Thursday Racing Tips: Mark Milligan siding with two in Red Rum Handicap

• Mark Milligan once again targets the handicaps

• Grey Diamond a solid selection

• He can't let Dads Lad go unbacked

The Grand National meeting at Aintree gets under way on Thursday and what a cracking start to the meeting we have in store, with the likes of Constitution Hill, Bravemansgame, Shiskin and A Plus Tard gracing the Liverpool track.

The undoubted star of the show is Nicky Henderson's Champion hurdler, who was absolutely electric at Cheltenham and should have little more than an exercise gallop on his way to winning the Aintree Hurdle at 15:30.

While he's hardly a betting proposition, there is something magical about watching genuine equine superstars do their stuff and I'll be watching this race with as much enthusiasm as any over the three days of the meeting.

Bowl looks an absolute cracker

The Aintree Bowl at 14:55 promises to be much more competitive and features a fascinating clash between Shiskin - who steps up to 3m for the first time - and Bravemansgame, who drops back down in trip after running so valiantly in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Throw last year's Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard into the mix and this has all the hallmarks of a cracking contest.

Obviously, A Plus Tard has to put a couple of poor efforts behind him, but it's fair to say he never really got chance to show what he's still capable of at Cheltenham, being badly hampered when Ahoy Senor fell at the seventh.

Hopefully Henry de Bromhead's charge gets better luck this time and the race develops into a clash for the ages, with all three of the main protagonists having plenty to recommend them.

It's also worth noting that Ahoy Senor was going pretty well when taking that aforementioned fall and he isn't one to rule out at a track where he has previous winning form.

On to the main betting race

While those two feature events are certainly ones to watch, this column will once again concentrate on the handicaps from a betting perspective and hopefully we can pick up where we left off after a very successful Cheltenham.

Unfortunately, we only have one such a race to go at on Thursday, the 2m Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase at 16:40.

There are plenty to recommend the pair that head the market, Third Time Lucki and Douglas Talking, in particular the latter, who has looked most progressive in winning his last two starts, albeit at a lower level.

His most recent at Sandown featured a superb round of jumping, something that's bound to stand him in good stead at a speed course such as this, and he was value for plenty above the bare winning margin as he romped to victory. However, he's now up 10lb in a deeper race so the percentage call has to be to take him on at the prices.

Sam Thomas is a trainer who is rapidly climbing the ranks and I suspect it's only a matter of time before he has a really good one on his hands. He's double-handed in here but it's Grey Diamond who I'm siding with to follow up his recent Haydock success.

The 9-y-o gelding travelled with plenty of enthusiasm that day and could be called the winner from some way out, coming home with plenty to spare over Cornerstone Lad.

The waters are obviously deeper here but Grey Diamond created a really good impression there and a 7lb rise may still underestimate him somewhat.

With an extra place available on the Sportsbook, this one will be hard to knock out of the first four and looks a solid each-way bet.

Mullins runner overpriced

While Grey Diamond is the main selection, I can't let Dads Lad go unbacked at 25/1, a price that could well be much too big.

Willie Mullins' 8-y-o was progressive over fences during the summer and carried that form into the winter season when winning a good Cheltenham handicap in October from Effernock Fizz and subsequent Grade 1 Clarence House Chase winner Editeur Du Gite.

That form alone entitles him to be much shorter in the betting and he's had plausible excuses on his last couple of starts (unsuited by switch to hurdles and then not jumping too well back over fences in a strong Grand Annual last time).

I'm not too worried by his sticky jumping last time as he'd previously looked sound enough in that department and perhaps just had an off day.

One thing is for sure, if he's back to his best, Dads Lad could make a mockery of double-figure prices.