Aintree Horse Racing Tips for Saturday

Keith Melrose Updated: 22 Apr 24 12:43

Saturday's Grand National card is also a tremendous day's racing away from the big one. Keith Melrose from the Racing Post has picked out his best bets from the other six races at Aintree on Grand National day.

Aintree Day 3 Horse Racing Betting Tips and Odds

1.20 Aintree - Fine Margin @ 12/1
2.30 Aintree - Cruz Control @ 8/1
5.00 Aintree - Master Chewy @ 12/1

Horse Racing

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Handicap Hurdle tip

Fine Margin @ 12/1

Grand National day is also a major day in the battle for the British trainers' championship. It seems likely that Willie Mullins will only really pursue his claims if he wins the Grand National, which would take him right onto the heels of Paul Nicholls and Dan Skelton.

He can start the day with another little boost to his total with FINE MARGIN in this 3m½f handicap hurdle. This horse was a notably eye-catching entrant in a Premier handicap at Haydock in November. He did not get any less interesting when he drifted markedly on track, out to 22/1, before finishing second to Slate Lane.

Third that day was Crambo, while Gowel Road and Bold Endeavour behind him have also run plenty of solid races in similar handicaps as the season has worn on.

Fine Margin did not run again until the Dublin Racing Festival, where he went off 6/1 in a warm race but weakened quickly from two out.

He will be fitter, yet still fresh for this test and his family has a happy history with the track. Half-brother Belfast Banter won the Top Novices' Hurdle at this meeting three years ago.

Handicap Chase tip

Cruz Control @ 8/1

We are into the time of year when novices land a lot of the major handicap chases and this race has been no exception in its recent history. There are a few that fit the bill in this year's field, and I may have a saver on Demnat at big prices but the main bet will be CRUZ CONTROL.

This horse looked ready for a step up in trip when running with credit in races around 2m4f away from the mud earlier in the season. He was then upped markedly in trip to the Eider. He just ran out of steam that day, finishing fifth, but then when dropped to nearer 3m won at Newcastle a few weeks later.

This sort of trip will be ideal for now, and as suggested above he handles soft ground but does not need it.

Trainer Tom Lacey won this race with novice Thomas Patrick in 2018 and Cruz Control has a similar sort of profile.

Maghull Novices' Chase tip

Master Chewy @ 12/1

Arkle second Found A Fifty is favourite for the Maghull and rightly so. I am more inclined to take issue with the order and prices of those in behind. To me, MASTER CHEWY's price is way out of whack for all he needs to find something to reverse the form that would have been at Cheltenham.

Nigel Twiston-Davies' seven-year-old did not finish in the Arkle. He was fourth and just starting to lose touch when knuckling on landing at the second-last fence. Fourth is probably the best he could have hoped for, but he would have been behind Gaelic Warrior, Found A Fifty and Il Etait Temps. That is clearly an excellent piece of form.

Master Chewy also has ample form at Aintree. He won a handicap here in October by 12 lengths, then only just failed to give weight and a beating to Djelo a couple of weeks later, with the pair miles clear of the rest.

If he is going to improve again this spring, it is likely to be here.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.