Aintree Grand National Festival Day 1 Cheat Sheet: Tipster naps and ambassador insight for Thursday

• Paul Nicholls and Rachael Blackmore Day 1 runners at Aintree

• Day 1 Aintree Grand National Festival tips from Tony Calvin, Daryl Carter and more

• Non-Runner Money-Back on the 2024 Grand National

• Claim your completely free racing multi on day 1 of Aintree Grand National Festival

• Rachael Blackmore's Serial Winners Fund now on the final straight - Read more here!

• Bet safely on Aintree Grand National Festival - read more here

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Rachael Blackmore Superboost!

Betfair ambassador Rachael Blackmore has a great chance on Bob Olinger in the 15:30 at Aintree today, and if you fancy the horse to run well you can back today's Betfair Superboost for her to finish in the top two at 1/12.00 (was [8/15!]).

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Betfair tipsters recommend their best bets while our ambassadors provide exclusive insight for day one of the 2024 Aintree Grand National Festival.

Read our experts and decide how to use your free racing multiple.

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13:30 Aintree - Paul Nicholls: Ginny's Destiny Fresh and well ahead of Grey Dawning rematch

Paul Nicholls says: "He's made giant strides since joining us this season, winning three times at Cheltenham before another cracking run when second to Grey Dawning in the Turners at the Festival. He will love the ground at Aintree and is in good shape.

"As with all of our ours who ran at Cheltenham no one can tell you for sure how they have come out of their races but they have had a nice, easy fortnight before we started tuning them up again. They did their last piece of work on Saturday and head to Aintree fresh and well."

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Watch Ditcheat Decs Day 1 Aintree...

Paul's Ditcheat Decs

Day 1 of Aintree and team Ditcheat have several fancied runners. But it's one in Taunton that's catching Paul's eye! @PFNicholls | @BetfairBarry pic.twitter.com/S7JmUfsGYt

-- Betfair Racing (@BetfairRacing) April 10, 2024

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14:20 Aintree - Daryl Carter: Back Sir Gino @ BSP 4pt (NAP)

Daryl Carter says: "Sir Gino has all the potential in the world to be a top-class National Hunt performer. While he will need to go a long way to claim back our ante-post cash, having been a no-show at Cheltenham, he can certainly start here.

"He will be okay with today's softer surface, having won on heavy ground in France over Salvator Mundi. That rival ran in the Triumph Hurdle but was clearly there for experience only, having gone off a higher price than his ante-post one when a late confirmed entrant. Sir Gino, in turn, was kept at home for reasons that only make sense at Seven Barrows. The "Cheltenham stable form" is not concerning, considering Nicky Henderson had little chance with what he ran at the meeting and pulled his best chances.

"Henderson had a winner with Persian Time (tipped in this column) on Saturday immediately following the festival shock, horror. No one speaks about that one who was well-backed to be victorious, so the real punters are not fussed by all the noise. If you need further evidence, the yard had an even-money winner at Ludlow this week.

"Besides that nonsense, Sir Gino left a lasting impression at Cheltenham when scorching the turf and demolishing Burdett Road. At the same time, all of his form has worked out well, and that ties in with Kalif Du Berlais, whose form is quite the opposite but holds plenty of potential.

"Sir Gino can win here, proving he is the best in this year's juveniles. However, I am sure there will be punters who want to beat him on the Betfair Exchange, with his price already at 1.910/11 compared to his 1.75/7 on the Sportsbook. It's in the punter's best interest to back him on the Betfair Exchange to get the best price unless the Sportsbook offers even money or bigger.

"1.910/11 and bigger is where I am happy to play for a strong (responsible) stake."

Please gamble responsibly - use the Betfair Safer Gambling tools here.

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14:55 Aintree - Mark Milligan: Back Gerri Colombe for Bowl victory @ 11/82.38

Mark Milligan says: "The 3m 1f Grade 1 Bowl Chase (14:55) is the highlight of Aintree day one and it has several layers of intrigue, with the likes of Gerri Colombe and Bravemansgame representing the Gold Cup form, the enigmatic Shishkin aiming to bounce back having had to miss Cheltenham, while we also have a high-level novice in the shape of Corbetts Cross.

"Gordon Elliott's Gerri Colombe is the obvious starting point, as he brings arguably the strongest piece of form to the party courtesy of his fine runner-up effort to Galopin Des Champs in the Cheltenham showpiece.

"That was a career best by some way from the eight-year-old and he may have pushed the excellent winner even closer had he not made a couple of minor jumping errors late in the piece.

"Whilst clearly a horse who goes well fresh (was returning from 78 days away in the Gold Cup), Gerri Colombe also showed at this meeting last year that he can back up relatively quickly, taking the Mildmay Novices' Chase having finished runner-up in the Brown Advisory at the Festival. He looks sure to take all the beating."

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15:30 Aintree - Rachael Blackmore: We couldn't be happier with Bob Olinger

Rachael Blackmore says: "I'm really looking forward to riding Bob Olinger in the Aintree Hurdle. He was really good in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year's Day. It was great to feel the old Bob Olinger spark again this season. He really felt back to himself. When you have ridden a horse who has the ability that he has, it's great when you get that feeling from him again.

"He ran very well then in the Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown, he did well to keep on to finish second to the Champion Hurdler State Man.

"He's in great form at home, and hopefully he can continue running like he has been running all season. We couldn't be happier with him, we're really looking forward to him."

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16:05 Aintree - Tipman: Back Bennys King for Foxhunters folklore

Tipman says: "Bennys King brings plenty of decent form here and although he's 13 now has still shown plenty of desire with his recent efforts.

"He has shown a liking for the big fences and we know he has stamina in abundance as well as a liking for these testing conditions, should be right in the mix."

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16:40 Aintree - Tony Calvin: Back Saint Roi @ 7.06/1 Betfair Exchange

Tony Calvin says: "I suspect heavy ground could claim one or two non-runners in the Red Rum at 16:40 - maybe among them last year's winner Dancing On My Own - but conditions could be ideal (well, nearly) for Saint Roi to gain his first success since he landed a Grade 1 at Leopardstown on Boxing Day 2022.

"The ground may not be perfect for him but he did finish a neck runner-up in a Morgiana on heavy and his proven stamina over further will come in handy here.

"Indeed, he finished a 1 ½ length second in the Grade 1 Manifesto over 2m4f at this meeting last year.

"He was campaigned in Graded company for his first four starts this season before the trigger was finally pulled in the Grand Annual last time and, although the target was well and truly missed, it wasn't entirely without promise and he was dropped another 2lb for it.

"He was travelling sweetly before a bad mistake four out saw him fall back through the field - that was the crucial error - before briefly looking like getting back into it on the inner rounding the final bend.

"His run soon flattened out, not helped by another error at the last, but if he can eliminate the mistakes here then I think the 9yo still has one big pay day in him off a mark of 150.

"Now, to the price.

"His generally available odds of 8s disappeared on Thursday, as did the Sportsbook's 15/28.50. The 15/28.50 became 13/27.50 on Tuesday afternoon, and the 13/27.50 became 11/26.50 on Wednesday morning.

"That is fair enough, as I flagged him on the Racing Post podcast on Tuesday and that show deserves some time to breathe, so I will switch from each-way, fixed-odds, and go win-only now at 7.06/1 or bigger on the Betfair Exchange. There is plenty of 6s out there."

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Listen To Racing Only Bettor Day 1 Aintree...

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17:15 Aintree - Daryl Carter: Back Mongibello @ 12/113.00 1pt e/w (4 places)

Daryl Carter says: "It might pay to chance - Mongibello - 12/1 on the Betfair Sportsbook - who holds the most potent form in this line-up by some distance and has stamina in abundance.

"Given the strength of her previous form, it would be best to forgive the five-year-old a below-par run last time at the DRF.

"The Down Royal 13-length runner-up went within two lengths of subsequent Champion Bumper runner-up Romeo Coolio at Fairyhouse next time before scoring in a bumper and getting within five lengths of Mirazur West in a Grade 2 hurdle. The third was previously a five-length second to Firefox, and the fifth was previously beaten three lengths by Down Memory Lane with the now 132-rated Brucio behind.

"At Navan, Mongibello found the subsequent winner, Only By Night, too good when finishing with running left, and the winner was only narrowly behind Fun Fun Fun in the Grade 1 Honeysuckle Mares' Novice Hurdle. That's form to make her of serious interest today in these calmer waters, and jockey JJ Slevin takes over from a seven-pound claimer in the saddle to enhance her claims further.

"She has recorded the highest RPR in the field by five pounds and is open to further improvement, granted this stiff stamina test in conditions she will relish.

"She looks a good bet at 8/19.00 or bigger."

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