Sunday ITV Racing Tips: Mark Milligan with a trio to back at Aintree

• Stage Star fancied to go well fresh

• Sunray the best bet on the card

• Long Draw well weighted in handicap hurdle

13:50 Aintree - Back Stage Star

The 2m 4f Grade 2 Old Roan Handicap Chase kicks off ITV's Sunday Aintree coverage and it looks a good opportunity for Paul Nicholls' Stage Star to kick off his season with a win.

The eight-year-old had an excellent novice season and returned in style last term when winning the Paddy Power Gold Cup by four lengths from Notlongtillmay, enhancing his excellent record when fresh.

However, he was rather off colour when next seen on New Year's Day at the same track, where he was pulled up.

His performance in the Ryanair was much better, though, for all he still wasn't quite at the levels he'd shown on seasonal debut, finishing fifth behind Protektorat.

He's had a breathing operation since then and we know that he'll be cherry-ripe for this, with his unblemished first-time-out record.

In contrast to Stage Star, Ahoy Senor tends to need his first run of the season, and his jumping can be rather hit and miss at times, for all he was very fluent when last seen finishing runner-up in the Betfair Bowl.

If he's ready to roll, Ahoy Senor may well be the main threat to our selection, acknowledging he tends to go well at this track.

15:00 Aintree - Back Sunray Shadow

We don't have any prices available on the Sportsbook at the time of writing for this 2m 4f maiden hurdle, but anything in the 6/42.50+ region about Dan Skelton's Sunray Shadow would be well worth taking.

Despite showing signs of inexperience, he looked a good prospect when taking a bumper at Warwick in May and made a perfectly adequate hurdling debut when third to Strong Foundations at the same track earlier this month.

Although the winner didn't do that form any great favours when finishing last on the first day of Cheltenham's Showcase meeting, it's worth noting that that came in Grade 2 company and Sunray Shadow faces nothing of that calibre here.

Hurdling debutant Takt De Touques looks sure to have his supporters having racked up a hat-trick of wins in northern bumpers for County Antrim-based trainer Gerald Quinn.

He falls into the 'could be anything' bracket, but this will be a considerably tougher test for his first start over obstacles and I much favour the prior experience of Sunray Shadow.

15:35 Aintree - Back Long Draw

Fergal O'Brien's Kamsinas had a good time of things last season, racking up three wins in novice hurdle company, including a Grade 2 contest at Haydock, and he looks sure to be popular in this 2m 4f handicap hurdle.

He finished last term with a disappointing effort in a handicap at Cheltenham, but he could just have had enough by then and ought to be a different proposition with a freshening under his belt.

However, he faces no easy task attempting to give over a stone to Olly Murphy's Long Draw, who looks progressive and is yet to finish out of the frame in six starts over hurdles.

A winner at Ffos Las in May, Long Draw has improved his Timeform ratings on both starts since, finishing runner-up at Worcester and Warwick.

The selection was unlucky to bump into one who was well-in last time and emerged from that defeat with his reputation enhanced rather than tarnished, finishing clear of the rest.

He gets in with bottom weight here and looks sure to put up another bold show.

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