Grand National Betting / Graham Cunningham / 03 April 2008 / Leave a comment

Seven bets from our expert tipster

Three months ago he wasn't even a household name in his own household.

But as day two of the Grand National meeting dawns Master Minded is now the best chaser in Britain on official figures and has the Melling Chase at his mercy if the Betfair market is to be believed.

Do I want to back him at his current odds? Not particularly. However, I certainly don't want to lay a horse who made his Champion Chase rivals look like second raters and, all in all, the best betting options on what will be another bold and brassy Ladies' Day at Aintree look to lie on the supporting card.

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1. Back Battlecry win and place in the opener at 2.00 with a view to laying him at [4.0] and [1.5] in running. Granted, he has seen Albertas Run's backside with no excuses on both his last two starts and, at these weights, he shouldn't reverse the form. However, Battlecry has progressed very well this spring and would have finished much closer to Jonjo O'Neill's gelding in the SunAlliance Chase had he not endured a battle with Silverburn on the final circuit. The smaller field will suit him well.

2. Back Tazbar to win the 2.35. Keith Reveley bypassed the Albert Bartlett to wait for this with his stable star and therefore has a fresh horse with which to take on those who went to the Festival. Tazbar looked more than ready for this step up to Grade 1 level when dealing out a pasting to the useful Sound Accord at Haydock and his smooth travelling style looks just right for Aintree.

3. Lay Nenuphar Collonges in the 2.35. Taking on rugged battlers like Alan King's gelding can be a risky business, but Nenuphar Collonges is a thorough stayer and could get chopped for pace on this flat track. Tazbar looks his biggest danger, but The Tother One is another serious player if connections decide to hold him up longer than they did at the Festival.

4. Back Nacarat to win and Mighty Matters to be placed in the Topham at 3.45. Aintree's National fences may not be so fearsome as they once were, but bold jumping is still rewarded and Nacarat really impressed in that department at Newbury last time. Mighty Matters disappointed at Cheltenham, where he made a couple of uncharacteristic errors, but this better ground will suit him much better and both he and Nacarat could trade much shorter in running than their starting price.

5. Back. Pierrot Lunaire for a place in the 4.20 and lay Blue Bajan for a place in the same contest. Captain Cee Bee will be hugely popular after Binocular franked his Cheltenham form here yesterday, but Pierrot Lunaire ran Nicky Henderson's gelding even closer in the Adonis at Kempton and gets a stone from the jolly. Blue Bajan came from way back to finish sixth in the Supreme Novices, but his jumping remains untidy and there is plenty of depth in this.

6. Back Mister Top Notch win and place in the 4.55 with the aim of laying him back at [3.5] and [1.5] in running. Davy Fitzgerald's gelding has thrived this season to the point that he isn't far behind the very best staying chasers in Ireland now. He's primed for a big effort after an easy hurdles success and his bold jumping and high cruising speed look sure to catch the eye of the in running massive.

7. Back Kings Euro to win in the 4.55 with the aim of laying him back in running at 4.5. Tim Vaughan has made a big impression this season and Kings Euro is the sort of freewheeling front runner who could still be ahead of the handicapper. Time could show he is vulnerable when the closers come to call, but he's good enough to show up very boldly for long enough to ensure his followers end up with a bet to nothing.

Tags: Aintree Betting