Aintree Tips: Key Timeform data on Thursday including a top-rated improver

Aintree Day 1 Superboost

Selma De Vary ran an excellent race in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, finishing a narrow fourth after being short of room up the home straight. She looks sure to improve on that in today's Boodles 4yo Juvenile Hurdle at 13:45, which is why she's 9/43.25 favourite to win the race.

She's also 2/51.40 to finish in the top three today but you can back her at the super-boosted price of 1/12.00 to finish in the placings, and with only 10 runners in the race, five of which are priced at 40/141.00 or higher, that looks an excellent price.

To take advantage of today's Superboost just click on the odds below to go directly to the Horse Racing section on the Betfair Sportsbook where you will see the Selma De Vary Superboost towards the top of the page.

NAP: Aintree, 15:30 - Improving Barton Snow can follow up Cheltenham success

Barton Snow extended his unbeaten record in hunter chases by landing the competitive and prestigious event at Cheltenham, winning more impressively than the margin of a neck might suggest.

He made a mistake at the final fence when still travelling strongly, but that was a rare error in what was an otherwise excellent display of jumping. He had also impressed with how powerfully he tanked through the race, and despite idling inside the final 50 yards he always seemed to be holding on. 

Barton Snow narrowly tops Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings from Unexpected Party, but he still has the Timeform 'small p' to suggest he's capable of better, while the drop back in trip is unlikely to inconvenience one who travelled so powerfully at Cheltenham.  

Aintree, 14:55 - Top-rated Jango Baie can go one better than in Gold Cup

Jango Baie enjoyed a successful campaign in novice chases last season, notably storming home from an unpromising position to win the Arkle at Cheltenham, but he has raised his game further this term and achieved a level of form that marks him out as a top-class performer by Timeform's reckoning. 

Jango Baie was hugely impressive when powering nine lengths clear in the 1965 Chase on his seasonal reappearance at Ascot in November, and he then gave a good account of himself when beaten little more than half a length in fourth in the King George VI Chase at Kempton.

Those pieces of form made Jango Baie a leading fancy for the Cheltenham Gold Cup but he proved no match for the other joint favourite, Gaelic Warrior, who posted a sparkling performance. Jango Baie ran up to his best to finish runner-up, however, and he looks the one to beat at Aintree on the back of that display.

He's only 1 lb clear of Spillane's Tower on Timeform's ratings, but that rival's rating comes from his performance in the 2024 John Durkan, so Jango Baie is more solid.  

Aintree, 16:05 - Ratings point to Brighterdaysahead in Aintree Hurdle

Brighterdaysahead didn't have the pace to challenge old rival Lossiemouth in the Champion Hurdle, but she ran respectably to finish runner-up and was half a length in front of The New Lion who she meets again at Aintree.

Brighterdaysahead had posted a better performance by Timeform's reckoning when beating a below-par Lossiemouth in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown in February, and that form marks her out as the one to beat at Aintree in receipt of her sex allowance. She heads Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings by 3 lb from The New Lion. 

Brighterdaysahead has done much of her racing over two miles in recent seasons but she was a hugely impressive winner of the Grade 1 Mersey Novices' Hurdle over this course and distance two years ago and should benefit from a stiffer test of stamina than she was faced with at Cheltenham.

Suggested double

Jango Baie (14:55 Aintree)

Barton Snow (15:30 Aintree)

Now read more racing previews here