Aintree Day 2 Cheat Sheet: Best bets, insight and top tips for Friday

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Aintree Day 2 Superboost

The Willie Mullins-trained Gold Dancer has been well-backed for the Mildmay Novices' Chase at 14:20 and he's odds-on to finish in the top three on Friday.

The Betfair Sportsbook have super-boosted his price to 1/12.00 to finish in the top three places, and you can take advantage of Friday's Superboost by clicking on the odds below to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.

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Tips Summary

Please Note: Prices quoted in table below were correct at time of each writer/tipster's column being published on Betting.Betfair.

Race	Tipster	Tip/Runner	Odds
13:45 Aintree	Sam Turner	Wellington Arch E/W	17/29.50
14:20 Aintree	Alan Dudman	Regents Stroll	15/44.75
14:55 Aintree	Timeform Verdict	Sober Glory	8/151.53
15:30 Aintree	Katie Midwinter	Gidleigh Park E/W	13/27.50
16:05 Aintree	Mark Milligan	Madara	7/24.50
16:40 Aintree	Alan Dudman	Mondoui'boy	9/25.50
17:15 Aintree	Paul Nicholls	Pourquoi Pas Papa	15/28.50

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Aintree Day 2 - Friday's best bets and insight

13:45, William Hill Handicap Hurdle - Sam Turner: Arch can land Friday opener

The lightly-raced Indeevar Bleu could be a tough opponent to repel in this opener given he has track form, is fresh and arrives on the back of a wind proceedure which may also serve to produce further improvement.

A smooth winner off a mark of 129 over course and distance on Boxing Day, the eight-year-old now resides on 138, but with just a stone separating top weight from bottom, this race looks more a case of finding the best horse in the conditions rather than the handicap blot.

There is a chance French recruit Emid'io Pepe also fits that criteria as the Skelton operation run him here on his UK debut rather than the nicely treated Glance At Midnight, but in the hope the tried and tested warriors again come to the fore, Wellington Arch and Favour And Fortune are the two picks in a typically competitive renewal.

The former won this race last year with a little in hand, albeit he was closed down late in the day by Kopeck De Mee, but the damage had been done by that point.

Admittedly, he is a stone higher 12 months on, but his performances have registered an upward curve so that is understandable and he looked in good form when cosily landing a Uttoxeter handicap (which he was beaten in the previous year) at the end of Cheltenham week last month.

A fine fifth for Monbeg Genius in the Irish National on Easter Monday and wins for the likes of Largy Go in the last week confirm that the Jonjo & A J O'Neill partnership are finishing the season stronger than they started it.

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14:20, Mildmay Novices' Chase - Alan Dudman: Regents can Stroll to success

This looks far from a deep Grade 1 for the Mildmay Novices' Chase, and Gold Dancer and Salver are two with Cheltenham form and deserve their place at the top of the betting on the Sportsbook and there isn't much between them. 

Regent's Stroll is another with Cheltenham Festival placed form and has a couple of lengths to find with Gold Dancer, but Aintree could suit better and the step up to 3m1f looks the move for him now. Indeed, that's the assessment of his trainer Paul Nicholls who said: "He jumped well and looked like for the first time ever he wanted three miles. He's dead relaxed now."

Regent's Stroll finished second in the Mersey Novices Hurdle at Aintree last year, wearing the hood for the first time on that occasion when downed by Honesty Policy.

This sharper and flatter track will suit more than Cheltenham to boot.

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Click here to read Paul Nicholls' views on Regents Stroll in the Mildmay Novices' Chase

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14:55, Top Novices' Hurdle - Timeform Verdict: Back Sober for Glory

It's very hard to oppose prolific scorer Sober Glory, who enhanced his form when finishing a fine second in last month's Supreme at Cheltenham, a better jump at the last likely to have made the winner work harder still.

He can prove too strong for Baron Noir who finished 2 places behind the selection on that occasion. Sinnatra is another with his best days ahead of him.

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15:30, Melling Chase - Katie Midwinter: Walk in the Park for Gidleigh

Eight-year-old gelding Gidleigh Park makes only his sixth start over fences despite making his debut over the larger obstacles in 2024. He has had some issues since, but has run well when completing his races, including when beating Caldwell Potter to Grade Two success at Windsor last year.

Twelve months ago at this meeting, the Harry Fry-trained contender finished a good second to Impaire Et Passe in the Manifesto Novices' Chase when ahead of Jango Baie. He made a mistake at the second last, losing momentum, which may have cost him the race considering the length-and-a-quarter winning margin, but performed well regardless and could put in another creditable effort at the track now in open company.

Well beaten by Jango Baie at Ascot earlier in the season, he'll need to fare better this time out and bounce back from a pulled up effort in the Clarence House when failing to get into a jumping rhythm, but could find this test to his liking back up in trip at a track where he has form.

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16:05, Topham Handicap Chase - Mark Milligan: Madara can follow up

Madara is on a sharp upward curve and, though his price is now on the cusp of acceptable, he looks sure to take all the beating in the Topham on the back of his demolition job at Cheltenham last time.

That success represented a career-best effort on Timeform ratings and Madra is a horse who has finally found his niche over fences after a somewhat inconsistent novice campaign.

Cheekpieces going back on at Prestbury Park appeared to be the key to that impressive performance and it's not inconceivable that the selection can go on to ply his trade higher than this level with time still on his side. The seven-year-old could well be a genuine contender in some of the top chases next season and with that in mind he surely needs to be taking advantage of a mark that still looks workable despite being hiked 10lb for his Plate win at Cheltenham.

The Irish challenge is typically strong as one would expect, and it could be a trio from that country who provide the biggest threat to Madara, with Willie Mullins' Gentleman De Mee fancied ahead of stablemate Ile Atlantique and Gavin Cromwell's Will The Wise.

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16:40, Sefton Novices' Hurdle - Alan Dudman: Mondoui can be the boy

The arrows from my Cheltenham quiver mostly fell flat and short of their targets in the Lucky 15s in March, but at least Mondoui'boy salvaged a little pride earning a place in fourth (yes slim pickings, fourth) behind Johnny's Jury in the potatoe race. 

He'd previously bolted up at Ascot and Ludlow on good to soft going over shorter, so his run in the Albert Bartlett in soft going over a new trip and stiffer track must have pleased his trainer Ben Pauling.

I don't see 3m as an issue at all, and Mondoui'boy was a real brave novice at Cheltenham, as he was hassled up front and recovered well from a mistake four out to fight all the way to the line and I loved his attitude. There was certainly an advantage in being held up in the AB as the first (Johnny's Jury who is in here too) and the second came from a lot further back.

Pauling's hurdler might not be hassled as much and I can see the track suiting too with drier conditions. Hopefully Cheltenham hasn't left its mark.

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17:15, Debenhams Handicap Hurdle - Paul Nicholls: Pourquoi has a good chance

He has progressed all season and has a handy four-year-old's allowance getting eight pounds in this race. Olive Nicholls knows him well and rides him every day and has schooled him all winter. He ran very well in the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival and on that form, he has got a chance here.

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Now read the Aintree Grand National Festival Day 2 ultimate guide

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