ITV Racing Tips: Can’t believe the price of my National fancy

The ITV cameras are in situ at Aintree on Saturday for FIVE superb contests - the last and most spectacular being the world's greatest steeplechase, the Randox Grand National, at 16:00.

The action starts at 13:20 and includes a couple of Grade 1 heats. A fantastic three days of competition on Merseyside ends with a flourish, and this peerless spring highlight. Who is about to gallop into the history books? Stay tuned ...

Horse Racing Odds

Full ITV Schedule;

Aintree

13:20 - 3m 1/2f Handicap Hurdle - Grade 3
13:55 - 2m 4f Turners' Mersey Novices' Hurdle - Grade 1
14:30 - 3m 1f Handicap Chase - Grade 3
15:05 - 3m 1/2f Liverpool Hurdle - Grade 1
16:00 - 4m 2 1/2f Randox Grand National (Handicap Chase) - Grade 3

Rationale;

13:20 - Act Of Authority each-way @ 8/1

This wonderful day's racing begins with a fiendishly tricky-looking handicap hurdle. We're paying FIVE places each-way, and rarely is there a better example of a race that should be approached precisely from that angle.

Our selection Act Of Authority is a seven-year-old gelded son of Derby hero Authorized, who I saw win both the Dante and the Juddmonte at my beloved York many moons ago!

Olly Murphy's got several in training for owner Mrs Diana L Whateley and this is another. With five wins under rules from 14 starts he's pretty talented, too, and must shoulder 11st 12lb this afternoon.

Excellent effort in the Martin Pipe at the Festival (beaten just over 4l by Wodhooh, who ran so well in the big hurdle on Thursday), and he's been raised 5lb for that, which is a bit harsh. Shows the undoubted quality though, and I'm thinking this one's each-way prospects at the very least are very bright indeed.

13:55 - Koktail Divin @ 13/2

I've previewed this one's chances in my companion Lucky 15 piece, which you can access and peruse by kindly clicking right HERE.

14:30 - Doctor Ken each-way @ 13/2

I've previewed this one's chances in my companion Lucky 15 piece, which you can access and peruse by kindly clicking right HERE.

15:05 - Kitzbuhel @ 4/1

Staying timber-toppers line up for the famous Liverpool Hurdle, taken by some real tools in the past like Big Buck's and Lanzarote.

My selection Kitzbuhel is a Willie Mullins raider who races in the famous State Man/Sir Gino/Lulamba colours of Mrs Donnelly; enjoying a great week in the main, incidentally.

Willie acquired the typically precocious French-bred five-year-old in November, and the following month he made a winning debut in a little contest at Punchestown.

One more spin was to follow, in February - and up to G3 level he scored readily at the prohibitive odds of 2/7. Now he has to translate all that evident latent potential into a performance capable of winning a G1. On just his sixth all-time start. Aged only five.

One massive, mitigating factor - he's with WP Mullins. Records are there to be shredded for this gentleman. Teahupoo is almost certain to start favourite and sets a very good standard, but new kids on the block emerge all the time. I'm hoping this might be such an instance, and that Paul Townend can do the business for the umpteenth time on one of his boss's flying machines.

16:00 - Intense Raffles each-way @ 12/1

Randox Grand National time - they've been doing it since 1839, and I hope they'll still be doing it in 2139. Red Rum, Aldaniti, Hedgehunter, Tiger Roll - we all have our personal favourites from the eras. There's never a dull moment, and if sport is your thing, those performances and characters stay with us forever.

My fancy (each-way of course, we're paying SEVEN places), is Intense Raffles. Thomas Gibney trains in County Meath for the famous double green team of Munir and Souede, and JJ Slevin has the riding assignment.

He won the Irish equivalent last term on heavy ground, off a mark of 140. He races here off 151, but that's about par for the course in terms of a hike for this upwardly-mobile seven-year-old gelding, a son of Martaline; classy staying type who raced in the Abdullah silks for Andre Fabre.

'Raffles' has run three times since that huge Fairyhouse success; two hurdle races to protect his chase mark and one over the larger obstacles after the National weights had been announced. That last effort 42 days ago was an excellent, close-up second in a Fairyhouse G3 over 3m 2f, off 151.

For me his price of around 12/1 is big. It's presumably a fair bit to do with the ground being livelier than he's used to encountering, and there is some Sadler's Wells influence down the line in his breeding. Seasoned observers will appreciate the soft-ground significance of that legendary bloodline.

However - the National course will doubtless be watered if necessary to ensure ground with no jar. He's not run on a surface with 'good' anywhere in the going description since debuting in a 1m 4.5f conditions event in August 2021, and I would be more confident if the conditions were more testing, but he's got all the tools required to take such a prize.

Earlier in the piece he was around a 7, 8, 9/1 co-fav. He's 12s as I write, but the horse doesn't know that - and 10st 10lb is a lovely racing weight. Fingers crossed that he runs a belter, and gives us a a great run for our each-way money.

Whatever you're backing enjoy this wonderful spectacle, and the very best of luck.

ITV Racing Tips from Betfred Insights.