grade 1s and Friday’s Day 2 card follows suit. The meeting opens up with the £75,000 William Hill Handicap Hurdle and a field of 22 have been declared.
Up next is the 3m1f Mildmay Novices’ Chase and Brown Advisory third Salver heads the market. The two-mile novice hurdlers get their chance in the Top Novices’ Hurdle next.
Our feature race is up next (15:30), with the Topham Chase following soon after. That’s going to be a fascinating betting heat with plenty of each-way opportunities.
Best bet of the day
Madara to win the Topham Handicap Chase (16:05) @ 7/2
It has been a record-breaking season for the Dan Skelton yard and they surpassed the £4,000,000 prize money mark earlier on in the campaign.
Madara had loads in hand when winning the Sun Racing Plate at the Cheltenham Festival last time out and it’s hard to see a 10lb rise being enough to stop him.
LiveScore Bet are offering six places in this race, rather than the usual four, but Skelton’s gelding might not need them. It’s probable that he’s still ahead of the handicapper.
Best each-way bet of the day
Litleangel Duseuil each-way in the Debenhams Handicap Hurdle (17:15) @ 14/1
There are five places on offer for this race and Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore’s Litleangel Du Seuil could be set to run a big race.
Successful on the Flat and over hurdles in her native France, she kicked clear to score by 12-lengths on her first start over timber at Fontainebleau in March 2025.
She made her first start for current connections in a handicap at Ayr last month after a 280-day absence and she was an impressive winner that day, kicking six-lengths clear. The best is surely yet to come.
Day 2 acca
Accumulators are always a popular bet type amongst the punters so we’ve selected three strong fancies on Friday to combine into a 57/1 treble with LiveScore Bet.
Bet 1: Back Sober Glory to win the Top Novices’ Hurdle (14:55) @ 8/15
Sober Glory absolutely bolted up under a double penalty at Newbury on his penultimate start and was probably unlucky not to win the Supreme at Cheltenham. Compensation could be on the cards.
Bet 2: Back Madara to win the Topham Handicap Chase (16:05) @ 7/2
Madara was far too good for them in the Plate at the Cheltenham Festival last month and connections successfully landed a plot. The handicapper has put him up 10lb since but he had more in hand than that and a follow up success is anticipated.
Bet 3: Back Talk To The Man to win the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (16:40) @ 15/2
Paul Nicholls runs two here and although the betting suggests No Drama This End is the first-string, Harry Cobden is riding the very promising Talk To The Man. He was impressive under a penalty at Newbury last time and has earned a shot in this grade.
