Daily Racing Multiple

Horse Racing Tips: Sunday 6/1 Aintree season opener double

Aintree Racecourse
James Mackie heads to Aintree on Sunday for his daily double

James Mackie fills in for the final time for Alan Dudman this weekend and heads to Aintree on Sunday for his daily double in the season opening meeting...

  • James Mackie likes two from Aintree on Sunday for his double

  • Stage Star can land Old Roan Chase

  • Sunray Shadow can keep Skelton's good form going


13:50 Aintree - Back Stage Star @ 11/82.38

The feature race on the Aintree card on Sunday is the Grade 2 Old Roan Chase and it looks a race where plenty are having prep runs for bigger targets throughout the season.

However, Betfair ambassador Paul Nicholls' Stage Star is a horse that you need to back fresh and although he will be aimed at better Grade 1 contests throughout the campaign, he is the one to beat in this event.

A Grade 1 winning hurdler when landing the Challow Novices' Hurdle at Newbury back in 2021 he showed that he was a very talented horse.

Over fences as a Novice he also landed top honours when taking the Grade 1 Turners Novices' Chase at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.

Last season in open company it did not all go to plan. However, he started his season off at Cheltenham in the Paddy Power Gold Cup off a mark of 155 and put in a superb round of jumping to land the valuable handicap.

After that he was pulled up on New Year's Day when the ground went against him and in the Ryanair Chase at the 2024 Festival could only finish fifth going too hard early on.

On Sunday this superb chaser has his ideal good ground conditions, can only go left handed so will have no issue with Aintree and having won every season to date on his first apperance it is defitnitely the time to catch him.

This is a good field of chasers but he will be spot on for it where as many will need the run.


15:00 Aintree - Back Sunray Shadow @ 15/82.88

The Skelton's head into the weekend sporting a 20% strike-rate for the last 14 days, landing some nice winners on the opening day of Cheltenham's Showcase meeting.

This Maiden Hurdle looks a two horse race to me and no surprise it is out of the top two in the market.

Sunray Shadow just gets the nod as I am sure he will imprive for his hurdles debut at the start of the month as Skelton's horses usually do.

He was a bright winner at Warwick on rules debut in a 2m bumper at Warwick, being very green early on but staying on well to the line to score comfortably.

Sent over hurdles over the same C&D when last seen he was a good third only finishing 1/2 a length behind the winner but the way he stayed on again suggests this step up in trip wil bring more improvement.

It looks a good opportunity for him to get off the mark over timber and he should strip much fitter for that first run.

Takt De Touques holds a good level ability and is the danger in the field.


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