The Aintree Grand National is almost upon us with Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Synchronised allotted top mark of 161 and the likes of Junior, Ballabriggs and West End Rocker all prominent in the market as well. Champion Tipster Paul Jacobs has three tips to share from the world's biggest race. Don't forget if you place a £10 Grand National bet on Betdaq mobile, they'll give you a £10 free bet to go with it!

Aintree Tips –

Recommended Bets:

SHAKALAKABOOMBOOM @ 20/1 (advised at 25/1)
SEABASS @ 22/1 (advised at 33/1)
QUISCOVER FONTAINE @ 50/1 (advised at 40/1)

TIPPING PREVIEW – It’s a strange race, the ever developing, ever-evolving Grand National with a relatively small weight range on the day, better class horses, modified fences and a not always out and out gallop for the full four and a half miles. However, the factor that has struck me most about the race in recent years is not so much the ability to stay every yard of the distance, but to get into a really good rhythm certainly at the beginning of the race and securing a safe passage throughout.

I was critical of Ballabriggs actually getting home after seeing him fall to pieces up the final climb in the 2010 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. However, he proved me wrong with an awesome performance in last year’s race as he got into that all important metronome rhythm right from the start. And with that in mind I shall put up my first Liverpool tip in the form of SEABASS trained by Ted Walsh. I was particularly impressed by the way this nine-year-old jumped for fun to make all in the 2m 5f Leopardstown Chase, getting into his fences and popping them which is the essential method for Aintree racecourse. He has been hoisted considerably in the weights, but the extra distance looks well up his street and Ted knows exactly what goes into making a Grand National winner. He had a nice pipe-opener over the PaddyPower.com Chase over two miles.

SHAKALAKABOOMBOOM has made great strides for Nicky Henderson in the last 12 months culminating in a good second off 144 to Calgary Bay in the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster. That trip would have been a shade too sharp for him and this good ground merchant will be right at home at Aintree.

Finally, my Grand National Tips list is completed by QUISCOVER FONTAINE trained by the brilliant Willie Mullins. This lightly raced eight-year-old has been specifically saved for this great race having raced over hurdles on his last three outings to protect his mark and 141 is very manageable. His running on fourth in last year’s Irish National points to his chance and I expect there to be a bit of a gamble of him before the race.

Of the remainder, I wouldn’t put anyone off last year’s sixth The Midnight Club after he belted the fourth last and was then badly hampered at the third last before staying on again. Now four pounds lower, despite not looking a natural over the big obstacles, he is still very lightly raced for an 11-year-old (only had 11 chase starts) and has to be of interest as does Becher Chase winner West End Rocker especially if there is a nice bit of juice in the ground as seems likely.

Sunnyhillboy won the Kim Muir and granted a clear round, would be a big player off a mark of 142, while others to come into the mix are Junior (good second at Doncaster) and Giles Cross, although the latter would need the pre-requisite of give in the ground. While Killyglen impressed with his first win in three years and has actually dropped in the weights since his prominent showing last year.

And the last word of course has to go to Gold Cup winner Synchronised following his Cheltenham success. Jonjo is right to say he will never have the chance to run off his current mark again in the big race at the height of his powers. But my fear is he will get rushed off his feet early on and be forced into mistakes the prospect of slower ground should help in that respect.

BET NOW – SHAKALAKABOOMBOOM
BET NOW – SEABASS
BET NOW – QUISCOVER FONTAINE

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