Expert Tips for Aintree Day One: Kevin Blake's Top Picks at 12/1, 11/1, and 3/1

The highly anticipated Grand National Festival commences at Aintree on Thursday, featuring four prestigious Grade One events. Renowned expert Kevin Blake shares his top selections for the day, aiming to replicate the success achieved during the Cheltenham Festival. The first race of the week, the Randox Foxhunters' Open Hunters' Chase, takes place on Thursday at 3:30, with LETS GO CHAMP emerging as a compelling contender. Trained by Mags Mullins, this 11-year-old has demonstrated significant talent despite being challenging to train. Following a successful stint with Henry de Bromhead, LETS GO CHAMP secured a notable victory in a valuable handicap chase at the Punchestown Festival two years ago. He then delivered impressive performances in both the Galway Plate and the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham. After switching to Mags Mullins this season, LETS GO CHAMP achieved a perfect start in point-to-points, defeating Stuzzikini and Journey With Me in an open event at Oldtown in February. He followed this up by claiming the prestigious Tetratema Cup Hunters Chase at Gowran Park in March, with the form of these two races having been well-advertised in recent days. This positions LETS GO CHAMP among the top hunter chasers in Ireland. What makes LETS GO CHAMP an appealing choice in this contest is his style of racing, characterized by strong traveling and forward-going at mid-range trips, which will serve him well in this test. Additionally, he is an excellent jumper with the right technique for these fences. Although his rider, Sophie Carter, cannot utilize her claim in this race, she has ridden him to victory in his last two wins and is familiar with him. LETS GO CHAMP appears to be overpriced. The Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase, taking place at 4:40, is typically a highly competitive event. However, the Paul Nicholls-trained SANS BRUIT has made it look effortless, winning the last two renewals. The BHA handicapping team has played a significant role in this, exemplifying their cooperative approach when handicapping British-trained runners. After winning this race for the first time off a mark of 130 in 2024, SANS BRUIT performed well off a higher mark but was then generously dropped 9lb by the handicappers for four below-par runs. This aggressive drop in rating enabled Paul Nicholls to bring SANS BRUIT back to this race off the same mark as the previous year, resulting in another convincing victory. If this weren't enough, SANS BRUIT proceeded to win a similarly valuable handicap chase at Plumpton 18 days later off a 9lb higher mark. Now, the BHA handicapping team has once again been incredibly generous, dropping SANS BRUIT 11lb for five runs this season that weren't particularly poor. This treatment is in stark contrast to what would be expected in Ireland, where such generosity would likely result in a significant price to pay. The final race of interest on the day is the Goffs Nickel Coin Mares' National Hunt Flat Race at 5:15, where the Gavin Cromwell-trained LENNON GROVE catches the eye. This five-year-old has extensive experience, having won a point-to-point and competed in four bumpers. Her most notable performance was a third-place finish in a Listed mares' bumper at Sandown in March, where she was held up in rear and made good late gains up the favored near side. Given that she has secured black type, it is anticipated that she will be given a more forward ride, potentially leading to further improvement. LENNON GROVE appears to be overpriced.