Paul Nicholls Aintree Day 2 Runners: Regent's Stroll is my best chance on a big Friday

Aintree Day 2 Superboost

The Willie Mullins-trained Gold Dancer has been well-backed for the Mildmay Novices' Chase at 14:20 and he's odds-on to finish in the top three on Friday.

The Betfair Sportsbook have super-boosted his price to 1/12.00 to finish in the top three places, and you can take advantage of Friday's Superboost by clicking on the odds below to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.

Hoping for a bit of water

It will be good, competitive racing at Aintree on Friday, as you would expect, and I hope they keep chucking plenty of water on to the course because I want to make sure the ground is right for Captain Teague and No Drama This End. I'm sure the Aintree staff will be doing a good job so I am looking forward to Friday.

Paul Nicholls on his Friday runners at Aintree

Handicap Hurdle, Aintree, 13:45 - Captain Teague

Without a shadow of a doubt, he is well-handicapped if he can get back to the form of his Challow win. He had nearly a year off for an injury and it has just taken him a while to get back into form. He will pop up in a good race some time. He had the run at Windsor on very heavy ground, travelling well for a long way, and then the last day at Ascot I don't know what happened. It never happened for him there at all. But he is in good shape and if he runs how he looks, he will run very well. I just want to make sure there is plenty of cut in the ground. It will probably be his last run before he goes novice chasing in the autumn.

Mildmay Novices Chase, Aintree, 14:20 - Regent's Stroll

He ran well in the two-and-a-half grade one at Aintree last year and just got beat. He ran very well too in the Jack Richards at Cheltenham and looked like he wants three miles, very much like Caldwell Potter who won this race last year.

He has some good form from this season, particularly his first run when he was completely free and silly, but actually ran a really good race. After that he won at Wincanton and ran well at Cheltenham over Christmas. He learned a lot that day and ran very well at the Festival. Decent ground will suit Regent's Stroll and he seems very well, so we are hoping for improvement and a good run.

Topham Handicap Chase, Aintree, 16:05 - Hitman

He loves Aintree and ran very well to win the Old Roan there in October. He ran in the Grand National last year, jumped well but it was obviously too far for him. Back in trip, fresh and well, you never know with Hitman, he could run very well again. The only thing that always worries me with him at this stage is that his best form seems to be earlier in the season. But he is the sort of horse who can run a lovely race. He was disappointing the last day but we may have run him a bit quick.

Listen to Racing...Only Bettor's Aintree Day 2 Preview

Sefton Novices' Hurdle, Aintree, 16:40 - No Drama This End

I hope we will see more improvement from him when he steps up to three miles. If he had not run at Cheltenham last month, he would have been favourite for this, after winning the Challow and other races, but he has had a long, old season. Even though he did not have a hard race at Cheltenham, he had been prepared properly for that race so he needs to bounce back from that disappointment.

He won on good ground at Newbury, so the ground doesn't need to be an inconvenience, and I just want it to be safe. He seems very well at home and whatever he does here it will be his last run this season and I am really looking forward to him going chasing in the autumn. He is one of those horses who doesn't show you much at home, he doesn't excite you there, so you can't really get a handle on how well he is going, and you learn about his form from what he shows you on the track. Hopefully he will come back to where he was in the autumn.

Debenhams Handicap Hurdle, Aintree, 17:15 - Pourquoi Pas Papa

He has progressed all season and has a handy four-year-old's allowance off his handicap mark - it's eight pounds in this race. Olive Nicholls knows him, rides him every day and has schooled him all winter. He ran very well in the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival and on that form he has got a chance here.

Debenhams Handicap Hurdle, Aintree, 17:15 - Afadil

Now read Aintree Day 2: Betfair's ultimate guide to Friday