-
Step up in trip to suit
-
Not an overly strong Grade 1
-
Good And Clever is overpriced at Aintree
-
-
-
-
Timeform Superboost
Last season's Stayers' Hurdle winner, and runner-up in the same race this year, Teahupoo, is the favourite to win the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle at 15:05 Aintree today having never finished out of the top two in his last five starts.
Today the Betfair Sportsbook are super-boosting Teahupoo's price to finish in the top three from 4/61.67 to 1/12.00. To take advantage of this superboost just click on the odds in the below bet banner to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.
Back Teahupoo to finish in the Top 3 in 15:05 Aintree. Was 4/6
Watch Racing... Only Bettor for Grand National tips
Deep Cave finished well beaten at Sandown last time but that was on very testing ground and I think he could run better than his huge price suggests in the opening race.
He ran fairly well in a couple of three-mile handicaps at Cheltenham earlier in the season before putting in a good performance in defeat at Windsor two starts ago. Although he handles soft ground, I think he could be suited by the switch to quicker ground today and he showed his effectiveness on better ground when winning at Clairefontaine last summer.
It could be that this mark is his limit and this grade could be a bit too tough for Deep Cave but I think the market has overreacted a little to the run last time and any 33/134.00 or bigger appeals.
Back Deep Cave in the 13:20 at Aintree 0.5pt e/w
With Lulamba out of the Mersey Novices' Hurdle, it significantly weakens the contest and opens it up and I think the market is underestimating the chance of Good And Clever.
He ran very well in defeat in the bumper at this meeting last season and has put together a string of encouraging runs over hurdles. He looked in need of the run and the experience when finishing second to Regent's Stroll at Newbury and followed that with a very promising run at this track in the Formby. He went out on to the final circuit in touch in a share of last but when appearing out of the fog towards the end of the back straight, he was detached and around fifteen lengths behind the leader. He made a mistake at three out when starting to make headway and then finished strongly out of the fog to take third.
Good And Clever looked short of the speed required for two miles that day and it was once again the case last time at Leopardstown where he moved into a share of second at two out before swiftly being left behind by Kopek Des Bordes but he kept plugging on to take third.
This is significantly weaker company than he faced that day and I think the step up to 2m4f is very likely to suit Good And Clever on the evidence of those three runs. It might be that the ground is a little quicker than ideal but he's handled good to soft ground well and doesn't have an action that suggests he needs it soft so hopefully he will be fine on the better ground. His hurdling is a bit of a concern as any mistakes will be amplified on this surface but I think he's far too big given his ability and any 12/113.00 or bigger appeals.
Back Good And Clever in the 13:55 at Aintree 1pt e/w
Happygolucky won this race in 2011 and just six runs later, I think he has a strong chance to repeat that success.
He's had absences of 595 and 683 days during that period but he's shown this season that he still retains plenty of ability. After a promising run over too short at Cheltenham in January, he ran well to finish fourth in the Ultima considering the start didn't go to plan and he was still close up at two out before being left behind by Myretown.
Hopefully the start will go better today and he won't have to be driven along to try to gain a position and I think the ground should be fine for him. There's nothing in this race that looks capable of being remotely as well handicapped as Myretown was at Cheltenham and I think Happygolucky can follow up the success of four years ago. Any 5/16.00 or bigger appeals.
Back Happygolucky in the 14:30 at Aintree 1pt e/w