Timeform highlight their best bets for Saturday in the form of a ratings banker, big improver and a Flag of note.
The Ratings Banker
Edwardstone – 15.00 Aintree
Edwardstone bids to complete the Arkle-Maghull Novices’ Chase double achieved last year by Shishkin, and while he might not be in that one’s league, he’s established himself as the top two-mile novice with five straight wins. A thoroughly tough and likeable sort, Edwardstone sets the standard on Timeform ratings and it looks significant that none of his Sporting Life Arkle rivals are prepared to take him on again here.
He does, though, meet a couple of old rivals from the Kingmaker Novices’ Chase two starts ago but he left both Third Time Lucki and For Pleasure trailing at Warwick with a foot-perfect round of jumping, having previously given a still bigger beating to Third Time Lucki when winning his first Grade 1 in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown in December.
Edwardstone faced his bigger test at Cheltenham but went with zest and kept on well to beat Gabynako by four and a quarter lengths after leading two out. The Willie Mullins-trained Gentleman de Mee, who has made all to win his last two starts in Ireland by wide margins, is Edwardstone’s chief threat but Alan King’s gelding is taken to land his third Grade 1 win of the season.
The Big Improver
Winter Fog – 13.45 Aintree
The Grand National card gets under way with a really competitive staying handicap hurdle which can go to Emmet Mullins’ lightly-raced eight-year-old Winter Fog. The former pointer has had just six starts over hurdles and has been much improved in handicaps since joining his current stable.
He was the subject of a gamble on his first start for Mullins when making his handicap debut in a Pertemps qualifier at Leopardstown in December but probably hit the front a bit too soon and was picked off on the run-in by Panda Boy.
Fitted with a hood for the first time, Winter Fog was strong in the betting again for the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham and shaped really well in defeat again, beaten around three and a half lengths into fourth behind Third Wind.
Not everything went Winter Fog’s way as he was hampered by a couple of fallers at the fourth but travelled fluently and impressed with how quickly he got into contention from the home turn, closing up on the run to the last and then keeping on. Still totally unexposed, he should have a strong pace to aim at here and with further improvement looks capable of getting his head in front here.
The Timeform Flag
Shan Blue – 16.15 Aintree
Top Rated, Hot Trainer
Shan Blue had a lot on his plate when taking on Allaho and others in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham last time and came up short, trailing home last of the six finishers having typically travelled well but then been brushed aside from the home turn. But the upside to that defeat was that it did no harm to Shan Blue’s lenient-looking BHA mark of 148 which he looks well up to exploiting in this competitive contest.
The winner of his first three starts over fences last season, notably the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton, Shan Blue had a busier campaign behind him when a remote second to Chantry House in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase at this meeting last year.
But he’s a fresher horse this time, having missed much of the season following an injury sustained when falling three out in the Charlie Hall Chase last October when looking well on the way to what would have been a striking success. Dropping into handicap company for the first time, Shan Blue should find this a lot easier than his Cheltenham assignment.
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