ITV Racing Tips: Van the National man can go one better

ITV are concentrating their efforts solely upon Aintree on Saturday with five tip-top contests. Saving the best until last we have one of the world's foremost sporting events, the Randox Grand National, at 16:00. A field of 34 are scheduled to face the starter in the big one on Saturday, April 13.

Countless millions will be tuned in, at home and all across the globe. We hope you have a fantastic afternoon's sport and if you're playing, the very best of luck. We're paying seven places each-way in the National, and with the ground likely to be on the testing side that's often a great leveller in terms of the potential for a shock or three. Here are our ITV Racing tips - enjoy!

Saturday's ITV menu in full;

13:20 Aintree - Bridle Road Handicap Hurdle - 3m
13:55 Aintree - Turners Mersey Novices' Hurdle - Grade 1 - 2m 4f
14:30 Aintree - William Hill Freebooter Handicap Chase - 3m 1/2f
15:05 Aintree - JRL Liverpool Hurdle - Grade 1 - 3m 1/2f
16:00 Aintree - Randox Grand National - Handicap Chase - 4m 2f

The rationale;

13:20 Aintree - West Balboa each-way @ 9/2

The opener on National day - and an experienced, high-quality Team Skelton conveyance. We saw on Thursday the quality of the established Skelton hurdlers with Langer Dan running a blinder in the Aintree Hurdle. He'd previously dotted up at Cheltenham. Stablemate West Balboa now steps up for what I'm sure will have been her target all season.

Many a box ticked. Course-and-distance scorer. Nice prep for this at Kempton a month ago, staying on under a big weight. Dropped a pound by the kindly handicapper for that run. The circumstantial and definitive evidence is compelling.

Took this off a mark of 135 last year, and lines up for a potential repeat off 141. She's talented, and for me the one they've all got to beat. We're paying six places e/w, so that's the way I'm leaning.

13:55 Aintree - Caldwell Potter @ 9/4

Formerly in the hands of Gordon Elliott, and now housed, since early February, at Paul Nicholls' Ditcheat base in Somerset. Caldwell Potter really burst upon the scene when taking a Grade 1 hurdle at Leopardstown over Xmas by 6.5l. Smashed all previous performance levels, and marked him down as potentially exceptional.

Brighterdaysahead was the idea of a Festival banker for many back in March, but she bumped into Golden Ace, who was electric. She's going to come off worst I believe once again, this time to the six-year-old gelding who crossed the Irish Sea for contests just like these.

This could be episode one of a very exciting tale for the hugely successful owners' group that includes Sir Alex Ferguson, in those famous yellow silks with the red star. Cracking heat.

14:30 Aintree - The King Of Ryhope each-way @ 5/1

I'm going unashamedly to the Skelton well once again with The King Of Ryhope, in a super-competitive staying chase. Four places e/w, so I'm happy to play it that way - surely the sensible option.

The selection is an eight-year-old gelding by German sire Malinas. 56 days ago he ran extremely well in the Reynoldstown at Ascot, a Grade 2, in what was for me a career-best (beaten 3l). I like very much his weight of 10st 11lb today, back in a handicap - with other Grade-class performers ranked ahead of him.

He's not only likely to produce his running, but further improvement is entirely possible in my book. Can the likes of Fugitif and Sam Brown give the weight? The pair shoulder 12st, and the more I look at the Skelton hope's mark, the more confident I become (famous last words alert).

15:05 Aintree - Flooring Porter @ 10/3

The Grade 1 hurdlers with stamina as their forte take centre stage before the main event. Flooring Porter returned to form at the Cheltenham Festival with a fine effort behind Teahupoo in a thriller for the Stayers' Hurdle (beaten less than 4l).

At nine he's hiding precious few secrets from anyone, but that run was reminiscent of his golden spell back in 2022 when he won at Cheltenham and was second here. Back to something like his best he's got a terrific chance, and will cross swords once again with old rival Sire Du Berlais, now 12 years young and readily held on Festival running.

Keith Donoghue rides for Gavin Cromwell. Fabulous hors d'oeuvres for the sumptuous main course.

16:00 Aintree - Vanillier each-way @ 9/1

Seven places each-way; a superb offer in a 34-runner field. No prizes then for guessing that's exactly what I'm recommending.

Vanillier was second in this race last year to Corach Rambler and tries to go one better off a 4lb higher mark. That rise isn't ideal but its inevitable given that it was a fantastic effort, beaten just over 2l.

He's another trained by Cromwell - what a day it could be for the Navan handler - with Sean Flanagan on board, as he was 12 months ago. If truth be told (always, dear reader), he's not achieved much since, in four runs.

Last time he was second in a Fairyhouse Grade 3, the Bobbyjo, but beaten 14l. I've no doubt that this has been his target since the dust settled on last season's challenge, and my only concern is the ground.

As a younger horse in particular he won and performed well on soft/yielding/heavy, and combinations thereof. I'd just like a bit of miraculous drying-out to occur to make sure it's not just a muddy slog, as such conditions, though mercifully rare, historically produce few finishers and find out many on the stamina front.

As I write the going on the National course is I believe soft, better than the 'heavy' touted earlier in the week, and if that could edge towards soft, good to soft in places I'd be delighted.

At nine years of age this is Vanillier's time, if he can grasp the opportunity. He knows the contours of the dancefloor. Time to produce that faultless routine and chaseé towards equine immortality.

ITV Racing tips from Betfred Insights.