By Tony Calvin - 8 April 2026
I was surprised when I was reminded that I had £20 each way on Monty’s Star at 33s on February 3rd – that was welcome news to me – but I am glad I went in two months early, albeit not to big stakes obviously, as I still like his chances.
He is available at 16s, six places, and that’ll do for me.
Mind you, I quite like 33 others in here, too…
Granted, we are dealing with a horse who hasn’t won since December 2023 and the last time he ran in a handicap off this mark he finished a 41-length 14th to Panic Attack in the old Hennessy at Newbury in November.
But, as with a few in here, all roads this season have led to this race (shock horror) and he has the Grade 1 class to figure.
He finished fourth in the Gold Cup last season and he also shaped very well when fifth in the Savills Chase this term, and his run in the Irish Gold Cup last time was a clear stepping-stone to this race.
At least I hope it was. He certainly went too hard in front, was still there fighting it out turning in with Fact To File, and paid for it late on.
I thought that run was highly encouraging.
The handicapper certainly hasn’t let him in lightly off 159 here but this is D-Day for a class performer, and I was quite surprised to see the 2024 Brown Advisory runner-up was only a 9yo.
Let’s hope I am not tweeting out the famous Monty line from Withnail And I after the race if he gets chinned close home….
His trainer Henry De Bromhead hasn’t exactly been knocking it out of the park all season, and of late, but he won a Grade 1 here on Thursday and I am not going to let stable form deter me from a modest press-up from that forgotten February flutter.
In Henry we trust, as my second bet in the race is his Gorgeous Tom at 28s each way (one firm offering that price are going seven places, to be fair).
He ran a lot better than his stablemate when an 11-length fourth to Panic Attack at Newbury in November and he is another horse that I have liked for a while, though he let me down when I had a fair few quid on him in last year’s Brown Advisory, though I guess he ran okay in fourth.
He had earlier caught the eye when a strong-finishing length fourth in a bunch finish to the 2m4f Grade 1 Drinmore and he ran respectably when fifth at Leopardstown last month.
You can argue that his run-style suggests he is a probable non-stayer here but if they go from the front with him, or near the pace, and get him into a good jumping rhythm, brushing through the fences, then the 8yo could give you a decent run or your money.
I reckon he will love this ground, too. It is still quickening up despite the watering, according to the updated Friday morning stick readings (5.3 from 4.9).
I am certainly not going mad stakes-wise, but my final interest in the race will be Willie Mullins’ Grangeclare West at the general 10s.
He obviously would have gone close to winning but for taking the last home with him in the race last year, eventually finishing a 3-length third, and I give him a favourite’s chance coming here in good form on just a 3lb higher mark.
He ran a near career-best when seeing off Gerri Colombe and Stellar Story at Fairyhouse last time despite walking through the last – you can get away with these sorts of errors around these fences these days, which is disappointing and welcome in equal measure I suppose – and I’d have him heading my market at a couple of points shorter than 10s.
If you want to back just one, I’d probably say Grangeclare West as he is the most solid, albeit his price reflects that. He should be favourite (I can see Panic Attack going off at 20s+ on the exchange, by the way – he says, guessing wildly) and rates as my most likely winner.
But I do like Monty, and I have had my biggest bet on him. He is still [17.5] win-only at 5.38pm.
SATURDAY MORNING BETTING UPDATE: Panic Attack and Jagwar are the two shorteners at the top of the market, into 8s and 17/2 respectively. Grangeclare West is strong enough at 10s too (that may come under pressre soon), and I Am Maximus weakish, but outside of that I couldn’t see much.
Monty’s Star at 16/1 each way
Gorgeous Tom at 28/1 each way
Grangeclare West at 10/1 each way
It always worries me when a race has a very good each-way shape to but has just eight runners, so one withdrawal in the next 24 hours and the whole bet goes to shite in an instant.
I suppose you could argue that this eight-runner contest is not actually a good each-way race as, despite the terror of a withdrawal, none of the seven horses against the [5/6] favourite Salvator Mundi are deadwood, even the outsider King Of Kingsfield.
But I am very keen to get with 5s chance Mighty Bandit here at some stage.
He initially looked a joke buy at 420,000 euros at the 2024 Caldwell dispersal sale but Warren Greatrex has belatedly got a brilliant tune out of the horse this season, and he looked Grade 1 material to my eye when making all to win high, wide and handsome at Doncaster last time.
Granted, this is a completely different ball game , and he has four pace rivals for the lead, but I joked to Greatrex that he should have considered supplementing the horse for the Arkle after the Doncaster win.
Actually, I wasn’t joking, I meant it.
But he has wisely played the waiting game, bypassing Cheltenham, and he could reap the benefits here with an improving and fresh horse etc etc.
However, I am going to leave it late before betting, so I have to suggest you do, too.
If all eight do go, fellow 5s poke, the mare Kala Conti getting 7lb from all her seven rivals, is perhaps an equally good each-way stab against a favourite with a fair bit more to prove than odds-on quotes suggests. He certainly does not have a bomb-proof profile.
A favourite to take on in my book and you can lay him around [10/11] at the moment.
I have done.
SATURDAY MORNING BETTING UPDATE: Salvator Mundi is out to 11/10 with AKBets, the best price around, including on Betfair. Kala Conti has been cut from 5s to 3s.
A full field of 22 for this 3m+ handicap hurdle (see balloted out lists below) and it is obviously choc full of depth, with the market headed by a somewhat unsavoury Pertemps winner perhaps, Supremely West, upped 9lb for the decisive Cheltenham success.
He could go in again, but I am happy to look elsewhere.
The price on Fortune Timmy has rather evaporated at a current 7s (he was still 25s early on Tuesday afternoon before the Sporting Life’s excellent Andrew Asquith put him up) so I am zoning in on Get On George at 20s.
That is available in two spots as this race preview goes live at 12.28pm on Friday (one are offering six places) but I’d say the 18s and 16s are fine, too.
I chucked a few quid on him at a price in the 3m River Don but he ran no sort of race after being sent off at 9s – he was beaten at halfway, so it was a mystifyingly bad effort – but there was a lot more to like in his strong-finishing second of 17 in the EBF Final over 2m4f at Sandown last time.
He had no chance with the impressive and hugely progressive winner Scorpio Rising (who runs in the following Grade 1 novice) but he clearly excelled to take care of the rest in a race run in a very good time, and I think a 4lb rise for that effort is very fair.
Certainly, I think this lightly-raced 6yo is overpriced at 20s here and I am very happy to back him each-way with extra places available.
On run-style this step back up in trip will surely suit (he was beaten too far out in the River Don for stamina to have been an issue) and he rates a decent win and place bet.
SATURDAY MORNING BETTING UPDATE: Supremely West is out to 9s (and 11s on Betfair) and the shorteners are Hold The Serve and Kaka’s Cousin at 4s and 9/2 respectively. My 20-1 dart Get On George is into 9s.
Came From Nowhere is a NR as at 6.04am (going).
I know you have to factor in the unknown Cheltenham to Aintree route – and the stable’s Fred Winter runner-up Winston Junior ran very flat here on Thursday – but Lord Byron stood out to me at 22s, four places, in this race.
He may well drift looking at the current exchange price of 33s+, though. So look for bigger prices maybe.
The only 4yo in the race, he gets a healthy 10lb age allowance and that must be a huge positive to his chance, as is the fact that the level of his Triumph Hurdle fifth is not far off the form showed by the likes of Ballyfad, Soldier Reeves and a couple of others rated 146+.
There is a fair bit of stamina in his pedigree too, and he ran well over 1m6f on the Flat on one of his only two starts in that sphere, so I would be pretty hopeful the step up to 2m4f will suit.
It’s a deep Grade 1, albeit one that lacks a stand-out, but I give him a much better chance than 22s, four places, offers from a betting perspective.
Is there any other perspective?
SATURDAY MORNING BETTING UPDATE: I couldn’t see a lot of activity here. There is nothing between Ballyfad and Bossman Jack at around the 3s mark.
Mr Hope Street looks the latest cab off the rank (I’m saying nothing) and he is the [3/1] favourite in this 15-runner handicap chase.
We lost three in this race when two were redirected to the Grand National on Thursday, followed by Myretown coming out with an abscess on Friday, so that has obvious each-way considerations.
And Stolen Silver is out as at 7.12am on Saturday with a bruised foot, and Ain’t That A Shame is out due to the going.
Mr Hope Street really does look exceptionally well-treated off 130 on his 6 1/4-length third to The Jukebox Man and Iroko over 2m5f at Haydock in November, and he had his third chase start at Sandown last month to tee him up for this race.
In that Haydock race, he may have been getting 11lb from The Jukebox Man and 8lb from Iroko, but he shaped very (very very) well in third and the winner is now rated 168 and the runner-up 156.
The step up to 3m1f for the first time over fences should suit this 3m hurdles winner, and he could take a great deal of whacking if jumping adequately.
But I couldn’t bring myself to back him at the current price of 3s. Too short at the moment, but you want to not lose if/when he wins.
If you wanted an each-way alternative to the favourite then maybe Uncle Bert could be the one at 20s with the extra place/s.
I’ve had a dabble.
We haven’t seen him since he disappointed at Cheltenham in January but he goes well around here as a December course winner and he has two seasonal reappearance wins on his dance card.
He won over this trip over hurdles, and he has untapped potential over it over fences. And the 5lb claimer on board looks well worth the allowance (16 per cent winning strike rate this season), not something you can say all the time about these inexperienced pilots.
SATURDAY MORNING BETTING UPDATE: Mr Hope Street is weakish at 7/2. My half-lean Uncle Bert is 14s from 20.
I thought this Aintree Hurdle was exceptionally tricky , full of question marks, and I was not inclined to force a bet.
But I was half-tempted by Take No Chances at 28s.
There is actually 28s, four places, out there but I salute you if you can access that.
Or should that be kneel? Not before Zod, but Denise.
If you can, do. I had to make do with a very small interest at 25s.
She has run okay over 2m4f on her last two starts but her previous form over 3m gives the mare place claims here, getting that 7lb sex allowance from the males.
She ran well when third to Lossiemouth and Wodhooh over 2m4f at this meeting last year but her third to Impose Toi and Strong Leader in a Grade 2 at Newbury over this trip earlier in the season, from miles off the pace, struck me as a very promising effort.
On another day, with a stronger ride closer to the pace, she could well have gone close to winning.
But it’s a hard race to call, this.
SATURDAY MORNING BETTING UPDATE: A feature of Aintree this week have been static morning markets. Nothing going on here with Honesty Policy heading the market at 11/4.
A maximum field of 20 to round off the meeting, and this bumper will get lost in the post Grand National celebrations/commiserations.
Cheltenham third Bass Hunter (that horse sounds like Oli Bell going round searching for unattended skirt in the disco on the Social Stable) is the clear form and time choice and is priced accordingly at [9/4], but it is not as if there aren’t any number of unexposed horses ranged against him.
These bumpers have never held any punting attraction for me and, if I was at Aintree on Saturday, I’d be aiming to watch this race in a central Liverpool boozer after a quick dart after the Nash.
Or maybe in a central Liverpool boozer, not watching it….
Good luck.
SATURDAY MORNING BETTING UPDATE: It’s 7/4 Bass Hunter (from 9/4) and 7/2 Look Me, and 12s bar.
Get On George each way at 20/1 in 1.20pm (18s and 16s acceptable – get best place/price terms your accounts allow)
MILDMAY Course: Good to soft, good in places (Going stick – Hurdles: 5.4; Chase: 5.0 – Saturday 8.30am)
NATIONAL Course – Good to soft (Going stick 5.0 – Saturday 9.30am)
Saturday course update: 0.4mm rain Sun, 0.2mm Thurs, 1.2mm so far overnight Friday into Saturday. Forecast: Showers developing early hours of Saturday morning (2-5mm), clearing mid-morning for a partly sunny day. Slight chance of a further shower mid-afternoon.
Watering: Watered last Thursday (8-10mm), Friday (5-6mm), Sat morning (5-6mm), Mon (8-10mm), Tues (8-10mm), Wed (6-8mm). 5mm applied to the course after racing on Thursday. 5mm applied to the whole course after racing on Friday.
Latest yr.no forecast (8am Saturday): 8.9mm Saturday (starts 6pm though)
1.20pm: Serious Chat, Turndlightsdownlow, Hartington, Catchintsavo, Go To War, Ike Sport, Irandando Has, A Perfect Day, Hamsiyann, Flying Fortune, Masked Dance, Lord Snootie, El Capitaine, Elysian Knight, Kepler’s Law, Coumeenoole, Bollin Thou, Gwennie May Star
2.30pm: U Cant Be Serious, Fortunate Man, Hold Your Fort, Erne River, Kelce
4pm: Soul Icon, Hyland, Anyway, The Short Go, In d’Or, Ain’t That A Shame, Deep Cave, Buddy One
5pm: It’s Good To Talk, Sea Tempest
Gordon Elliott cheekpieces; King Of Kingsfield, 12.45pm; 32-258 (since 2016)
Ben Pauling cheekpieces; No Questions Asked, 12.45pm; 11-90 (2016)
William Durkan visor; Eagle Fang; 1.20pm; 1-1 (2026( Sporting Hero 12-1
Gary Hanmer cheekpieces; Minella Rescue. 1.20pm; 1-16 (2017)
Olly Murphy blinkers; Wade Out, 1.20pm; 3-42 (2017)
Faye Bramley, visor; Glenglouly, 3.05pm; 0-0 (No Ordinary Joe wears a first-time visor on Friday)
Greenall and Guerriero, cheekpieces; Jagwar, 4pm; 3-38 (2022)
Robert Stephens hood; Barachiel, 5pm; 1-22 (2014)
12.45pm: Alnilam, Be Aware, Mighty Bandit, Mirabad, Salvator Mundi
1.20pm : Absolutely Doyen (prom), Push The Button, Kikijo (prom), Fortune Timmy, Quantum Quest, Kaka’s Cousin
1.55pm : Ballyfad, Kosac d’Oudairies, Masked Man, Rooster Crowing
2.30pm : Leave Of Absence (prom), Lookaway, Konfusion, Amirite, Cruz Control, Uncle Bert, Josh The Boss, Glengouly – Imperial Saint and Amirite are NRs , as they are going to run in the Grand National, and Myretown is out too as at 10.18am (abscess) on Friday. Stolen Silver is out, too.
3.05pm: Hewick, Jingko Blue, Strong Leader (prom) – Happy Jacky is a NR (travel)
4pm : Haiti Couleurs, Firefox, Spanish Harlem, Favori De Champdou (prom), Oscars Brother, Mr Vango, High Class Hero, Stellar Story, Beauport, Gorgeous Tom, The Real Whacker, Answer To Kayf, Panic Attack, Top Of The Bill, Twig – Nick Rockett is a NR as at 9.35am on Thursday (NR) and Pied Piper is a NR, too – Spillane’s Tower now also out at 4.59pm on Thursday
5pm: Bass Hunter, Governors Rock, Merry Away, One Knight, Ronnie Russet, Smile John Boy
Good: Dan Skelton, Nicky Henderson, Paul Nicholls, Emmet Mullins, Olly Murphy, Jamie Snowden, Terence O’Brien (two winners from six runners), Chris Gordon, Donald McCain (winner on Friday), Martin Keighley (small sample), Tom Lacey (small sample), Emma Lavelle, Neil King (having a great season and a Grade 1 winner on Friday), Joseph O’Brien (12-1, 7-2 and 5-4 winners at Gowran on Flat on Wednesday and winners on Thursday and Friday, so his poor run prior to that has well and truly stopped), William Durkan (very small sample, but last two runners has won, including in last here on Friday)
Fair: Warren Greatrex, Faye Bramley, Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott (Grade 1 double on Thursday), Henry De Bromhead (Grade 1 winner on Thursday), Ben Pauling, Joe Tizzard, Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies, Jonjo and AJ O’Neill (Friday winner), Gavin Cromwell (winner on Friday), Anthony Honeyball (4-5 winner on Wednesday), Hobbs and White, Tony Martin, Rebecca Curtis, Patrick Neville, Killahena and McPherson, Christian Williams (fair/good), Gary Hanmer, Mark Walford, Rebecca Menzies, Mel Rowley, M Seror, Mark Fahey, Fergal O’Brien, Jedd O’Keeffe, Alan King, Parkinson and Smith, Russell and Scudamore, Neil Mulholland (going along nicely)
Moderate: Jane Williams (5-2 winner on Tuesday stemmed the ride though, so probably more fair), Greenall and Guerriero, Ciaran Murphy (last runner came second), Alastair Ralph, Nick Kent, Shark Hanlon, David Evans (last runner beaten a neck), Laura Morgan, Georgina Nicholls (small sample), Jeremy Scott
Don’t know: Connor King, Sara Bradstock, Paul John Gilligan, Tom Ellis, Hugo Merienne, Debra Hamer (one winner; one runner), Robert Stephens (3-1 winner on Thursday though), Ruth Jefferson (one winner; three runners)
4pm Grand National – Monty and Tom for Henry, or Clare for Willie? Monty –…
FRIDAY MORNING BETTING UPDATE – very little happening again but Sober Glory continues to go…
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