Aintree Saturday

2.05 William Hill Wirral Juvenile Hurdle (Listed) 2m 209yd

Bibe Mus was a winner over 10 furlongs as a two-year-old for Yoann Bonnefoy before moving to Ross O’Sullivan and his best effort for current connections came when winning on testing ground on his hurdles bow at Gowran.

He matched rather than bettered that effort at Down Royal last time, but with the first and fourth from that contest both successful since, the form takes on more of a sheen. With more rain due overnight and into the morning at Aintree, an ability to handle soft ground is a prerequisite, and Bibe Mus has shown his best form under such conditions.

Of the opposition, Treasure Planet gets a big Timeform rating for winning a dreadful race at Ludlow in both a poor time and a poor closing sectional, and he looks poor value, especially as he’s done most of his racing on a sound surface. Edelak won a maiden at the Curragh under Georgie Benson for Johnny Murtagh and has now joined the Dan Skelton team.

He should be well schooled now switching to hurdles, and is the one I worry about most.

2.40 William Hill Becher

Handicap Chase 3m 1f 188yd

The Becher is typically wide open and the pair I like both come from yards which have been struggling for winners of late, which doesn’t make for confident punting. Bioluminescence is the ideal type for this contest and, although she disappointed in the Irish Grand National last term, she looked a mare of some potential over fences earlier in the season.

A bold jumper with the class to beat Paggane in the Grade 2 Dawn Run Mares’ Novice Chase at Limerick just under a year ago, she is well suited to testing ground and her only disappointments have come at Fairyhouse’s Easter Festival in consecutive years. The problem is the form of the Gavin Cromwell yard, with the stable sending out 60 runners in the past fortnight, but just a solitary winner from that cohort.

The other yard I’d like to see in better form is that of Mel Rowley, but a winner at Wincanton on Thursday does give hope that her luck is beginning to turn, and Welsh Grand National winner Val Dancer is another who should relish the test offered by the Becher.

He was well beaten on his return at Carlisle (held by Galia Des Liteaux and Westerninthepark), but was eased when his chance was gone between the last two fences having shown prominently, and should come on for the outing. He’s fairly handicapped on the form that saw him win the Chepstow marathon a year ago and it may be worth chancing that his stable has now turned a significant corner.

3.15 William Hill Racing Bet Builder Handicap Hurdle 2m 4f

No bet for me in the finale, but there is a horse I want to keep a close eye on with the future in mind. Kepler’s Law has gone to Christian Williams this season and didn’t shape badly after a break at Bangor last month behind Lu’dor, only to take a backward step at Newbury last week on quicker ground. I thought Newbury might have come a bit quickly after a slog at Bangor, but the quick return here would suggest his poor effort must be put down to other factors. Perhaps Williams is confident he can bounce straight back, but it may be that he will go under the radar until the spring, and it barely needs mentioning that the Welsh handler sees a regular upturn in the stable’s fortunes when the spring sunshine takes effect.

Sandown Saturday

1.20 Pertemps Network

Handicap Hurdle (Qualifier) 2m 7f 103yd

Turndlightsdownlow is untested at three miles, but looks just the type to relish a test of stamina and gets the nod after winning a pair of two-mile, five-furlong handicaps at Kempton. The son of Court Cave was handed a lenient opening mark having made the frame at Cartmel and Fontwell on his first two starts under NH rules and, although raised 19lb for two wins, he still gets in here off bottom weight and will need to win at least once more even to get into the handicap for the series final at Cheltenham in March.

Turndlightsdownlow beat the in-form Sun Joy at Kempton last time and would have won by further still, but for running green in the straight having taken command on the home turn. He’s still very much a work in progress in his first season to race, and that should help him stay a step ahead of the handicapper. His dam Jennies Jewel was a good stayer on the flat (won Ascot Stakes) and over hurdles for Jarlath Fahey, and he looks to take after her in terms of style and stamina.

1.50 Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) 1m 7f 99yd

Plenty of people seemed underwhelmed with the chase debut of Lulamba at Exeter, but I thought it was an ideal introduction to fences in the circumstances and, although he got in a little tight to a couple, that tended to be what his rider wanted, and he was particularly clever in those instances. I believe the worst thing a horse can do on debut is to sail over every fence without breaking stride, as it teaches them nothing and when horses who are flawless first time eventually do meet a fence wrong, it can unnerve them. Lulamba was asked to do what Nico de Boinville wanted rather than what he wanted, and it struck me as an excellent schooling round all told.

We know what Lulamba is capable of over hurdles and he looks every inch a top-class chaser, and I loved his attitude when rallying for second in the Triumph Hurdle, showing he’s got the stomach for a fight as well as the looks for a portrait. He should be very hard to beat.

2.25 Bet At Your Best With Betfair Handicap Hurdle 1m 7f 216yd

The threat of further rain at Sandown means that the hurdles course in particular could get very testing and an ability to cope with the mud is essential; Knickerbockerglory fits the bill having beaten Nemean Lion in this very race on heavy ground last season, and he also ran very well (for the second time) in the Imperial Cup here in the spring.

His record after an absence is excellent and he was a last-minute defector from the Greatwood at Cheltenham last month, allowing him to line up here as fresh as possible. A 6lb higher mark is fair on balance and the more rain that falls, the better his chance will be.

3.00 Betfair Tingle Creek Chase (Grade 1) 1m 7f 99yd

Rain will also affect the chase course, but Andrew Cooper considered it mostly good yesterday, so it’s unlikely to turn into a bog, although nor will it be as quick as when Il Etait Temps won the Celebration Chase here in April. That is the best piece of recent form on offer, but the Mullins gelding is a little too short when all form is accounted for and his reappearance win in the Clonmel Oil Chase was solid rather than spectacular.

I’ve found myself having to rethink my view of L’Eau Du Sud who I thought we might have seen the best of as a novice, only for him to win easily in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham.

Sure, Jonbon wasn’t at his best there, but L’Eau Du Sud travelled supremely well before putting the race to bed in a smart time for the conditions, and he clearly has progressed again. Winner of the Henry VIII on this card 12 months ago, the track and ground won’t faze him and I don’t think he got enough credit for a breakthrough effort last time.

3.35 Betfair Exchange London National Handicap Chase 3m 4f 146yd

O’Connell hails from a yard in tremendous form and was a winner here last season on testing ground. He ran a most encouraging race on his return at Carlisle when the stable’s runners were still looking short of a run and this sound-jumping stayer looks a good bet to win a race that isn’t as strong as it looks at first glance.

Recommended

Bibe Mus 2.05 Aintree – 1pt win @ 4/1 (general)

Val Dancer 2.40 Aintree – 1pt e/w @ 14/1

Turndlightsdownlow 1.20 Sandown – 2pts win @ 13/2 (Hills, 6/1 general)

Knickerbockerglory 2.30 Sandown - 1pt win @ 9/4 (SkyBet, Bet365)

L’Eau Du Sud 3.00 Sandown – 2pts win @ 5/2 (general)