Barry Geraghty
Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: I Am Maximus can seize more Grand National glory
William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty previews Grand National Day from Aintree.
Aintree, Saturday
I’ve given SALVATOR MUNDI as my nap of the week in the Grade 1 Maghull Novices’ Chase (12:45pm). He was a good winner of the Grade 1 Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree last year, when beating Romeo Coolio. He held his form from Cheltenham to Aintree well then, and this is clearly a track that suits him. While he has struggled a little bit through the winter, he put up a good performance last time when winning impressively at Thurles in February and it looks like he has been trained for this day.
It’s hard to look past SUPREMELY WEST in the three-mile William Hill Handicap Hurdle (1:20pm) given the ease with which he won the Pertemps at Cheltenham. He’s gone up nine pounds for that win, but I think if you consider where he’s come from in the handicap, that rise doesn’t look excessive. On the strength of his performance last time, it’s hard to make a case for what could beat him.
BOSSMAN JACK looked a bit unlucky at Cheltenham, making a bad mistake at the last hurdle when running a big race in the Turners. He still was only beaten just over four lengths into sixth place, so it was a fine effort, and a reproduction of that run would make him the one to beat in the Grade 1 Mersey Novices’ Hurdle (1:55pm). Ballyfad was disappointing in the Supreme and if he was to produce his best form then he would have a big chance. He might be the danger, but on the back of such a poor run last time it’s hard to have confidence in him. Soldier Reeves actually finished ahead of stablemate Bossman Jack in the Turners, but the fact that Harry Skelton has chosen to ride Bossman Jack is perhaps a reflection on how bad the mistake was that he made at the last.
Cruz Control is returning in a bid for a hat-trick in the three-mile-one-furlong William Hill Handicap Chase (2:30pm) and he looks to be on a reasonable mark, so you’d have to respect him. The one I like though is BRAVE FORTUNE for Joseph O’Brien. He has some nice form in the book, particularly on better ground and it looks like Joseph has targeted him at this race. He’s only a seven-year-old and there should be plenty of room for improvement on what he’s achieved to date. I think he’s of strong interest.
In the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle (3:05pm), I like the chances of last year’s winner HIDDENVALLEY LAKE. He obviously has strong course form and brings similar form into this race as when winning 12 months ago. He perhaps struggled on the soft and heavy ground over the winter but should be happier back on the better ground here, and I think he can confirm form from last year with Strong Leader. He offers decent value against the likes of Honesty Policy, who you would have to say was a bit disappointing at Cheltenham.
The more I look at this year’s Grand National (4:00pm), the more I keep coming back to I AM MAXIMUS. I was leaning towards Grangeclare West but when I watched back the replay of last year, I thought I Am Maximus came to win the race and just looked like a horse that got tired at the finish. I know the Willie Mullins team felt he wasn’t as ready for the race as they would have liked when he missed the Bobbyjo last year. He didn’t line up in the Bobbyjo this year either but I assume they will have compensated for that elsewhere this year. He’s shown better form this season than he did when coming into the race 12 months ago and I think he’s had a more straightforward preparation for the race. He put in an excellent run when finishing second in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas, where he had Galopin Des Champs and also Grangeclare West behind him. That’s brilliant form and he didn’t run badly either to finish fifth in the Irish Gold Cup at the DRF when last seen. I imagine they didn’t have him fully tuned up for that run either. The fact that Paul Townend rides tells you everything about his chance and I think he’s the one to beat.
Panic Attack is interesting. She’s at the opposite end of the scale to I Am Maximus – towards the lower end of the weights – and still looks to have a very workable mark. She is unproven at this marathon trip though.
In the closing Grade 2 bumper (5:00pm), it’s hard to look past Champion Bumper third, BASS HUNTER. Before that run he was a good winner of the Listed Ascot bumper in December, which is usually rock-solid form. If Bass Hunter can reproduce the level of form he showed at Cheltenham, I don’t think his opponents will be able to live with that.
