Saturday 10th April:

#IWAC – CHAMPAGNE PLATINUM (1.45 Aintree) – This seven-year-old has run three nice races in handicaps so far this season, the first on return to action when beaten just over three-lengths at Newbury over the extended 2m4f on good ground off a mark of 137. He then finished a held second on ground that wouldn’t have suited at Haydock having gone up a pound and his most recent effort was when fifth in the Pertemps at last month’s festival, beaten just over seven-lengths off this mark of 139. This better ground will suit and I do think he’s definitely capable of winning off his current mark, he represents strong connections so I’m hoping this son of Stowaway can go well. Each-way terms are mostly five places with one bookmaker offering seven currently. (11/1) – Betfair – 0.5pt ew (5 places) – Lost (-1)

#IWAC – SNOW LEOPARDESS (4.15 Aintree) – She ran a good race oer 3m6f at the festival last month when weakening into fourth so this drop back in trip is a good move and this mark of 138 is well within her range, sitting only 3lb above the mark in which she was beaten just under a length off on penultimate start in the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby over 3m. Her form on good/good-to-soft reads well (3-1-3-1-1-4-2-2-9-1-3) so she’ll appreciate this surface and can hopefully go well at double-figure odds. She was a well held second back in October behind 150-rated Shan Blue but improved on her next two starts, winning both, and if able to produce that same level of form or better then she’s overpriced here with the champion jockey Brian Hughes back on board. (11/1) – William Hill – 0.5pt ew (4 places) – Lost (-1)

#IWAC – DISCORAMA (5.15 Aintree) – There’s a few I like in here which I’ll mention at the end but I’m siding with Paul Nolan’s eight-year-old on the back of wind surgery since his last run where he underperformed at Cheltenham back in November. He seems a horse who is best fresh having form figures of 1-1-2-2 after 100+ days off the track (this is his first run for 146 days). He was beaten half-a-length in the 2019 NH Chase at Cheltenham over the extended 3m7f with the pair a mile clear of the other finishers and a year later he was a close third in the 3m1f Ultima handicap off only a pound lower mark (beaten two-and-a-half-lengths). I’m hoping this even further stamina test will suit and despite his best form is on soft/heavy ground he has won on good previously, he jumps well and in the hope he gets a clear round then I’d be hoping he’ll be involved carrying just 10st6. From the others I think Kimberlite Candy (twice second in the Becher) can go well judged on an emphatic win in the Classic Chase (3m5f) at Warwick last year. Potters Corner has bags of stamina having won both the Midlands & Welsh version of this, he’s 4lb above the latter of those and though two poor efforts over hurdles this season first-time cheekpieces might eke out more improvement. Finally, Acapella Bourgeois was third in the Irish National 2019 when conceding 6lb to Burrows Saint and on his most recent start he gave 6lb again and a beating to that rival over the extended 3m1f at Fairyhouse and now is 7lb better off. He needs to prove he can stay the trip but at a bigger price he could be a bit of each-way value. (18/1) – Unibet – 0.5pt ew (6 places) – Lost (-1)

Stake: 3pts

April P/L: +9.2pts

Overall P/L (Sept ’17-present): +593.18pts