Aintree Racing Tips: Kevin Blake backs Galvin at 20/1 as one of five best bets

• Nusret can get Kevin's five off to a winner

• The Last Day at 11/1 to make bold bid for glory

• Galvin gets the nod in the Grand National

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Nusret appeals at the prices

Thursday 14:20 - Jewson Anniversary 4yo Juvenile Hurdle

The juvenile hurdle division has been a very one-sided affair this season with Irish-trained horses proving to be on a different level to their British-trained counterparts.

The writing was on the wall prior to the Cheltenham Festival, but that Irish-trained horses filled the first 10 places in the Triumph Hurdle put an exclamation mark on it.

Thus, it is surprising that the main two Irish-trained contenders for this race aren't dominating the market more than they currently are. The Triumph Hurdle form will be represented by the Willie Mullins-trained Zenta and she looks to hold strong prospects having finished third in that race.

Mind, the winner Lossiemouth won well despite plenty going wrong for her and one can't help but wonder how much depth there was behind the winner.

One that skipped Cheltenham with a view to coming to this meeting is the Joseph O'Brien-trained Nusret and he is the one that stands out at the prices here.

The son of Golden Horn has won two of his four starts over hurdles including a Grade 2 at Kempton in February. He is a somewhat tricky ride in that he needs to be delivered late, but Daryl Jacob got a fine tune out of him at Kempton and will know what is required.

He won't want too much rain, but as long as the ground is no worse than good-to-soft, he looks to have an excellent chance.

Last year's winner to make bold bid for glory

Thursday 16:40 - Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase

This race is always a highly-competitive contest and this year's renewal might well see a repeat performance from the Evan Williams-trained The Last Day as he bids to repeat his win in the race last year.

The 11-year-old would become the oldest winner of this race for a decade, but he is very lightly raced for his age and there is plenty of reason to think that he'll be up to defying his years.

He was produced in fine shape to win this race in authoritative style last year, being the only one of the main protagonists to come from off the pace and pick up Dancingonmyown in the closing stages.

While he has only had two runs of limited promise since then, the handicapper has been particularly generous in dropping him 6lb for those two runs which leaves him just 2lb higher than when winning this race last year.

In fact, it is a remarkable fact that he meets his old rival Dancingonmyown on 1lb better terms than last year despite so readily beating him, as that rival has also only had two similarly disappointing runs in Ireland since then.

That eye-opening handicapping reflects just how generous the BHA handicapping team is towards the home team of handicap chasers and the comparative harshness that they treat the Irish visitors with.

Evan Williams is likely to have had this race in mind for The Last Day all season and with him having his team in fine form, he is selected to bounce back to his best and make a bold bid for glory.

Found a winner?

Friday 14:55 - Poundland Top Novices' Hurdle

This year's renewal of the Poundland Top Novices' Hurdle doesn't look to be an overly strong contest for the grade, but it is surprising to see the form of the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival being represented so prominently in the ante-post betting by You Wear It Well and Luccia.

The form of the race took an absolute hammering at Fairyhouse with the second, third and fifth all being very badly beaten in a Grade 1 mares' novices hurdle on Sunday and I think there will be value in opposing that form line.

The one that makes the most appeal to me is the Gordon Elliott-trained Found A Fifty. The six-year-old is still unexposed over hurdles and considering it was just his second outing over them he ran a stormer to finish a head second to Corbetts Cross in a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Naas.

That rival was in the process of boosting the form when running out at the final flight in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and there is plenty of reason to believe that Found A Fifty will be capable of even better with that experience under his belt. This track promises to suit him well and if he can find improvement as hoped, he is likely to run very well indeed.

Another Elliott runner with strong prospects

Friday 16:40 - Winners Wear Cavani Novices' Hurdle

The Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival looked a wide-open race on paper and duly played out that way with less than seven lengths covering the first six home. This equivalent contest looks similarly wide open and Gordon Elliott might have the winner in the shape of Absolute Notions.

The five-year-old has improved with each of his three runs over hurdles, winning a maiden hurdle at Punchestown prior to finishing a close third in a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Naas in December. This was followed by an eye-catching run when a close second in the Grade 1 novice hurdle won by Good Land at the Dublin Racing Festival, with him finishing off well having not got the clearest of runs.

He very much looks ready for this longer trip and, having skipped the Cheltenham Festival, he will come here a fresher horse than many of his rivals. The likely conditions promise to suit him well and he looks to have strong prospects.

Galvin can provide fairytale ending

17:15 Saturday - Randox Grand National Handicap Chase

The time for the big one is nearly upon us. There are few greater challenges in betting on horse racing than finding the winner of the Grand National. The race has changed quite a bit in the last decade due to the fundamental changes to the fences and these arguably make it even more difficult to find the winner. However, we still have to give it a go.

Gordon Elliott is on the cusp of becoming the joint most successful trainer in the long history of the Grand National and while he will have a bunch to represent him on Saturday, I think Galvin might well be the one. The nine-year-old is a top-class chaser on his day with him most famously beating A Plus Tard in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown in December 2021.

He looked close to as good as ever when making a winning return to action in a Grade 3 chase at Punchestown in October, but a problem emerged with a kissing spine that was rectified via surgery after his disappointing run in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown.

It was a race against time to get him back for the cross-country chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Considering his lack of experience in that unique discipline, he ran a huge race to finish second to Delta Work, perhaps paying his lack of a recent run in the closing stages.

Galvin is very much entitled to come on from that run at the Cheltenham Festival and he has long appealed as one that will be suited by the Grand National test.

He has a lot of weight to carry, but he has very much earned it. Davy Russell will take the ride in a bid to mark the end of his career with one last big-race success and Galvin could well help him deliver a fairy tale ending.