Thursday Racing Tips: Impaire Et Passe to deliver for Mullins

Thursday sees the beginning of Aintree's three-day Grand National Festival taking star billing among five meetings across the UK and Ireland.

It's sure to be an action-packed day of racing and alongside Aintree are jumps meetings from Taunton and Limerick as well as all-weather cards from Southwell and Chelmsford (evening).

We've got three to follow including one for Willie Mullins as he starts a daring attempt to be crowned champion trainer in Britain for the first time.

13:33 Taunton - Johnny Jump Up @ 5/1

The opener at Taunton is an intriguing event, with six previous hurdles winners amongst the field of 14 going for the Blackdown Motor Company Novices' Hurdle over two-miles-and-half-a-furlong.

Harry Derham's Lario, Jonjo O'Neill's King Of Tara and the Paul Nicholls-trained Meatloaf are all respected, while Hughie Morrison will surely see Secret Squirrel putting away a win over hurdles before long, but the most appealing is JOHNNY JUMP UP for Gary Moore.

The son of Workforce didn't do much in two starts in points, but was a taking winner first time over hurdles at Fontwell (2m1½f, soft) in January, travelling nicely behind the pace and kicking clear to score.

He was favourite to follow up over further at Plumpton since, but was second behind Jetronic, a Nicholls inmate having his first UK run over hurdles.

He was given an aggressive ride by Bryony Frost and, in the end, Johnny Jump Up did well to reel them back to a diminishing length at the line after being caught out briefly as they spun off the final bend.

Johnny Jump Up was conceding 7lb there but will meet his main rivals on paper on better terms now and his proven stamina could be an asset around Taunton, particularly if they get racing some way from home.

15:30 Aintree - Impaire Et Passe @ 6/4

The trainers’ championship in Britain was billed post-Cheltenham as a duel between the master and the apprentice, Paul Nicholls and Harry Skelton, but it could look anything-but following the next three days on Merseyside, as Willie Mullins appears hell-bent on a challenge given the sheer quality of team he's sending to Merseyside.

He trails the top duo by around £600k heading to Aintree and would relish the £140k that goes to the winner of the Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle as a starting point in cutting that deficit.

IMPAIRE ET PASSE is his representative and may turn around Irish Champion Hurdle placings with Bob Olinger.

They were second and third behind State Man at Leopardstown, Impaire Et Passe having made the running in a four-runner tactical affair under Daryl Jacob.

Twice as many go to post now and, presumably, Paul Townend will take some cover. Impaire Et Passe has figures of 1112 when racing beyond the bare two miles, his only defeat when second to subsequent Stayers' Hurdle winner Teahupoo in the Hatton's Grace in December on his comeback.

Bob Olinger has looked much more like his old self this season, but the nine-year-old is hardly improving, whereas as Impaire Et Passe is a mere six-year-old, a veteran of just seven starts under Rules and still open to doing plenty better.

18:30 Chelmsford - Josies Kid @ 7/2

A sprint handicap over the minimum trip at Chelmsford in which JOSIES KID may take advantage of favourable terms for trainer Alice Haynes.

The Ardad gelding is a former course and distance winner and has a solid enough profile when appearing around here over this 5f trip.

His win came in November off a mark of 62, from which he's now been eased 8lb. His penultimate run over this trip at Wolverhampton had some promise in it, and the more recent 6f run there is easy to forgive.

With the handicapper cutting him some further slack now and Tommie Jakes taking off 5lb in the saddle as he bids for a 12th winner this calendar year, they appear to have plenty going for them.

Find more Horse Racing Tips here at Betfred Insights