Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: Time to Puturhandstogether for Constitution Hill

William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty previews the opening day of Aintree’s Grand National meeting, picking out his best bets.

The forecast is really good for all three days and they’re watering at Aintree to maintain good-to-soft ground. It’s going to slower on the National course, where their aim is soft ground. It’ll be beautiful ground; they always do a fantastic job in Aintree.

Aintree, Thursday

A brilliant three days of racing opens with the Grade 1 Manifesto Novices’ Chase (1:45pm), which looks a very competitive contest. Jango Baie put in an amazing performance at Cheltenham to fly home and win the Arkle and the step up in trip here is going to suit him. It is little over three weeks since that performance though, so you have to take it on trust that horses coming from Cheltenham have totally recovered. Impaire Et Passe was a bit disappointing last time. Under these conditions I think Croke Park is better over three miles. For me, the value in the race is GIDLEIGH PARK. The form of Windsor win was well franked by Caldwell Potter winning the Novices’ Handicap Chase at Cheltenham. He is a tricky horse, but on his day, he is very good, and he jumped and travelled brilliantly at Windsor. I think the trip here should be ideal for him and he’s the one for me.

Next is the 4-Y-O Juvenile Grade 1 (2:20pm). It’s a race that probably lacks depth in recent form, but there could be a couple of dark ones like Live Conti, who could have a big say. PUTURHANDSTOGETHER put in a really good performance to win the Fred Winter. I’m always a little cautious about juveniles coming back after a quick turnaround, but he is a hardened campaigner from the Flat. It was a very taking performance to win as he did in Cheltenham, and I think he could back that up to win again here.

The Grade 1 Bowl (2:55pm) is a great race and I’m a big SPILLANE’S TOWER fan. I’m happy to forgive him a below par performance in the King George as I think the track was just too sharp for him. He was only a head behind Fact To File in the John Durkan at the start of the season, so that’s clearly top-class from. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him yet, and this trip on a more galloping track than Kempton could see him take another step forward.

CONSTITUTION HILL lost his unbeaten tag in the Champion Hurdle, and it was a shock to everyone what happened, but he has lived on the edge with his jumping a little bit in recent seasons and he paid the price for it. There has been a lot of work done in his schooling since Cheltenham and it’s an area where Nicky [Henderson] would leave no stone unturned. I’d be very hopeful that he will have a smoother passage this time in the Grade 1 William Hill Hurdle (3:30pm). Probably his least impressive win to date was in this race two seasons ago but that performance came on the back of the Champion Hurdle win, and he probably wasn’t quite back on song then. Word is he’s very well in himself since Cheltenham. This is probably the ideal trip for Lossiemouth, so he’s meeting her on her terms, but I’d still be very surprised if she’s good enough to overturn Constitution Hill.

The Foxhunters’ (4:05pm) is a completely different race. There’s a horse in here that I love and that’s LIFETIME AMBITION. He was formerly trained by Jessie Harrington and has been around Aintree before when fourth in the Grand Sefton three years ago. He’s also run in the National, when hampered by a loose horse and unseating at Valentine’s in the race won by Corach Rambler two years ago, but in general he’s a horse that jumps unbelievably well. He’s been an impressive winner of his last two point-to-points, and as a horse that has pace and jumps, he’s tailor-made for this course. It’s worth mentioning My Drogo who was potentially the next coming before he had problems with injury. He was a classy horse and one we thought had a big future. My Drogo and Lifetime Ambition are two quality horses that didn’t quite fulfil their potential for one reason or another and both look set to play a big hand here, but for me Lifetime Ambition is the one.

The Red Rum Handicap Chase (4:40pm) looks competitive but I don’t see many in here with massive potential going forward. There are a lot of old-timers who have been there but aren’t necessarily getting better. My Mate Mozzie ran well at Cheltenham, but he looked a weak finisher that day and to me he is vulnerable to something that could be on the upgrade. I think RATH GAUL HILL, who has won three of his six chase starts, could be the one. He only won by a neck at Newbury last time, but he travelled very strongly into the race and that suggests to me better ground is going to suit him well. He could be a bit of each-way value.

I like Harry Derham’s runner JACKIE HOBBS in the Grade 2 mares’ bumper (5:15pm). She won a Listed bumper at Ascot in good style last time and before that was a winner at Ludlow. In point-to-points she had beaten Holloway Queen who has won twice since, including in Listed company, so that looks good. She’s three from three and I think she’s value to keep winning in a tight race.