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Hermes Allen my best chance at Aintree
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Monmiral is a lively outsider
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Centara deserves his opportunity
Progressive type has a chance
He has progressed all season, has won his last two starts and before that was unlucky to be chinned by a nose on his first try at three miles at Musselburgh. While he is creeping up the weights he's in form and the trip is not an issue. Nice chance.
Best chance on the day
He needs to bounce back from an ordinary run at Cheltenham where things didn't go his way.
He just didn't perform that day but we know he is better than that and earlier in the season he completed a hat-trick with an easy success in the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle at Newbury on January 31. I hope the ground is soft for Hermes Allen who will be suited by the flat track at Aintree.
A lively outsider
He is back over hurdles until next season after after a slightly disappointing campaign over fences, though, to be fair his form against some smart novice chasers isn't too bad.
I'm hoping a tongue tie and cheekpieces can spark some improvement from Monmiral who has twice performed very well at this meeting. He won the Juvenile Hurdle in 2021 and finished second to Epatante in the Aintree Hurdle over two and a half miles twelve months ago. He's a lively outsider.
Deserves his shot
Our bumper horses have had a brilliant campaign and Centara impressed on his debut at Taunton last month where he was always handy before drawing clear in the closing stages. It hard to know what the form is worth but Harry Cobden couldn't pull him up afterwards which is always a good sign.
You wouldn't know he's had a race and he deserves a shot at a valuable pot like this. He is going to make a lovely novice hurdler next season.
Rain the secret ingredient
He has been a bit disappointing over fences so far this season, is down to a mark of 117 and will most likely be going point-to-pointing next winter.
He is an out and out stayer who wants five miles, so it was a bit sharp for him last time at Taunton. He is going to pop up one day on really testing ground and I hope they have plenty of rain at Chepstow.