Aintree Festival Day One predictions: Brighterdaysahead can flourish in Aintree Hurdle
Liam Bramall
Aintree Day 1: Best bet, each-way selection and treble
Recommended bets include:
The Aintree Festival kicks off on Thursday and there are four Grade 1 contests to look forward to, one of which is the £250,000 Aintree Hurdle.
The Champion Hurdle second and third are set to clash once again and we also have the Gold Cup runner-up returning in the Bowl Chase earlier on in the card.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of an enthralling day’s racing, including a best bet of the day.
Day 1 - Key info
First race: 1.45pm - Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle
Feature race: 4.05pm - Aintree Hurdle
Opening up with three consecutive Grade 1 races, the first race is Aintree’s Anniversary 4-Y-O Hurdle and the Triumph Hurdle’s second, third and fourth are all set to line up.
Lulamba bids to put his Arkle defeat behind him and is stepping up in trip for the Manifesto Novices’ Chase in the second race.
The Bowl is up next and Jango Baie looks well set to go one better, after finishing second in last month’s Gold Cup.
Aintree’s main event on day one is definitely the Aintree Hurdle at 4.05pm, and Brightersdaysahead will be attempting to confirm the Champion Hurdle form with The New Lion.
The amateurs get to go over the National fences in the Foxhunters’ Chase but there is also some competitive handicap action in the shape of the Red Rum Handicap Chase, as well as a Grade 2 bumper for mares to close out the card.
Best bet of the day
Brighterdaysahead to win the Aintree Hurdle (4.05pm) @ 2/1
Gordon Elliott has never been shy about how highly he regards this mare and she is set to go over fences next season.
This could well be her last hurrah over hurdles and she looks well set to make it a winning one if that is the case.
Already a course and distance winner, she came out on top in a Grade 1 at this meeting in her novice days and that definitely bodes well.
Runner-up in the Champion Hurdle, she was unable to quite live with Lossiemouth but the Willie Mullins-trained mare is absent here.
Elliott’s mare did manage to get the better of her at Leopardstown in February and both of those pieces of form make Brighterdaysahead the one to beat.
The 2m4f trip is probably more to her liking and it’ll be a surprise if she fails to get the job done.
Best each-way bet of the day
Jasko Des Dames in the Red Rum Handicap Chase (4.40pm) @ 11/1
LiveScore Bet are offering four places instead of the usual three in this race and the Henry de Bromhead-trained Jasko Des Dames looks like the ideal candidate here.
He was a useful novice chaser last term and managed to win back-to-back starts at Punchestown that season, successfully giving weight to his rivals on the second occasion.
The son of It’s Gino was second at Listowel on seasonal debut and second again at Cheltenham the following month.
Eventually getting outstayed when fifth at the Festival last time out, dropping back to two miles will surely suit and this horse has a big handicap win in him.
Day 1 acca
Aintree accumulators always go down a treat and we have picked out three selections for a Day 1 treble which pays 16/1 with LiveScore Bet.
Bet 1: Back Maestro Conti to win the Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle (1.45pm) @ 11/4
Dan Skelton can get his Aintree Festival off to a flyer if Triumph Hurdle runner-up Maestro Conti can go one better this time around. He looks like the one to beat on that evidence and can confirm the form with Selma De Vary and Minella Study.
Bet 2: Back Lulamba to win the Manifesto Novices’ Chase (2.20pm) @ 8/15
Clearly two miles is not Lulamba’s trip, as it was a lack of pace rather than a lack of ability that caught him out in the Arkle. It is very possible that he will go on to be a King George contender next term and he can win this en route to Kempton’s Boxing Day event.
Bet 3: Back Brighterdaysahead to win the Aintree Hurdle (4.05pm) @ 2/1
There is loads to like about Brighterdaysahead and she is one of the most talented mares in training. Only Lossiemouth was too good in the Champion Hurdle and her rivals here aren’t on the same level.
The latest Aintree Festival odds are available on LiveScore Bet
