RACHAEL BLACKMORE is back with a strong book of rides on day two of the Grand National Festival.
The Betfair ambassador – who enjoyed a nice winner on Dancing On My Own on day one – goes through her runners below.
Betfair ambassador Blackmore has another strong book of runners on day two at Aintree
2.20 – Martello Sky
Martello Sky is a lovely spare ride to pick up in the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle.
She is usually Bryony Frost’s ride, but Bryony is riding Irish Hill for Paul Nicholls, so it was nice to pick up the spare.
Martello Sky hasn’t won yet this season, but she finished second to Love Envoi in a listed mares’ hurdle at Sandown in January and she finished third behind Epatante in a Grade 2 race at Doncaster in February.
That was over two miles. She should appreciate the step back up to two and a half here.
She hasn’t run in a handicap since December 2021, when she won a mares’ handicap hurdle at Cheltenham off a mark of 140.
She is down to a mark of 137 now, and she could run well off that mark.
2.55 – Inthepocket
Inthepocket ran very well in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.
He travelled well for me and he kept on well to finish fourth, just over six lengths behind Marine Nationale.
This looks like a very competitive race, as you would expect for a Grade 1, but none of the first three home in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle are running.
Noble Yeats was a 50-1 winner of the National last year but he’s carrying a lot more weight this time round
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Inthepocket seems to have come out of Cheltenham well. I think that he is a horse with a big future, he has lots of potential.
He travels well and he jumps well and I hope that he can run a big race.
4.05 – Upping The Anti
I’m really looking forward to riding Upping The Anti in the Topham Chase. I think that he should take to the fences.
He was up at The Curragh the other day, schooling over the Aintree fences, along with Henry’s other two horses in the race, and they all schooled well.
He was unlucky to be brought down at the second last fence in the Carrickmines Handicap Chase at Leopardstown on his penultimate run, when I thought that he was going to go well.
We were just behind the winner Lieutenant Command at the time, and I hadn’t gone for him yet.
He ran well the last day too behind Flame Bearer in the Grade 3 Pierce Molony Memorial Novice Chase at Thurles.
He was no match for Flame Bearer, but Flame Bearer won the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Fairyhouse on Sunday, and Upping The Anti stayed on well to take second place behind him.
Hopefully he will take to the fences. You never know for sure until they jump them, but I think that he will take to them all right.
He has the right profile for the race, he is still on an upward curve, and hopefully he can get a little bit of luck in-running.
