Thursday's Aintree Tips: Best Bets For Day 1 of The Grand National Festival

Independent

03-04-2025

The three-day Grand National meeting gets underway on Thursday and using the best odds available on Grand National betting sites, we've selected at least one tip for each of the seven races on the card.
The return to action of Constitution Hill could prove to be the story of the day, and he features among the picks for an eagerly-anticipated opening day at Aintree.
1.45 Aintree Tips
Jango Baie – 2 points win @ 5/2 bet365
Gidleigh Park – 1pt win @ 11/2 bet365
Jango Baie pulled off one of the unlikeliest victories seen for years in the Arkle Chase when overhauling his four rivals in the dying strides to snatch a dramatic success.
This step up in trip should really play to his strengths and he has a major chance of following up, providing he jumps with a little more fluency than he did at Cheltenham.
Gidleigh Park is reportedly a hard horse to keep right but the form of his Windsor win on easy ground took a handsome boost at the Festival when runner-up Caldwell Potter bolted up, and he looks like another to relish the return to this trip.
2.20 Aintree Tips
Puturhandstogether – 1pt win @ 2/1 bet365
Filibustering – 0.5pt ew @ 14/1 bet365
Winners of the Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham are 0-5 in this event when attempting to follow up, but such was the manner of Puturhandstogether's victory in that fiercely contested handicap, that he could still take all the beating upped in class here.
Wendrock was sixth despite not jumping either of the last two hurdles particularly cleanly so could finish a lot closer this time round, while Filibustering is worth a small each-way play with horse racing betting sites after impressing on his Kelso debut over hurdles.
He reached a good level on the level and was very much at home on a flat, galloping track so Aintree should suit him.
2.55 Aintree Tip
Grey Dawning – 2pts win @ 9/4 BoyleSports
Connections of Grey Dawning have campaigned their grey son of Flemensfirth with this race in mind all season, so he narrowly gains the nod ahead of Spillane's Tower and Stage Star.
A recent Kelso defeat of Iroko reads pretty well and conditions should be to the liking of the eight-year-old who appeared to get stuck in the mud in the Betfair Chase in his comeback last November.
3.30 Aintree Tips
What to make of a horse like Constitution Hill? Brilliant on his day but, as we have seen in recent times, prone to the most calamitous blunder.
The selection has reportedly undergone extensive schooling since his Cheltenham mistake and, although he has hasn't reached the heights of his 2023 Champion Hurdle success, the 2023 winner of this race did run out a comfortable winner at the expense of Lossiemouth when securing a third Christmas Hurdle success on his return, and is fancied to bounce back.
The betting markets without the front two in the market are interesting with Wodhooh an understandably warm favourite on betting apps following her Cheltenham win.
However, Take No Chances finished off powerfully to take third from an uncompromising position in the race won by Lossiemouth and will probably be more conservatively ridden than Wodhooh so makes some appeal at 13/2 without the front two in the market.
4.05 Aintree Tips
My Drogo – 1pt win @ 11/2 Betfred
Milan Forth – 0.5pt ew @ 14/1 (5 places) bet365
Not a race for the feint hearted this, but My Drogo was very well regarded in a former life with Dan Skelton – he won a Grade 1 hurdle here four years ago – and remains of interest now he appears in good heart in this sphere.
The presence of Will Biddick is another plus, and the selection should relish conditions.
Milan Forth made a pleasing debut for Adrian Murray at Down Royal, travelling powerfully and jumping well before putting the race to bed. He looks the right type for a race of this nature and is worth supporting on the horse racing betting apps with five places on offer.
4.40 Aintree Tips
My Mate Mozzie – 1pt ew @ 11/2 bet365 (4 places)
Calico – 0.5pt ew @ 11/1 Betfred (4 places)
Cheekpieces could be the key to My Mate Mozzie producing his best and the expected strong gallop and good ground look ideal for him to deliver another big performance in a hot handicap.
Calico is another well suited by spring conditions and it is worth remembering he was on the verge of chasing home Jonbon here two years ago only to tip up at the final fence. He posted a career-best at Cheltenham in October on good ground and is another sure to relish an end-to-end gallop.
5.15 Aintree Tips
Jackie Hobbs – 0.5pt ew @ 15/2 bet365
Jackie Hobbs has been targeted at this event since scoring on her bumper debut at Ludlow and she did little at Ascot to dissuade the view that she should give another good account here. Her recent homework has been very encouraging.
Oldschool Outlaw is a rather more left-field selection, but she was only overhauled late on at Leopardstown last month on her under rules debut and displayed a terrific attitude that day so is worth a small each-way play with gambling sites offering four places or more.
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