Equinties - Aintree awards

Gm Equinauts

We received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback last Wednesday after discussing how best to approach betting a major racing Festival and general bank management. It’s clear there is a demand for more content focused on successful betting behaviours or ‘best practice’, so will continue to produce such articles as and when we feel it appropriate.

Today seems a good day to expand on a point pushed last week- the big Festival or ‘fun’ bank.

Unless you bet Aintree like a pro - hitting a single or two a day and absolutely nothing else (for us that would have looked like CONSITUTION HILL, SEO LINN in the mares bumper and then KALIF DU BERLAIS Saturday), we advised setting aside a small Festival bank which effectively written off from the main before you eve place a bet. That fun bank is the hard limit to betting Aintree, when it’s gone it’s gone but hope to get lucky when betting every race - you’ll need it!

Now you have to rid yourself of that over-betting with small stakes, lotto acca, long-term losers methodology approach to betting. Chuck that behaviour in the bin with the losing slips.

Today marks the day you get back to working in and protecting the bank main. Find your horse, find your edge and bet accordingly. On a bad days racing like today (quite often the case after a big meeting) there isn’t always a bet, so practice cancelling the day. Close you apps and don’t even think about the racing. Go and do a job you’ve been putting off for a while.

By all means watch the races back later - studying is key. But don’t bet if there isn’t one. Being more selective and learning patience in betting gets easier and becomes fun. One day you might be down to betting only four horses a week and it feels good to be in that position, you feel clinical, professional and almost righteous - if you ever can feel that way when gambling!

We had one bet yesterday on a big pedigree edge which didn’t come off. He came last by half the track for running with the choke out. It was the ‘right’ pedigree bet and would bet the same horse in the same race today, but he blew up. You need to remember you’re betting on animal running in a field. It requires a lot of luck and a lot of losers which will test your resolve. A bank makes losing easier, a paradoxical statement in itself.

Let’s dive in.

AINTREE AWARDS

With the dust settling after a brilliant three days of racing at Aintree, it’s time to look back at the best and the worst of the action and hand the awards out. From trainers to horses, top rides to total blowouts, here’s what we thought deserved the awards.

FAVOURITE PERFORMANCES

GAELIC WARRIOR – GRADE 1 AINTREE BOWL CHASE

GAELIC WARRIOR has always wanted three miles, but did we think he’d be ready to do this after such a poor season in the Bowl? No. Ruby Walsh even said he might appreciate another few weeks, so to battle hard under Patrick Mullins, he should be given plenty of credit.

He also prefers right-handed tracks and wouldn’t mind a bit of cut. King George next season, finally?

It could be quite the race with JANGO BAIE, IL EST FRANCAIS, BANBRIDGE, and more.

SALVATOR MUNDI – GRADE 1 TOP NOVICES’ HURDLE

It was all a bit too easy for SALVATOR MUNDI in the end. He travelled powerfully, took up the lead at the second-last, and kicked clear. Having disappointed in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, this was a nice reminder that he is a useful animal. He’s learned to jump better and could be sharp over fences next season as a five-year-old going six.
16/1 for the Arkle next season. Tempting.

JULIUS DES PICTONS – GRADE 1 SEFTON NOVICES’ HURDLE

JULIUS DES PICTONS will be some chaser next season, and what a moment for Jamie Snowden to land his first Grade 1 success as a trainer. 20 years in the waiting!

The race was weird, and people gave Jonjo O’Neill Jnr some pelters for looking at the big screen. They also went a mental pace, and that set it up for the late closers.
But still, Snowden’s six-year-old is a nice, experienced horse who improved markedly to win the Sefton, and he could be very smart in some staying chases going forward. Eyes on.

TRAINERS OF THE WEEK: WILLIE MULLINS & PAUL NICHOLLS

Willie Mullins trains winners for fun, but even by his standards, he was on fire.
Four winners on day one, SALVATOR MUNDI and GENTLEMAN DE MEE flew the Closutton flag on Friday, and the main man had the 1-2-3-5-7 in the Grand National. Simply exceptional work.

Speaking of the National, we got to see a different side of Mullins on Saturday. Stood in front of the ITV cameras, he wasn’t the British and Irish champion jumps trainer. He wasn’t the four-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner. He was JUST a very proud father.
You can tell by this interview that giving his son, Patrick, the winning horse in the Nash is right up there with his greatest achievements. Bravo.

Out of nowhere, he now has a great chance of winning back-to-back British trainer titles. Dan Skelton was 2/13 to win the title after Mullins four-fold on Thursday; now Mullins is 2/5 and Skelton is 7/4. What a trainer – a true privilege for us to be alive the same time he is to see the Wizard work.

As for the Brits, Paul Nicholls was able to get his chest out throughout the Aintree Grand National Festival. All the horses that had taken knocks during the season – CALDWELL POTTER, REGENT’S STROLL, and KALIF DU BERLAIS – showed themselves in a great light. Yes, CALDWELL POTTER’s race fell apart, and REGENT’S STROLL was caught late, but they put in top performances. After a tough season for the Ditcheat operator, he reminded us that he’s not down and out yet!

EYE-CATCHERS

LISNAMULT LAD – FRIDAY 16.05 AINTREE

Would LISNAMULT LAD have won the Topham without the loose horse? It would have been tight, but he might have just held on in the end.

Either way, he ran a huge race for a trainer that is massively on the up. The horse won earlier in the season at Cheltenham at odds of 20/1, and it took a well-handicapped Willie Mullins-trained Grade 1 winner to get the better of him in the Topham.
We imagine this will be the plan for next season, so don’t be surprised if he runs that way for a few runs. He likes nice ground and looks like a smart chaser for Ian Donoghue.

GRANGECLARE WEST – SATURDAY 16.00 AINTREE

Speaking of ultimatums, would GRANGECLARE WEST have won without making a mistake at the last? Probably! NICK ROCKET galloped through the line, so this is no certainty, but he would have been much closer for sure.

He was the classy edge into the race based on his Irish Gold Cup run, and he loved his trip around the National course. Cheveley Park have already confirmed the 2026 Grand National will be his target, and while he will have a loftier mark to carry, he could be a danger. Nice horse, big run

BROOKIE – SATURDAY 17.00 AINTREE

We didn’t know why BROOKIE was running in the Grade 1 Maghull Novices’ Chase, but he ran a mighty fine race to finish second to KALIF DU BERLAIS.

He looked good when winning at Doncaster in March and CALICO, the third that day, ran a fine race in the Red Rum on Thursday. He might find himself in no man’s land when he gets his new handicap mark tomorrow, but he’s at his peak and can land a nice race again.

RIDER OF THE WEEK: HARRY COBDEN

Hardy Cobden really is mustard. Yes, Harry Skelton won the David Power Jockeys Cup and Sean Bowen is set to be named as the champion jockey, but Cobden really is the best

His rides throughout Aintree were seamless, though it was the spin he had on SANS BRUIT in the Red Rum that was very pleasing to the eye

He gets horses to jump fences like it’s second nature, and he looks ice cold during every jump.

When Paul Nicholls' horses are firing, there’s no one better in the plate than Cobden. Could the duo be set for a big Ayr and Sandown?

DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE WEEK: CONSTITUTION HILL

Look, we don’t want to jump on the CONSTITUTION HILL bashing bandwagon, but there is genuine uncertainty hanging over his name going forward. As we said in Friday’s newsletter, if he had stood up, there’s no guarantee he would have won. He was caught in a pocket and LOSSIEMOUTH got first run on him.

Thursday is probably the first time CONSTITUTION HILL has looked genuinely beatable, and he’s not getting any slicker over his hurdles. He has to start thinking smarter because if he doesn’t, he’ll keep getting his hurdles wrong. A sorry state of affairs for a horse who could and should be the best jumps horse in the world. Ever.

RISK ON

No bets today.

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