Dave Nevison's Aintree tips: best bets for day one

It is a really exciting start to the Randox Grand National meeting on Thursday afternoon, although the number of betting opportunities for my style of punting are few with just one handicap on the card. 

However, while I will be going in pretty strong in that race at 4.40, I am looking at two runners who missed Cheltenham to land short odds earlier on the card. Best of luck, and enjoy all the action on Racing TV.

It must have been very tough for Nicky Henderson to pull out his strongly fancied horses at the Cheltenham Festival, and none appeared to have a better chance on paper than Sir Gino, but the Juvenile looks to have a solid favourite’s chance of gaining compensation in this Grade One contest. 

Sir Gino has made a terrific impression on his first two starts in this country, in particular when beating the very useful Burdett Road with contemptuous ease at Cheltenham’s Trials Day meeting last time out. 

He should confirm that impression here and make inroads into next year's Champion Hurdle market.

This race is tailor-made for Bob Olinger who is an absolute specialist over this trip and the absence of Constitution Hill this season gives him an opportunity to win his second Grade One over this distance having won the Gallagher Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham as a novice. 

Henry de Bromhead's nine-year-old has had a very good time of things over hurdles this term and has won twice over this trip already this season plus finished runner-up behind State Man in the Irish Champion Hurdle last time out when finishing in front of his main rival here, Impaire Et Passe. 

He handles conditions perfectly well and has an impressive strike-rate. He usually seems to win when reappearing after a short (or long) break, too, so it is difficult to see Bob Olinger not running his race here.

In my opinion, Saint Roi is a Grade One chaser, and not a handicapper, and could be high class if he could just get his jumping right. 

He was third in the Arkle last season and also runner-up in the Manifesto Novices' Chase at this meeting last season but ,given his owner has the likes of Jonbon in his ownership, Saint Roi’s campaign was aimed at the Grand Annual this time around.

Things looked to be going OK as well until a bad mistake four fences from home, which knocked him back and, after that, he got caught behind weakening rivals, and couldn’t pick up again. 

At nine years of age, maybe there is a chance he won’t improve in the jumping department, but I am encouraged that he jumped pretty well around here last year, and I think he is worth a chance to land this very competitive handicap.