Jake Price’s Grand National Opening Day Tips

The NAP on Day 1 of the Aintree Festival is comes in the Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle, where I fancy Impaire et Passe.

This 6yo was a very good winner of the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, and afterwards went on to Punchestown and backed up in the 2m3½f Grade 1 there too. This season he's had a bit more of a mixed campaign, but he started it off well when finishing second to Teahupoo at Fairyhouse.

Since then, he's twice been behind State Man in Grade 1s over the bare two miles but stepping back up to 2m4f at Aintree is surely going to see him to best effect, and I think he'll take a lot of beating under Paul Townend for Willie Mullins.

I wouldn't normally be rushing to back something in the Foxhunters, but this year I think that Annamix has a great chance for Willie Mullins.

This 11-year-old has been around the block a fair few times now, but most notably in 2022 he finished third over the Grand National fences in the Topham - a particularly pleasing effort considering he was sent off 50/1. He has plied his trade in Hunters chases more recently and has made a good fist of it, but I do doubt how strong a stayer he is over 3m trips, especially up against the better types.

2m5f over these National fences should be perfect, however, and he's in good form having won by 10 lengths at Gowran on his latest start.

He's taken a few starts to acclimatise to life in Britain, but I think that Sans Bruit has a good chance in the Red Rum.

The 6yo joined Paul Nicholls from David Cotton in France, where he was a six times winner including at Grade 3 level. Since moving to England, he's had a few spins over Hurdles, but 10 days ago he made his British Chase debut and ran a cracker - travelling powerfully but just getting beaten after the last by the progressive Prince Quali, who gained all sorts of momentum over the final flight.

If he can build on that performance here, he looks to have strong claims off 130, as we know he stays further and can handle Heavy ground.