Aintree Thursday preview: The big questions

So Brighterdaysahead and Lossiemouth among those in against Constitution Hill in the Aintree Hurdle. How do you see the Grade One at this stage?

Andrew Asquith: I’d still be very much in the Constitution Hill camp. He proved he’s a horse who retains all of his ability when two-and-a-half lengths too good for Lossiemouth in the Christmas Hurdle before breezing home at Cheltenham on Trials Day. He was a strong favourite to regain his Champion Hurdle crown at the Cheltenham Festival last time but made a very rare jumping lapse when coming down at the fifth flight.

Constitution Hill was still travelling powerfully at the time of his departure and reportedly has come away from that fall all good. The step up to two-and-a-half miles poses new questions, but he is a horse who has bundles of class, and this longer trip round Aintree on a likely sound surface shouldn’t pose any problems for him. He’s still the best hurdler around and I fully expect him to quickly get back on the up.

Matt Brocklebank: The Champion Hurdle was a complete anticlimax – unless you were connected to Golden Ace, of course – but Nicky Henderson was adamant he had Constitution Hill right back to his best and ready to put on a show heading into the Festival. Now he has to come out and prove the point against Lossiemouth over what looks to be her optimum trip which won’t be simple. It’s not the sort of race I’ll be punting in but I can’t see Brighterdaysahead winning and don’t really have any issues with the market and Constitution Hill being an odds-on favourite.

David Ord: It's the same question we were hoping Constitution Hill would answer at Cheltenham. Is he really as good as he once was? It's still a pass, despite the bullish noises from home, and now he has the fall and a bad mistake at the last when winning the Unibet Hurdle on Trials Day on the CV. The case for the prosecution can also point to the fact he was hardly spectacular when beating Sharjah in this race in 2023. Look, I think he'll win, but won't be backing him at odds-on and I can see why connections of the two mares are ready to take him on.

Grey Dawning in the Bowl alongside many of the expected names and Gaelic Warrior. Early thoughts?

AA: Reportedly Gaelic Warrior needs soft or heavy ground to be seen to best effect, so I wouldn’t be so keen on his chance, while he also arrives with something to prove. It’s hard to argue with the claims of Grey Dawning following his smooth Kelso success, where he jumped superbly and put Iroko to the sword some way out, but if there is one in the Bowl who we are yet to see the best of then I think it’s Spillane’s Tower.

He enjoyed an excellent first season over fences, culminating in a Grade 1 victory at the Punchestown Festival, and he was better than ever when splitting Fact To File and Galopin des Champs in the John Durkan on his return. That is excellent form and he is well worth another chance to prove himself in open top-level company. He is sure to have learnt plenty from his experience in the King George over Christmas and, fresh having missed Cheltenham, he looks a most interesting runner, who is still totally unexposed at three miles.

MB: Good race in store here with a bit of luck. Having said that, Gaelic Warrior might not run if the ground remains on top but I wonder if Stage Star might be able to keep Grey Dawning honest as Paul Nicholls does so well with these horses he keeps fresh for Aintree. Stage Star is unexposed at the trip and ran a belter when conceding 4lb to L’Homme Presse at Cheltenham on Trials Day. He’s a very solid jumper and goes on any ground.

DO: This does look a proper race. I have plenty of respect for Grey Dawning but can't see Gaelic Warrior as a big player on the forecast ground and off the back of his two runs so far this term. The one I like is Spillane's Tower. You have to draw a line through his run in the King George but his earlier effort in the John Durkan, splitting Fact To File and Galopin Des Champs, reads very well. He blossomed in the spring last season, can do so again and while proven in heavy ground, his career best effort to date came when winning at Punchestown last term on a good to soft surface.

Would you be for or against Lulamba in the juvenile hurdle?

AA: I would have to be for him. I thought he ran a cracker in the Triumph Hurdle, moving through that contest like a horse who can reach even higher heights. There is room for improvement in his jumping, but he did very well to get past East India Dock on the run-in after an untidy leap two from home, only to be caught by surprise winner and hurdling debutant Poniros.

I thought he was kind of blindsided that day, not really knowing Poniros was making a charge down the outside, and I’d expect him to reverse that form if the two meet again. He’s still the most exciting juvenile hurdler around in my opinion and the one to beat on Thursday.

MB: I wouldn’t be in a rush to be laying Lulamba in the Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle as while he lost the Triumph Hurdle battle, I still rate him a top-quality prospect. It’ll probably be over fences when we eventually see the very best of him but perhaps the Cheltenham experience will have put a few hairs on his chest and he can end the year on a real high.

DO: It's the age-old question of what Cheltenham has taken out of Lulamba. He was hardly over-burdened before that this season mind, and the level of form he showed when going down to Poniros would make him very difficult to beat. If he does have an off-day then Fred Winter winner Puturhandstogether looked ready for a step up to this Grade when hacking up earlier this month, but Hello Neighbour rates the danger for me.

Yes, he lost his unbeaten record in the Triumph and was just over five lengths adrift of Lulamba but he tired up the hill that day after making a mistake at the last. A useful sort on the Flat, this track might just play to his strengths.

Plenty of interesting names in the Manifesto – who catches your eye at this stage?

AA: He might not be the most straightforward type to train, but I was really impressed by Gidleigh Park at Windsor last time, leaving his chase debut – pulled up with an irregular heartbeat – well behind as beat subsequent Cheltenham Festival winner Caldwell Potter by four lengths. Gidleigh Park was progressive as a novice hurdler last season, but was always going to make up into an even better chaser – he has an imposing physique – and he looked very smart last time, travelling well in front and asserting on the run-in.

He intentionally missed Cheltenham in favour of this meeting and the step back up in trip could unlock further improvement. He goes well on a sound surface and his best days are certainly ahead of him.

MB: Impaire Et Passe could be the one for Willie Mullins but he’s got a stiff task on his hands in against Croke Park, Handstands and Jango Baie. Nicky Henderson’s Arkle winner looked to be outstayed by Handstands on the bad ground at Sandown in February and could be able to take his revenge on what promises to be a sound surface this time.

DO: I like the look of Croke Park in this for Gordon Elliott. Admittedly, Ballyburn didn't do much for the form of his five lengths defeat of the selection at the DRF when blowing out in the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham, but he is patently a better horse than that. And I really liked the way Croke Park travelled and jumped that day at Leopardstown, looking like he might be about to claim a significant scalp on landing at the last. He's fresh, a Grade One winner, and I think this is his trip.

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