Aintree Lucky 15 Tips for Friday: Grand National Festival Tips from Alan Dudman on Day 2

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.

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

William Hill Handicap Hurdle, 13:45, Aintree - Back Favour And Fortune @ 17/29.50

Alan King's Favour And Fortune was one of my antepost tips earlier this week at a price of 14/115.00, so it's good to see him in the race for a start (after two no-shows last week and one that was out 10 minutes after filing), and a price contraction into 17/29.50.

Favour And Fortune ran a fine third in this race 12 months ago and his effort last time smacked very much of a prep for this. That race at Kempton saw him travel with his usual gusto and then he virtually stopped and found very little into the run down the straight - but it was his first sighting for 323 days and first since his run at Aintree last April and it gave the impression something productive was about to take place. 

The eight-year-old is fairly lightly-raced, and has only seen the racetrack four times since his Scottish Champion Hurdle victory in 2024. But from 140 he's still off a winnable mark and while good ground is fine, a good to soft description with plenty of watering will do well for him.

He's a big player to go a couple of places better.

William Hill Mildmay Novices' Chase, 14:20, Aintree - Back Regent's Stroll @ 15/44.75

This looks far from a deep Grade 1 for the Mildmay Novices' Chase, and Gold Dancer and Salver are two with Cheltenham form and deserve their place at the top of the betting on the Sportsbook and there isn't much between them. 

Regent's Stroll is another with Cheltenham Festival placed form and has a couple of lengths to find with Gold Dancer, but Aintree could suit better and the step up to 3m1f looks the move for him now. Indeed, that's the assessment of his trainer Paul Nicholls who said: "He jumped well and looked like for the first time ever he wanted three miles. He's dead relaxed now."

Regent's Stroll finished second in the Mersey Novices Hurdle at Aintree last year, wearing the hood for the first time on that occasion when downed by Honesty Policy.

This sharper and flatter track will suit more than Cheltenham to boot.

JCB Melling Chase, 15:30, Aintree - Back Grey Dawning @ 7/42.75

If ever there was a horse made for Aintree it's Grey Dawning. 

Okay, he isn't the favourite here, as Heart Wood at 5/42.25 holds that honour, but Grey Dawning out to 7/42.75 from 6/42.50 from the early Sportsbook prices on Wednesday evening has lured me in. 

There wasn't a lot wrong with his fourth in the Gold Cup in the face of some sloppy jumping, which is presumably why Dan Skelton has gone for the cheekpieces to sharpen that up. Two out on the inside of Gaelic Warrior; he hit the fence and that was his slim chance gone.

He finished second last year at Aintree over 3m1f to Gaelic Warrior once more seeing his backside, and was sent off 9/43.25 favourite for that, but down in trip to 2m4f here with the headgear can hopefully bring about his second win of the campaign to add to his Betfair Chase success.

Oddschecker Sefton Novices' Hurdle, 16:40, Aintree - Back Mondoui'boy @ 9/25.50

The arrows from my Cheltenham quiver mostly fell flat and short of their targets in the Lucky 15s in March, but at least Mondoui'boy salvaged a little pride earning a place in fourth (yes slim pickings, fourth) behind Johnny's Jury in the potatoe race. 

He'd previously bolted up at Ascot and Ludlow on good to soft going over shorter, so his run in the Albert Bartlett in soft going over a new trip and stiffer track must have pleased his trainer Ben Pauling.

I don't see 3m as an issue at all, and Mondoui'boy was a real brave novice at Cheltenham, as he was hassled up front and recovered well from a mistake four out to fight all the way to the line and I loved his attitude. There was certainly an advantage in being held up in the AB as the first (Johnny's Jury who is in here too) and the second came from a lot further back.

Pauling's hurdler might not be hassled as much and I can see the track suiting too with drier conditions. Hopefully Cheltenham hasn't left its mark.

Betfair are offering Bet £10 Get £10 on Racing Multis every day of the Aintree Grand National Festival, so why not back all of Al's Friday selections in a Lucky 15:

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