The Formby Novices' Hurdle offers some Grade 1 action on Aintree's Boxing Day card, while there are also some competitive handicaps to look forward to.
Here are the latest horse racing betting tips for Thursday’s card at Aintree Racecourse from Racing Post tipster Richard Birch.
11:55 Aintree – Crystal Glance @ 9/4
13:40 Aintree – Act Of Authority @ 5/2
14:15 Aintree – Gustavian @ 9/2
11:55 Aintree – Crystal Glance @ 9/4
Crystal Glance, a progressive young hurdler who remains a step ahead of the handicapper, stands out as the best bet on a cracking Boxing Day card at Aintree.
Winner of two of her four starts over hurdles, the four-year-old very much caught the eye over a shorter trip at Doncaster last time.
She moved into the race with considerable purpose, but couldn’t quite peg back the well-backed favourite, Slugger.
That winner had previously beaten subsequent Windsor second Bellbird in emphatic style at Carlisle, and there could be plenty more to come from Crystal Glance now locally-based connections step her up in trip.
It looks significant that the decision to tackle 2m4f with Crystal Glance coincides with a £15,000 handicap on the doorstep of joint-trainers Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.
The filly has probably been meticulously laid out for this quite valuable prize for some time, and she should take the world of beating under Ben Smith, who takes a handy 7lb off her back.
A mark of 97 almost certainly under-estimates Crystal Glance if the increased test of stamina produces the likely improvement.
13:40 Aintree – Act Of Authority @ 5/2
Olly Murphy may have been out of luck with Strong Leader in Saturday’s Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot, but that proved a rare blemish on what is proving to be a magnificent season.
A golden summer has extended into the core jumps campaign, with the trainer firmly on course for a career-best tally.
Act Of Authority looks a hurdler going places following victories at Sandown and Wetherby this winter.
Highly impressive when storming eight and a half lengths clear of Don’t Tell Su at Sandown, he followed up six days later without needing vigorous assistance from the final flight.
Freshened up since then, Act Of Authority is fancied to resume his progress off an official rating of 134.
Obviously, he’ll need a career-best performance to defy 11st 13lb in this £40,000 race, but the visual interpretation gleaned from those two wins suggests he will prove well up to the task.
He can successfully concede 14lb to the Evan Williams-trained Patriotik.
14:15 Aintree – Gustavian @ 9/2
Gustavian might prefer a more testing surface, but it’s unlikely the ground at Aintree will dry out too much to seriously compromise his chance.
After all, Gustavian boasts winning form at Exeter on good ground, and has become very nicely handicapped following eight consecutive defeats.
Don’t get the impression that Gustavian has regressed in any shape or form. He has plied his trade in some highly competitive staying handicap chases, including Wincanton’s Badger Beer Handicap Chase two starts ago, and has performed well in many of them.
The nine-year-old finished third to Al Dancer at Wincanton, staying on from off the pace in a contest where it paid to race handily.
Al Dancer made a lot of the running, while the runner-up Lord Accord was prominent throughout.
It appears that Gustavian retains all his zest, and a drop in grade off a 10lb lower mark than when last successful puts Anthony Honeyball’s charge firmly in the picture to regain winning ways, perhaps at the chief expense of Ikarak.
Read more horse racing betting tips and predictions on site.
Read more Aintree horse racing news on site.
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.