Aintree Handicap Tips - Day 3 The third and final afternoon of Aintree's Grand National Festival on Saturday is, of course, dominated by the main event itself. The Grand National is the key attraction, ably supported by three more Grade 1 races on Merseyside and a closing Grade 2 bumper that often proves a race worth following for the future. Earlier, there are a couple of cracking staying handicaps to savour over hurdles/fences and we've picked a selection and next best for those races. A Free Bet Offer for Aintree Day 3 If have already signed up to BoyleSports, check out more of the best betting sites. 1.20 Aintree - Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap, 3m 1/2f Grand National Day opens up with this strong staying handicap over hurdles, won last year by Gwennie May Boy for trainer Dan Skelton. How he would love another Aintree winner today in his quest to quell the charge of Willie Mullins in the UK trainers' championship. Jeriko Du Reponet (second) and Skelton's Catch Him Derry (third) ran big races in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival last month and come here with sound claims as such, while Nurse Susan ensures the trainers' championship leader is double-handed in the opener. PARK OF KINGS was fifth in the Martin Pipe on the final afternoon in the Cotswolds last month for Paul Nolan in the JP McManus hoops. Conor Stone-Walsh was in the plate for that race and his partner made excellent late gains from the middle of a 24-runner pack to be fifth in a race won by Wodhooh for Gordon Elliott, who held that form up in some style when finishing second in the Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle behind Lossiemouth on Thursday. Park Of Kings runs from an unchanged mark of 132 now and gets the services of Gold Cup-winning rider Mark Walsh. The way in which he finished at Cheltenham hints that he is well worth another crack at three-miles, just his second go at this trip. Navajo Indy scrapes in off bottom weight for Tom Symonds and isn't overlooked in haste, with a step up in trip likely to bring about some improvement, but TIMMY TUESDAY is second choice for Gordon Elliott. He has won both handicaps at Ayr and Down Royal over 2m4f, sandwiching a decent third at Exeter over shorter in between - a contest that had some depth. The handicapper has posed him a question off this new mark but he's progressing and promises more at this new trip. Selection: Park Of Kings @ 16/1 with BoyleSports Next Best: Timmy Tuesday @ 10/1 with BoyleSports 2.30 Aintree - Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap, 3m1f) The Patrick Griffin-trained Maggio in 2016 is the only Irish-trained winner in the 48-year history of this Freebooter Handicap Chase and that trend will continue as all 16 runners are based in Britain. Last year's winner Cruz Control returns rated 3lb higher for Tom Lacey now and will have to rediscover his best on his first start since being pulled up in the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby on Boxing Day, though Sans Bruit showed here on Thursday that an Aintree repeat is entirely possible despite patchy form in the interim. Myretown dominated in the Ultima at Cheltenham last month for Lucinda Russell but his progress could be stunted by a 15lb hike in the ratings. PEAKY BOY was surely not himself on stable bow for Jonjo & AJ O'Neill at Ascot in February and a forgiving nature is taken with that effort. He'd been progressive and won 3-4 over jumps for Nicky Henderson prior to that, with his Cheltenham third behind Haiti Couleurs in December reading positively now. There is every chance he'll get quickly back on track. DOCPICKEDME won at Doncaster (3m, good) in January, accounting for subsequent Reynoldstown winner/Ultima runner-up The Changing Man. That's fairly solid form and the Richard Hobson-trained chestnut is only 4lb higher now with Charlie Maggs retained in the saddle and claiming 5lb. On form this season they have a decent chance and his one previous Aintree start yielded a novice second over timber. Selection: Peaky Boy @ 10/1 with BoyleSports Next Best: Docpickedme @ 8/1 with BoyleSports Odds courtesy of BoyleSports and correct at the time of publishing
