Saturday Horse Racing Tips: Fortune may favour the Brave on Grand National day

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Listen to Racing...Only Bettor's Aintree Day 3 Preview...

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Aintree, 14.30 - Back Brave Fortune each-way @ 7/18.00

Brave Fortune bypassed a couple of engagements at Cheltenham and that patience could be vindicated in this handicap.

Trainer Joseph O'Brien has previously stated he is keen to find some nice ground for his seven-year-old and the opportunity presents itself here, while the step up in trip could also induce some improvement for a point-to-point winner who is as yet unexposed over fences.

This race represents a fifth start over the larger obstacles for the selection who was last seen back in January finishing a game second to Rising Dust at Thurles.

A winner over three miles in novice company over hurdles, O'Brien asks the Soldier Of Fortune gelding to stretch out in trip over fences here which shouldn't be an issue given he has a dosage index in keeping with a stayer and he held an entry for the National Hunt Chase at the festival.

He is also entered in the Scottish National next week which suggests connections have no reservations about his stamina now he tackles a deeper race at today's trip and, as one of the least exposed chasers in the field, he might have flown under the radar a little.

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Aintree, 15.05 - Back Honesty Policy @ 3/14.00

Some were disappointed in the effort of Honesty Policy at Cheltenham, but as my press room colleague Dan Barber coined it, this year's Stayers' Hurdle was like an episode of 'Wacky Races' and the return to Aintree could ensure an upturn in fortunes for the selection.

Gordon Elliott's gelding was having just the eighth hurdle start of his life at the festival and he still looks like he is learning on the job a little given he over-raced early on which probably contributed to him fading on the run in.

The son of Jukebox Jury sports a tongue tie for the first time here and the longer Liverpool straight appears to play to his strengths a little more given his performance in the Grade 1 Mersey Hurdle at last year's meetings.

He was produced with a withering run after the final hurdle to overhaul the talented trio Regent's Stroll, Funiculi Funicula and Koktail Divin, a Grade 1 winner on the opening day, and a similarly patient ride could pay dividends here.  

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Aintree, 16.00 - Back Grangeclare West each-way @ 9/110.00 

Given that one of the main trends doing the rounds is that 24 of the last 30 National winners were making their debut in the race, the omens for Grangeclare West going two places better than last year might be a little ominous.

There is a case for saying the 10-year-old may well have troubled stablemate Nick Rockett 12 months ago but for making an error at the last under Brian Hayes and, unfortunately for the rider, he has no chance of redemption as he has been replaced by trainer's son Patrick Mullins.

That decision, while understandable given the politics of the situation, seems a little harsh on Hayes who has struck up a good relationship with Grangeclare West in recent times and steered his mount into fourth in the Grade 1 Savills Chase at Christmas.

However, all is fair in love and war and Mullins has a gilt-edged opportunity to reprise his success in the race he so memorably landed last year aboard a horse that is attempting to become the third successive winner to hail from the Bobbyjo Chase.

That thumping five-length defeat of Gerri Colombe, himself a subsequent smooth winner, was achieved in a decisive manner by the selection who is entitled to appreciate the better ground which may well be on offer here.

While Grangeclare West is weighted to the hilt, only one horse in the last two years since the safety limit was set at 34 has finished in the four with less than 11st (Iroko) which arguably reflects that the race now favours those horses which are talented enough to tackle Irish Gold Cups, Savills Chases and such like.

The son of Presenting is one of a number of Grade 1 winners in the field, but he must surely be on the scene once again with conditions to suit granted some luck in running.

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Aintree, 16.00 - Back Monty's Star each-way @ 14/115.00 

The colours sported by Monty's Star were carried to victory on day one by Koktail Divin and the nine-year-old appears to have a superb chance of giving his handler a second win in the race five years on from an emotional success for Minella Times.

In much the same way Grangeclare West has plied his trade in quality Graded races this winter, Henry De Bromhead's gelding has taken a similar route, with the clear pick of his three efforts in the Savills Chase where he finished a place behind today's rival and three behind I Am Maximus.

Another spin in the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival should have served to sharpen up the selection, especially as he tried to keep tabs with Fact To File heading to the second last, only to have his spirit broken by the top-class winner from that point.

De Bromhead is rarely far away with a horse of this type when he targets one of National Hunt racing's biggest prizes and if Senior Chief and Ain't That A Shame can reach the first six, then Monty's Star must surely have a great chance of doing at least that.

National 1-2-3-4

1 Grangeclare West

2 Monty's Star

3 Iroko

4 Gerri Colombe

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Back Kala Conti (12.45 Aintree) and Honesty Policy (15.05 Aintree) in an each-way double 

Betfair is offering Bet £10 Get £10 on Racing Multis each day of the Aintree Grand National Festival, and the multi that makes the most appeal on Saturday is an each-way double comprising Kala Conti and Honesty Policy.

The opener looks sure to be run at a furious pace with a number of pace setters and the combination of a strong gallop and better ground could see Kala Conti make the most of her mares' allowance and land the National day curtain raiser. Honesty Policy is the second leg of the double for the reasons outlined above.

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