‘Grade 1 glory beckons’ – Three big outsiders on Day 1 of the Aintree Festival

Aintree’s three-day Grand National Festival starts on Thursday and there’s an awesome seven-race card to look forward to. There are no fewer than four Grade 1 races and it’s sure to be a cracking day. We’ve picked out three outsiders that are available at substantial prices which may have been unfairly overlooked. These include a 25/1 shot in the Aintree Bowl which has gone under the radar.

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2.55 Aintree

Gentlemansgame (25/1, Paddy Power) managed to get the better of Bravemansgame in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in November. With that in mind, it’s a little perplexing that Mouse Morris’ eight-year-old is double the price of Paul Nicholls’ horse. It was a big ask to run him in the Gold Cup after 132 days without a run and he looked short of fitness when pulling up. He should take a step forward here and Grade 1 glory beckons.

4.05 Aintree

Espoire De Guye (25/1, William Hill) was a smart handicapper for Venetia Williams in the not too distant past. Trips around the 2m4f mark have always been his speciality, which means this test should be very suitable. He’s been in good form in hunter chases so far this season and a clear round of jumping will give him every chance of making the frame.

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5.15 Aintree

Metkayina (20/1, bet365) ran twice for Sam Curling and made a good impression when third on debut. She took a step forward to get off the mark comfortably at Ludlow next time and is entitled to continue progressing. Making her debut for new connections here, the form of her win looks decent and she could surprise a few.

If you back any of our selections you can watch them live on the free Racing Post app or racingpost.com. Simply log in to one of your bookmaker accounts and click ‘Watch live’ on the racecards.