Aintree Day 2 Tips: Fox Norton can land the big one on Ladies Day

Friday is Ladies Day at Aintree and while the party breaks out in the stands we’re hoping today’s tips will have you dancing your own merry jig.

Defi Du Seuil and Buveur D’Air both justified favourtism on the Grand Opening Day but you would’ve needed deep pockets to get too heavily involved.

But now the show moves on and there’s a very competitive card to look forward to.

An intriguing 2m4f handicap hurdle gets us underway at 13:40 with tentative vote given to course and distance winner Geordie Des Champs.

He endured a horror show when last seen at Warwick in January but the six-year-old’s previous form read 11112 before that and he’s worth an each-way dabble.

We’re swerving Moon Racer for Supreme Novices’ Hurdle-third River Wylde in the Grade 1 Top Novices’ Hurdle.

That Supreme form is open to question but we’re still not convinced by David Pipe’s charge, especially after being pulled up in the Champion Hurdle last time out.

While we’re on the subject of the Cheltenham Festival, there’s a fascinating re-match in store when RSA Chase winner Might Bite and Whisper line-up in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase.

We sided with the latter at a nice price and thought we’d nabbed it when Might Bite started to veer off course.

However, credit where it’s due. The Nicky Henderson-trained winner got up for an incredible victory and he can get the job done again. Here’s hoping this call won’t come back to bite us…

Fox Norton, as the headline alludes to, is our pick in the feature race of the day.

Colin Tizzard’s seven-year-old has hit the woodwork on each of his last two appearances but this is his big chance to take Grade 1 honours in the Melling Chase.

He had the re-opposing God’s Own over seven lengths behind when narrowly going down in the Champion Chase and we can’t see those placings being reversed.

The aforementioned Henderson has a superb record in the Topham Chase and it’d be silly not to side with the Seven Barrows saddler and his mount Gold Present.

We’re paying an extra place with 1/5 odds available at 5 places.

Henderson’s Festival runner-up looks set to fill one of those while it would be no surprise to see the seven-year-old claim a fourth renewal win in five years for his handler.

The same trainer also fields Constantine Bay in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at 16:40. He was badly hampered in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham but still plugged on for fourth.

A few of the market leaders have questions to answer over this trip so another each-way bet is the suggestion here.

And in the lucky last we think Black Op, a winner over market fancy Claimantakinforgan last time out, is the value bet.

Here’s our full list of tips for day two of the 2017 Grand National Festival.

13:45 – Geordie Des Champs EW

14:20 – River Wylde

14:50 – Might Bite

15:25 – Fox Norton

16:05 – Gold Present EW

16:40 – Constantine Bay EW

17:15 – Black Op

Want more?

Check out today’s NAP, Lucky 15 and get the lowdown from our mystery tipster, Barry The Scoop by visiting our main Horse Racing page.

And click here for the latest Aintree odds.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing