Aintree Festival Day 2 Tips: Owen’s best bets for Ladies Day

It was a successful start to the Grand National Festival on the tipping front, courtesy of two winners - Mange Tout (6/1 each-way) and Brighterdaysahead (2/1) - and a 9/1 place in the bumper. If only Highlands Legacy, the 11/2 Nap, didn't make that race-ending mistake at the last in the Red Rum...

Let's hope for a similar story on Friday, with my Aintree Festival Day 2 tips.

13:45 - Hot Fuss each-way @ 17/2

If he lines up, I'm struggling to understand the clamouring for Indeevar Bleu in this 2m4f handicap hurdle. The eight-year-old has a nine-pound rise to overcome after a 105-day layoff, during which he underwent wind surgery. Conditions are going to be lively enough for him, too.

I much prefer the claims of HOT FUSS for Tom Dascombe.

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He's enjoyed a superb season, beating subsequent County Hurdle hero Wilful at Windsor in January before finishing runner-up to Liverpool Hurdle-bound Air Of Entitlement in the Martin Pipe at last month's Cheltenham Festival.

A rise of just two pounds is very fair in my eyes and there ought to be a good bit more to come from this five-year-old on just his second start over this intermediate trip.

Hopefully the son of Calyx can hit the frame at least.

14:20 - Salver @ 7/2

I feel SALVER is overpriced for the Mildmay Novices' Chase on account of the perception he needs soft ground to be at his best.

I'm no longer convinced that's the case. At all. The six-year-old son of Motivator has plenty of form on good to soft or better, including when third in the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham - a career-best effort as far as I'm concerned.

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Gary & Josh Moore's stable star had plenty go against him at HQ, including being kicked at the start and hampered by a faller at the 13th fence. He did exceptionally well to go from about eighth turning for home, to a clear third at the line.

A reproduction of that effort and I fancy he'll be hard to beat in what rates a modest renewal of this Grade 1 over 3m1f.

14:55 - Sober Glory @ 8/13

I'm banking on Cheltenham form holding up again in the Top Novices' Hurdle, for Supreme runner-up SOBER GLORY is the selection.

No prizes for originality, but Philip Hobbs & Johnson White is at least a stone better than Sinnatra, Starting Fifteen, La Conquiere and Storming George, so as far as I'm concerned he just has Baron Noir to beat - again.

The six-year-old son of Mount Nelson, who was subject to a staggering amount of money on the day, was over six lengths clear of the reopposing Alan King runner, despite making a significant mistake at the final flight.

If he runs to form, he'll take the world of beating.

15:30 - Heart Wood @ 5/4

HEART WOOD was emphatic in the Ryanair and he's another that ought to take plenty of stopping if up to the same standard.

Henry de Bromhead's eight-year-old was 10 lengths clear of Jonbon, who did absolutely nothing wrong throughout the contest, and that is as good a piece of form as anything on offer from his six rivals in the Melling Chase.

Grey Dawning had a tough race in the Gold Cup and is better on softer ground in my opinion, while Gidleigh Park has plenty to prove after pulling-up 83 days ago. He's fragile.

This is a fine opportunity for Heart Wood to record a Grade 1 double.

16:05 - Addragoole each-way @ 18/1

In one of the trickiest betting races of the entire Grand National Festival, I thought ADDRAGOOLE was a little overpriced.

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Gavin Cromwell's seven-year-old has been dropped a couple of pounds for finishing ninth (of 20) in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham exactly 30 days ago, which is a generous piece of handicapping as far as I'm concerned.

His victory off a mark of 132 at Leopardstown on Boxing Day and third over the same course and distance at the Dublin Racing Festival off nine pounds higher are very strong pieces of form, and if he's able to bounce back to that sort of level, or even improve for the step up in trip, he's got every chance of being involved.

16:40 - Zeus Power @ 5/1

There's a few I'm keen to oppose in the Sefton Novices' Hurdle - namely Johnny's Jury, No Drama This End and Mondoui'boy.

No Drama This End is a horse I'm very fond of, but the fact Harry Cobden is on Talk To The Man puts me off. Or perhaps he's a non-runner in waiting? The other two had tough races in the Albert Bartlett and I don't think Johnny's Jury in particular will be suited to Aintree. He needed every yard to get on top at HQ.

A chance is taken on ZEUS POWER, who under the circumstances ran a huge race for Joseph O'Brien in the Turners.

Lots went wrong for the five-year-old in running, but he managed to stick to his job and ended up passing well over 10 horses from the start of the turn for home to to finishing line to get up for third.

Totally unexposed over staying trips, he's got to be of significant interest going forward and I'm willing to chance him in this wide-open Grade 1.

17:15 - Wreckless Eric each-way @ 9/1

The finale on Friday is a devilishly-tricky handicap hurdle, over an extended two miles, for conditional jockeys and amateur riders.

You could make a case for the majority of the 22-strong field, but it's WRECKLESS ERIC who makes the most appeal to me.

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The O'Neill's six-year-old was starting to look gone at the game, recording form figures of 796 in his first three starts this season, before his second in the Imperial Cup at Sandown last month.

It was very much a return to form in first-time cheekpieces, which are retained on Merseyside, and although his rise of five pounds is harsh, he can run another big race under Benjamin Macey.

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