Daily Tipping 
/ Harry Bowles / 07 April 2011 / Leave a Comment 
High fashion and top racing collide at Aintree over the next few days.
"Denman has... only had two starts this season to date and it goes completely against the grain to imagine some wholly unconvincing rivals can upset him today."
Day one of the Aintree Festival sees top-class racing take centre stage. The horses may as well take their opportunity to strut their stuff, because I'll be off to Ladies Day tomorrow, and the action on the track can sometimes go unnoticed given the sights on offer off the track
14:00 - In his eleven straight wins over hurdles the otherwise imperious Big Buck's has never been as unimpressive as when defeating Souffleur and the reopposing Possol in this race twelve months ago. Whether that warrants opposing him is another matter altogether, however, and it's impossible to envisage a scenario that sees him finishing outside of the first three.
14:30 - Zarkandar is sure to be another Nicholls-trained hotpot in the juvenile which follows, and we have to ask ourselves the same question. Grandouet ran very well to finish third to Zarkandar in the Triumph at Cheltenham and, though it's a slight niggle that he might have endured a harder race there than some of those to finish around him having been up there from the outset, he's taken alongside Zarkandar to get us through. The only reason for not singling Zarkandar is that, after just two lifetime starts, he hasn't had the opportunity to prove himself as reliable as Big Buck's!
15:05 - I'm backing Denman to win the totesport Bowl outright, so it would be disingenuous of me to field against him here. I think an odds-against price represents plenty of value about a horse so far clear of his rivals in form terms and is only available because of concerns about him giving his running three weeks on from Cheltenham. That said, I think he would have won this race two years ago but for falling in the straight, whereas twelve months ago he was patently unsuited by the demands of right-handed Punchestown. He's only had two starts this season to date and it goes completely against the grain to imagine some wholly unconvincing rivals can upset him today.
15:40 - We're fortunate to have had the opportunity to keep lines low to date, because we're going to have to go mob-handed into the Fox Hunters'. Baby Run is the best of these and would have most likely made it back-to-back wins in the big one at Cheltenham but for jolting away Will Twiston-Davis two out. He does have a tendency for mistakes, something which cost him in this race last season, but he'd taken well to the test before that and will surely be involved in the finish if getting round. Beyond him, we're siding with last year's first and second Silver Adonis and Moncadou, Heron's Well and Kilty Storm.
16:15 - Leo's Lucky Star is probably the best starting-off point after his good run at Cheltenham and, fresher than most, looks sure to be on the premises. Woolcombe Folly is still very much respected on his fine previous form, but after running so poorly in the Champion Chase last month he's not one for our purposes. Instead, I'm Delilah makes more appeal after her return to form at Doncaster five weeks ago. She remains reasonably treated and is sure to give it a good go from the front.
16:50 - Beaten favourites at Cheltenham, Wishfull Thinking and Medermit arrive at Aintree looking for compensation. The pair face something of an unknown quantity in the shape of Royal Charm, but it would be a major surprise if at least one failed to finish in the first two, the former with the better form, the latter sure to be suited by the extra half mile.
Selections:
40 lines
14:00: 1
14:30: 1,10
15:05: 2
15:40: 1,10,14,18,21
16:15: 6,8
16:50: 5,6
Get the Timeform Jury's selections for all Aintree races shown on the BBC this week with Timeform TV Focus. Click HERE to find out more about this successful tipping service.
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