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

The Grand National Festival begins at Aintree on Thursday, featuring four Grade One events, and expert analyst Kevin Blake shares his top picks for the day. The highly anticipated Grand National Festival has finally arrived, bringing an end to the long winter. Aintree has taken measures to maintain the desired soft track conditions by applying ample water. This sets the stage for an exciting few days of racing, following a successful Cheltenham Festival. The first race of the week, the Randox Foxhunters' Open Hunters' Chase, takes place on Thursday at 3:30, and LETS GO CHAMP, trained by Mags Mullins, is an intriguing contender. This 11-year-old has demonstrated significant talent despite being challenging to train, with a four-year gap between his point-to-point win and racecourse debut. Under Henry de Bromhead, LETS GO CHAMP showed improvement and achieved his most notable success in a valuable handicap chase at the Punchestown Festival two years ago. He also performed well in the Galway Plate and the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham. After switching to Mags Mullins for hunter chasing, LETS GO CHAMP made a strong start in point-to-points, beating Stuzzikini and Journey With Me, and later won the prestigious Tetratema Cup Hunters Chase at Gowran Park. The form of these races has been well-represented, positioning LETS GO CHAMP among the top hunter chasers in Ireland. What makes LETS GO CHAMP appealing in this contest is his racing style, characterized by strong traveling and forward-going at mid-range trips, which will serve him well in this test. He is also 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 his last two wins and is familiar with him. LETS GO CHAMP appears to be overpriced. The Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase is typically a competitive event, but SANS BRUIT, trained by Paul Nicholls, has made it look easy, winning the last two renewals. The BHA handicapping team has played a significant role in this, demonstrating cooperation in handicapping British-trained runners. After winning this race with a mark of 130 in 2024, SANS BRUIT performed well off a higher mark but was then generously dropped 9lb for four below-par runs. This aggressive drop is unusual, especially for a seven-year-old horse. Paul Nicholls brought SANS BRUIT back to this race off the same mark as the previous year, and he won again. SANS BRUIT then went to Plumpton and won another valuable handicap chase off a 9lb higher mark. If this were to happen in Ireland, the horse would likely face a tough rise and be slow to drop again. However, this is not the case in Britain, where the BHA handicapping team has once again been generous, dropping SANS BRUIT 11lb for five runs this season. It is clear that SANS BRUIT was being worked towards this race, and the handicappers have been happy to cooperate. The extent of this generosity can be seen in SANS BRUIT being made the favorite for this race from the opening show. The final race of interest is the Goffs Nickel Coin Mares' National Hunt Flat Race, where LENNON GROVE, trained by Gavin Cromwell, stands out. This five-year-old has gained significant experience, winning a point-to-point and racing four times in bumpers. Her most notable performance was a third-place finish in a Listed mares' bumper at Sandown in March. In a race where it was advantageous to be prominent, LENNON GROVE was held up in rear and made good late gains. Now that she has secured black type, it is likely that she will be given a more forward ride, and it would not be surprising to see her show improvement. LENNON GROVE appears to be overpriced.