Mike Cattermole: Tent to pitch up | Grand National meeting day one tips

My Tent Or Yours^h¹¹⁷

Age: 11| Weight: 11-7| J: B J Geraghty| T: N J Henderson| OR: 162| C

9/2

Apple's Shakira^h1²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: B J Geraghty| T: N J Henderson| OR: 143| BF| D

13/8

Might Bite²⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 11-7| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson| OR: 172| BF| CD

4/5

Nicky Henderson may not be saddling Buveur D’Air but he is still set to have a fantastic first day at Aintree with popular veteran My Tent Or Yours taken to lift the day’s feature, the Betway Aintree Hurdle.

The absence of the champion hurdler seems at first glance to leave the way open for Supasundae, who was last seen chasing home Penhill in the Stayers’ Hurdle.

However, I reckon he will have his work cut out to beat old timers, My Tent Or Yours and The New One who have both been dining at the top table for years and will be taking eachother on for an extraordinary tenth time.

Their rivalry actually began at this meeting six years ago when The New One defeated My Tent in the Champion Bumper but on the eight subsequent occasions when they have locked horns, My Tent has come out on top seven times and indeed finished second in this race 12 months ago behind Buveur D’Air when The New One was third.

That form could easily be good enough to beat Supsundae who has to be respected of course. Although his run at the Festival was a perfectly good one, his previous win from Faugheen at Leopardstown when dropping back to two miles, was smart too although might have been a touch flattering in retrospect given that the runner-up is no longer the force he was.

That said, Supasundae still had the likes of Mick Jazz and Jezki behind him with Melon, resenting his first-time hood, below form in fifth. Even money, though? No thanks, so I recommend an each-way flutter on My Tent Or Yours at around 9/2.

Diakali has changed hands and joined Gary Moore since romping home at Fairyhouse a year ago on his last start for Willie Mullins and is worth keeping an eye on as he is smart at his best.

With Apple’s Shakira and We Have A Dream, Henderson has two great chances of landing the Doom Bar Anniversary Juvenile Hurdle.

Apple’s Shakira lost her unbeaten record when fourth in the Triumph Hurdle when she raced too freely and she has a hood to help her settle better this time.

We Have A Dream missed the Festival ,which may be a blessing. He has a great attitude and looks very straightforward and handled testing ground very well at Chepstow and Musselburgh.

However, if Apple’s Shakira is on her “A-game”, she can make the most of her 7lb allowance.

Then, Might Bite is strongly fancied to get back to winning ways by outclassing his rivals in the Grade One Betway Bowl.

On the back of a gallant defeat in the Gold Cup by Native River, Might Bite will line up having had the benefit of a near four-week break since that memorable encounter, a longer gap than usual.

Let’s hope he has fully recovered because there is no question he had the toughest race of his career at Cheltenham. That said, it was a fine performance in defeat as he jumped and travelled beautifully, showed not a sign of any quirky behaviour and only failed as he didn’t quite get home as well as the winner.

Prior to that, Might Bite had won the King George at Kempton in workmanlike fashion. Might Bite can be flamboyant but not that time as he idled before holding on from Double Shuffle and Tea For Two (winner of this race last year), who are back to take him on again.

Might Bite aside, Bristol De Mai is probably the most talented in the line-up but I find him nigh impossible to read. He got his season off to a great start at Wetherby in the Charlie Hall and was positively brilliant in the Betfair Chase at Haydock when he strolled home to beat Cue Card, Outlander and Tea For Two by more than half a furlong.

It was his third wide-margin win at that track.

His jumping was sensational then but it let him down in the King George when trying to take on Might Bite and also wasn’t as his fluent best when third to Definitely Red at Cheltenham in January. He has had a wind operation since.

Definitely Red found it a bit too much in the Gold Cup but was in rare form before that on deep ground with smart wins here over the course and distance in December and that Cheltenham win in the Cotswold Chase January.

Of the others, Sub Lieutenant has been beaten in all 12 Grade 1’s he has contested while the talented Clan Des Obeaux moves up in trip but needs to find some improvement.

The action gets under way with a tricky-looking Grade 1 Big Bucks Celebration Novices’ Chase and I am not sure Brain Power is crying out for a step up in trip as he tends to race keenly.

Both Finian’s Oscar and Modus disappointed in the JLT at Cheltenham and need to improve their jumping. Calino d’airy does not look good enough so this looks between Cyrname and Rene’s Girl.

Both like to get on with it and both enjoy cut in the ground but with Cyrname arguably slightly more effective going right-handed, Rene’s Girl, who has looked most progressive and gets the mares allowance, is given a narrow vote.

Later, Henderson is taken to complete a four-timer with Theinval in the Zut Media Red Rum Handicap Chase.

Theinval was second in this race 12 months ago but is off a 3lb lower mark now and returned to form with a good fourth in the Grand Annual Chase.

He is closely matched there with Gino Trail, the runner-up, who is in the form of his life, loves the mud, and is sure to make a bold bid again from the front.

That said, King’s Socks, who didn’t appear to stay after travelling well in the Stable Plate at Cheltenham, is much respected as he drops back in trip.

SELECTIONS

1.45 RENE’S GIRL, 2.20 APPLE’S SHAKIRA, 2.50 MIGHT BITE, 3.25 MY TENT OR YOURS, 4.05 GRAND VISION, 4.40 THEINVAL, 5.15 DISSAVRIL

Mike Cattermole: Tent to pitch up | Grand National meeting day one tips

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