Nap of the Day: 2/1 shot my best bet at Aintree on Thursday

It's Grand National week and the action at Aintree kicks off on Thursday with a seven-race card featuring four Grade 1s.

One of those is the Manifesto Novices' Chase and my Nap of the Day goes in the 2m4f contest.

I fancy IMPAIRE ET PASSE to do the business in the opening race of the 2025 Grand National meeting.

Willie Mullins' seven-year-old won a thrilling renewal of the Aintree Hurdle here last year, beating subsequent Stayers' Hurdle hero Bob Olinger in a controversial photo finish, before a comfortable Grade 2 victory at Sandown's Jumps Finale.

The son of Diamond Boy bolted up on his debut over fences at Fairyhouse on this season's reappearance, prior to claiming Grade 1 honours in the Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick. He didn't beat much, but he did little wrong in doing so.

Fast-forward to the Dublin Racing Festival in February and he suffered his first defeat over the bigger obstacles, going down to stablemate Ballyburn and the reopposing Croke Park for Gordon Elliott.

He was over 10 lengths behind the winner and around five adrift of the runner-up, which I actually found somewhat encouraging given he didn't look at the races from the word go. He jumped badly, travelled lazily and never seemed comfortable.

Horses are allowed an off day, and maybe this was just that. It might also be the case he simply doesn't like Leopardstown, given three of his four career defeats have been in Dublin.

His record away from there is sensational. He's won nine of 10 starts, with his one defeat being to Teahupoo in the 2023 Hatton's Grace. Absolutely no shame in that.

So, back at a course he's won round before, fresh after 60 days on the sidelines and with cheekpieces applied to hopefully help him concentrate, I'm expecting a bold bid.

Cheltenham Festival Arkle hero Jango Baie is feared, although he had a tough race at HQ just over three weeks ago and might not be at his best. This meeting often favours the fresher horses. I also don't think it was a particularly strong renewal of the race.

I'd be quite hopeful about Impaire Et Passe reversing form with Croke Park, who was just over five lengths ahead the last day. He did so much wrong and it's not a lot of ground to make up at all.

Gidleigh Park is interesting after his beating of Caldwell Potter was franked in no uncertain terms when the latter bolted up at Cheltenham last month, but otherwise it's a modest race for the grade. Rubaud, The Kalooki Kid, Boombawn, Mark Of Gold and Fascile Mode would all be surprise winners in my book.

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