Saturday tips: Ross Millar provides a race-by-race guide for Aintree's undercard

Aintree isn’t all about the Grand National as there are six other contests full of equine talent set to please onlookers on Saturday.

Our horse racing writer Ross Millar has provided a race-by-race guide for Aintree’s undercard.

1.45 Aintree, 3m½f handicap hurdle

Winter Fog is sure to be popular after his creditable fourth in the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham. However, I felt he was doing all his best work up the hill late on so the switch to this easier track might not suit him.

Topweight Beauport was the recipient of a good ride from 3lb conditional Jordan Nailor last time, but he is 6lb higher as a result of that win which makes things tougher.

The selection is Dans Le Vent, who is a favourite of mine. A flat track three miles on a sound surface offers him his ideal conditions, while the long home straight will allow Isabel Williams the option of picking her way through the field. 

He’s still feasibly handicapped off a mark of 141 and has a big 12lb pull at the weights with Beauport from their Sandown clash, where he was beaten seven lengths on ground that would have been softer than ideal. 

Selection: Dans Le Vent @ 14

2.25 Aintree, 2m4f Mersey Novices’ Hurdle

Three Stripe Life has the best form in this field. He chased home Sir Gerhard at the Dublin Racing Festival and again in the Ballymore Hurdle at Cheltenham, but his trainer, Gordon Elliott, is experiencing a poor run of form with just one winner from 85 runners and that puts me off taking a short price.

Walking On Air possibly lacks the required experience for this test, but he is clearly held in some regard by connections and was visually impressive when winning in a canter at Newbury on his hurdling debut. 

That came over two miles, but given that his dam, Refinement, was a stout stayer over three miles (won a handicap at this meeting in 2006), this step up in distance should suit. The lack of experience is a concern, but I hope his class will more than compensate for it.

Selection: Walking On Air @ 5.2

3.00 Aintree, 2m Maghull Novices’ Chase

Edwardstone is the clear form pick after putting in an impressive display to win the Arkle at Cheltenham. If it wasn’t for being brought down on his seasonal debut, he could well hold an unbeaten record this season.

The Skelton team will be hoping that arriving here with a fresh Third Time Lucki, who bypassed Cheltenham, will help them find the five lengths they need to reverse the form of the Kingmaker Chase at Warwick. It is a possibility, especially if Cheltenham has taken the edge off the Arkle winner. 

But Alan King has managed Edwardstone’s season brilliantly and I fully expect him to take all the beating.

Selection: Edwardstone @ 1.63

3.35 Aintree, 3m½f Liverpool Hurdle

The stayers’ hurdling division has had a messy look to it all season with few of the main protagonists being able to string two good runs together. Flooring Porter showed himself to be both pacey and stamina-laden at Cheltenham when he won under a tactically-astute ride from Danny Mullins.

The presence of Ashdale Bob might stop them getting an uncontested lead this time but, providing Flooring Porter settles in behind, it shouldn’t pose too many problems. Thyme Hill and Champ look to have it all to do to reverse the Stayers’ Hurdle form and I see no logical reason why they will. 

Flooring Porter (middle): can complete a Cheltenham and Aintree double

At a big price, I could make a case for Koshari getting closer to Flooring Porter this time as he possibly didn’t handle Cheltenham and was most inconvenienced by the tactical nature of the race.

Selection: Flooring Porter @ 2.8

4.15 Aintree, 3m1f handicap chase

Shan Blue has been installed as a relatively short-priced favourite for trainer Dan Skelton, who has long insisted that he’s a Grade 1 horse. If that is true, a mark of 148 is a gift.

However, I’m not so sure. He took a crunching fall at Wetherby in the Charlie Hall, resulting in him missing most of the season, before failing to impress when well beaten in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham. He was out the back of the tele on this card last year and, while I can see the potential, I want to oppose him.

Christian Williams has his team in fine order and has fairly harvested the staying handicap chases since the turn of the year. Cap Du Nord was an impressive winner of the Coral Trophy and an 8lb rise doesn’t look overly harsh, especially given that Kitty’s Light has since franked the form when finishing runner-up in the Scottish National. He’ll love this good ground on a galloping track and can go very close.

Selection: Cap Du Nord @ 9.6

6.20 Aintree, 2m1f bumper

I have loved Henri The Second ever since he hacked up on his debut at Chepstow. He showed a huge engine on that occasion to win despite showing signs of greenness.

He followed that up with an all-the-way victory at Ascot in a race that has worked out really well - the second, Authorized Speed, won on his next start and then finished fifth in the Champion Bumper, while third-home Top Dog won a Listed contest next time out.

Rain would aid his cause and quicker ground would be a concern, but he remains the pick.

Selection: Henri The Second @ 7.4

Recommended bets

Dans Le Vent (1.45 Aintree) @ 14
Walking On Air (2.25 Aintree) @ 5.2
Edwardstone (3.00 Aintree) @ 1.63
Flooring Porter (3.35 Aintree) @ 2.8
Cap Du Nord (4.20 Aintree) @ 9.6
Henri The Second (6.20 Aintree) @ 7.4