THE Randox Grand National is almost upon us.
But as well as Aintree’s big race at 4pm, there are three Grade 1s among the seven top class races on Saturday, so our top tipster Templegate brings you his Aintree placepot selections, with a stunning £500,000 guaranteed in the pot!
The Placepot is a bet where you select a horse to be placed in the FIRST SIX races of any meeting.
You can pick more than one horse in a race – you just multiply the number of selections in each race to calculate your stake. So for staking it’s 2x1x2x1x2x2 which adds up to 16 lines.
You can stake what you want upwards from 5p a line. 10p a line is £1.60 with our picks and so on.
Provided at least one in each race is placed, we get a payout!
- Get £20 in free bets and 50 free spins — claim here*
AINTREE SATURDAY PLACEPOT
LEG 1: Cuthbert Dibble, West Balboa
CUTHBERT DIBBLE clocked a big personal best when battling to line for third in the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham last time. He likes to go from the front and those tactics are much easier to pull off at Aintree. He showed his liking for a flatter track and soft ground when winning at Haydock in February and still looks on a fair weight.
WEST BALBOA won this last year and has been teed up for a repeat by the Skeltons. She wasn’t asked too many questions at Kempton last time and should be spot on now from 5lb higher than 12 months ago.
LEG 2: Caldwell Potter, Brighterdaysahead
CALDWELL POTTER was transferred to current connections – including Sir Alex Ferguson – for almost three-quarters of a million quid and can repay a chunk of that fee here. New trainer Paul Nicholls wanted him to settle in at the yard rather than run at Cheltenham and this has been the target. He was the easy winner of a Grade 1 for Gordon Elliott at Leopardstown at Christmas and likes some cut in the ground. He looks all stamina so this longer trip should be ideal.
BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD went close in the Dawn Run at Cheltenham and is another who will prefer this trip. That race turned into a bit of a sprint and she will get more time to hit top gear today.
LEG 3: Forward Plan, The King Of Ryhope
FORWARD PLAN looked a real battler when winning in good company at Kempton last time out in February. He finished strongly in the soft ground and a 4lb rise in the weights won’t stop Anthony Honeyball’s improver.
THE KINGOF RYHOPE might have won an Ascot Grade 2 when last seen but for clattering into the final fence. He relished the step up to three miles there and swerved Cheltenham with this race in mind.
How to claim..
Tote special offer
- Visit the Tote website HERE*
- Register a brand new account using the Promo Code: B5G20PLUS50FS
- Deposit and stake at least £5 on horse racing at Aintree
- Once that’s settled, you will be rewarded with £20 in free bets
- You will also receive 50 free spins to spend on the online game Big Bass Bonanza
Get £20 in free bets and 50 free spins — claim here*
LEG 4: Crambo, Sire Du Berlais
CRAMBO has shown his best form is on flat tracks so it’s no shock that he didn’t enjoy Cheltenham in the Stayers’ Hurdle last time. He was impressive the last time he ran here in October and landed Grade 1 honours in the Long Walk at Ascot. He doesn’t mind some cut in the ground and can show his true colours here.
SIRE DU BERLAIS has won the past two runnings of this and came from too far back when fifth in the Stayers’. His track form warrants respect despite his advancing years.
LEG 5: Panda Boy, Mr Incredible, Delta Work
PANDA BOY can go close in the Grand National. He stays well as he showed in last year’s Irish version and has had his entire campaign framed around today. Some cut in the ground suits and he has a nice low weight.
MR INCREDIBLE just jumps and stays which is what you want for a soft-ground National. He went well in the Midlands version last time and will be boxing on at the finish.
DELTA WORK has been placed in the race before and comes here nice and fresh after his race at the Cheltenham Festival was abandoned.
LEG 6: Found A Fifty
FOUND A FIFTY was clear best of the race behind the brilliant Gaelic Warrior in the Arkle and the form was franked by Il Etait Temps scoring here on Thursday. He likes some cut in the ground, jumps well and can go from the front which all suits Aintree.
Get £20 in free bets and 50 free spins — claim here*
*New customers online only. Only valid with code B5G20PLUS50FS on registration. £5 min stake (if EW then min £5 Win + £5 Place). Receive £20 Tote Credit and 50 Free Spins on selected game within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. 7-day expiry. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool bet added to the bet-slip. Valid up to 7 days after registration. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry, or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk