It’s the big one, the Aintree Grand National 2025 Day 3 Tips article with three horses to follow for the Grand National itself.
The Grand National holds so much history for many reasons, and although the race may have changed in its nature, it’s still a special spectacle to watch.
Like Cheltenham, there will probably be a few punters wishing they’d kept their hands in their pockets this week, but we keep kicking. Celtic Dino placed for the column in the finale on Friday, Handstands was given no chance in the opener, and the two big-priced fancies in the 2m4f handicap hurdle ran creditable races.
Still, we move.
Aintree Grand National 2025 Day 3 Tips
1:20 Aintree – William Hill Top Price Guarantee Handicap Hurdle – Bill Joyce @ 9/1 with William Hill (5 places) (1pt EW) & Whatcouldhavebeen @ 50/1 with William Hill (5 places) (0.5pt EW)
I’ve wanted to see Bill Joyce over three miles for a long time, so stepping up in distance here on his handicap debut is very interesting.
He impressed me greatly when winning the Grade 2 Winter Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown in December, and this is when I first thought he could be an Albert Bartlett type.
He further fueled these suspicions when finishing third in the Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle behind The New Lion at Christmas.
The improving six-year-old sat prominently, jumped well at speed, and handled the good to soft conditions well, and he stayed on through the line even when the subsequent Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Hurdle winner passed him.
Wenigo, the second, ran a fine race in the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle to further frank the form, and Regent’s Stoll finishing fourth sets a fine standard.
The ground is a small question mark, but his way of going about things suggests he can handle a fast-paced race, and the conditions at Newbury for the Challow were pretty decent, so I have hope he will be okay.
While he didn’t turn into an Albert Bartlett horse, he gets to run here in handicap company off 136, and the O’Neill’s did something similar with Johnnywho in last year’s renewal of this contest.
However, he’s not my only play as I’m taking a chance that Whatcouldhavebeen could be well-handicapped on this big stage.
She’s rated 137 and Aidan Kelly takes off 3lbs, and considering she ran in the Grade 1 Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown last season, that’s not a bad mark.
That race included Teahupoo, Home By The Lee, Buddy One, Franciscan Rock, and Asterion Forlonge, which is a good piece of form.
She also won a 2m6f handicap hurdle in April 2024 when beating O’Moore Park, now rated 140 over fences, when the cheekpieces were applied for the very first time off a mark of 128.
She has questions to ask on the ground, but she has the ability to win this.
3:05 Aintree – Grade 1 Ivy Liverpool Hurdle – Home By The Lee @ 13/2 with William Hill (1pt Win) & Buddy One @ 20/1 with Betfred (4 places) (1pt EW)
The Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle is open to having a play in it, and I’m doing so with two darts on Home By The Lee and Buddy One.
Starting with the former, his formlines alongside Bob Olinger now look quite smart after the Grade 1 Stayers’ Hurdle.
He beat him at Navan on his first start of the season in the Grade 2 Lismullen Hurdle before beating him by further in the Grade 1 Savills Hurdle.
He was hampered and taken out of the race in the Stayers’ on his first start for 75 days, so not only is he fresher than a few other Stayers’ Hurdle horses, but he should also come on for the spin at Cheltenham.
He has won on good ground before and his wins this season have come on yielding.
As for Buddy One, this is slightly sentimental, but there is a case to be made at a big price.
He won his chasing debut at Galway on good ground and also placed in a Grade 3 novice hurdle on the same ground, so tomorrow’s surface should cause no issues.
He ran a big race in the Stayers’ Hurdle last month considering he was slightly hampered by Crambo’s fall, and he found himself in a tight pocket coming down the hill.
I think he could have won last year’s Liverpool Hurdle if Jack Gilligan hadn’t kicked for home so early. While he has to reverse that form with Strong Leader, it’s not an impossible task.
These two look like solid plays.
4:00 Aintree – Randox Grand National Handicap Chase – Iroko @ 8/1 with Betfred, Hyland @ 18/1 with Betfred & Grangeclare West @ 28/1 with Betfred (7 places) – 0.5pt EW for all three
It’s the Grand National. 34 runners over 4m2f, so naturally, it’s hard to be overly confident on one.
The three I want to play start with Iroko who has been targeted at this race all season, and his performances have suggested this.
He began this season on a mark of 152, and that’s the rating he gets to run off at Aintree which is a positive.
His form with Grey Dawning got a boost in the Aintree Bowl and the form of last year’s Grade 1 Mildmay Novices’ Chase looks really good. The ground should be safe enough for him, so he is on the squad.
Hyland is one who will prefer these better conditions, and you can’t argue with his form alongside The Jukebox Man.
Even his victory over Transmission at Cheltenham in October looks good, and Hyland is a very slick jumper. He’ll sit prominently and ping them for fun.
Finally, Grangeclare West has that very interesting form line with Galopin Des Champs, Fact To File, and Inothewayurthinkin from the Irish Gold Cup.
He’s won on yielding ground at Punchestown in April 2023, and his successes over Heart Wood and Corbetts Cross in the early parts of his career are notable. He’s a big price, and Brian Hayes gets on well with him.
5:00 Aintree – Grade 1 Rosconn Group Maghull Novices’ Chase – Special Cadeau @ 20/1 with Betfred – 1pt EW
The Grade 1 Maghull Novices’ Chase brings the Arkle form under the spotlight, but I’m going away from it with Special Cadeau who is wildly interesting.
Hear me out. He didn’t win over hurdles or in bumpers for Willie Mullins or Henry de Bromhead, but he still showed some good form.
He finished a decent eighth at the 2023 Punchestown Festival to Ballyburn, Dancing City, Slade Steel, Chosen Witness, and Apple’s Of Bresil. He also finished third in a Leopardstown bumper to Fascile Mode and, more notably, Lecky Watson.
His best hurdles form is his second at Naas in April 2024 to Gorgeous Tom who went on to finish an eye-catching fourth in the Grade 1 Drinmore Novices’ Chase behind Croke Park, Firefox, and Heart Wood, the more notably name of the three.
Although he was sent off at odds of 66/1 at Thurles in February on his chasing debut, he won like a horse priced at much shorter odds. He switched off nicely in the middle of the field, made an eye-catching move around the bend, and kicked clear after a mistake at the last.
That came on good ground against some nice types like Westport Cove (Only By Night form), What’s Up Darling, and Mirazur West (Only By Night and Fun Fun Fun form).
I find it interesting that Envirogreen Housing Services Ltd, the owners of Gorgeous Tom, took the horse when Henry de Bromhead bought him for £25,000 at the sales. Did his run behind Gorgeous Tom at Naas give them a nudge to front up the money?
Anyway, after a lengthy case made, it will be difficult for him to win a Grade 1 on his second chase start, but he could just be the one to side with at a price in the conditions.
