Going remains good to soft at Aintree after watering for day two of Grand National meeting

Your one-stop shop for Grand National festival news on Friday morning . . .

Major mover in Topham Chase

Fantastikas missed out on a place in the Grand National but has been heavily backed on Friday morning to strike over the Aintree fences in the day's big handicap, the Randox Supports Race Against Dementia Topham Handicap Chase (4.05).

He represents Nigel Twiston-Davies, who has won this race twice, and looks to be dangerously handicapped on his best form. He won off his current mark of 128 by seven and a half lengths in November 2021 and this is the first time he will have run off that rating since.

Fantastikas is now 14-1 (from 18-1) but was available at 33-1 with some firms on Thursday. There has also been noticeable support for Haut En Couleurs who is 9-1 (from 11-1) and Numitor 20-1 (from 25-1).

French Dynamite is the "most notable market mover" of the day for William Hill, who have shortened him to 15-2 from 10-1. He runs in the Marsh Chase (3.30), where Fakir D'Oudairies is a 7-4 favourite.

William Hill spokesperson Lee Phelps, said: “Business has been strong already ahead of day two at Aintree, with the most notable market mover being French Dynamite in the Melling Chase. Mouse Morris' charge is 15-2 from 10-1 for that contest. In the Topham, the one punters are latching onto is Fantastikas, who is 14-1 from 28-1.”

Paddy Power report the favourite still to be strong, having been clipped into 7-4 from 2-1 last night.

Paddy Power's Paul Binfield said: “Punters seem to think that Fakir D'Oudairies' bid for history by becoming the first horse to scoop the Marsh Chase three times will be successful. It’s amazing the way that he seems to thrive at Aintree in the spring and Joseph’s [O'Brien] horses ran well on the opening day with a win for Banbridge as well as a third [Nusret].”

Gerri Colombe has shortened at the top of the market for the opening EFT Systems Maghull Novices' Chase (1.45), and is now 4-7 (from 8-11).

Updated at 1.00pm

The big story

There is a place in Aintree history up for grabs for Fakir D'Oudairies. He seeks a hat-trick in this afternoon's headline event, the Marsh Chase (3.30), and he would be the first to achieve the feat.

Last season he joined the likes of Viking Flagship, Moscow Flyer and Voy Por Ustedes by defending the race, and the Joseph O'Brien-trained eight-year-old did it in tremendous style too.

Yet he arrives here with a question mark over his recent form, having been disappointing behind Shishkin in the Ascot Chase last time out while his previous win at Thurles was a bit of a gift as he looked held before leader Haut En Couleurs fell at the last.

The bookmakers make Fakir D'Oudairies favourite to bounce back. He takes on two top contenders from Paul Nicholls including the runner-up from 12 months ago, Hitman, and Pic D'Orhy, who had the better of the Irish challenger at Ascot in February.

Elsewhere, Gerri Colombe is touted as a Gold Cup contender for next season and looks to live up to his hype in the opening Air Charter Service Mildmay Novices' Chase (1.45). He is odds on to go one better than his narrow second to The Real Whacker at the Cheltenham Festival.

Young talents can emerge in the other two Grade 1 contests, with Luccia and Inthepocket among the big names in the Top Novices' Hurdle (2.55) and Stay Away Fay looking to complete a Cheltenham-Aintree double in the Winners Wear Cavani Sefton Novices' Hurdle (4.40).

The Grand National fences can be seen again at 4.05 with 29 runners on track for the Randox Supports Race Against Dementia Topham Handicap Chase. Fantastikas is the major market mover in that contest, being cut to 14-1 (from 20-1) this morning.

Posted at 8.30am

Going update: no change but track watered

The going on the Mildmay and National course remains good to soft for day two of the Grand National meeting but 4-5mm of water was placed on the track on Thursday night.

Race times across the day and comments from jockeys indicated the track was on the quicker side of good to soft on Thursday, but conditions were subject to praise, being hailed as "lovely spring ground" by Joseph O'Brien and "beautiful ground" by Mark Walsh.

It is forecast to stay sunny for most of the day but with a chance of a shower, which could add a further 2mm of moisture on the track.

Clerk of the course Sulekha Varma said on Friday morning: "We're good to soft all over and we watered last night. We might catch a shower today, when we looked last night there wasn't a lot in the forecast but there's perhaps just a slightly higher chance now. They're passing showers so we'll wait and see but otherwise we'll have plenty of sunny spells."

Varma said plans on whether to water tonight ahead of Grand National day would be made this evening.

Posted at 8.30am

Market movers

2.20
Fennor Cross 7-1 (from 9-1)

3.30
French Dynamite 13-2 (from 8-1)

4.05
Fantastikas 16-1 (from 20-1)
Numitor 20-1 (from 25-1)

4.40
Grey Dawning 6-1 (from 8-1)

5.15
Parramount 13-2 (from 8-1)

Updated at 1.00pm

Non-runners

2.20
Benson

2.55
Colonel Harry

4.05
Quel Destin

Updated at 11.00am

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