Dave Massey is back for one of his favourite days of the racing calendar – Ladies Day of the Grand National Meeting 2026. Fingers crossed Chutney Dave has as much success with today’s tips as he does with the wonderful fillies of Liverpool.. read his exclusive Day 2 Aintree preview here.
Grand National Meeting 2026: Ladies Day Tips
I’ll take two against the field. Top weight Favour And Fortune looks like he’s been prepped for this again, a race he was third in last year, and although well held at Kempton on his belated reappearance in February he shaped much better than the bare result, moving nicely into contention before fading out of it in the latter stages. He’s a pound higher than last year but this isn’t as classy – four horses were rated higher than 140 last year, and he’s off top weight this time around.
Grand National Meeting 2026 Favour and Fortune (1:45)
The other is Ike Sport (1.45), who is going to be a big price here, but he finished a staying-on fifth under Conor O’Farrell last year and is 3lb lower this time around (plus another 7lb taken off by the useful Harry Atkins). He’s not hit the heights this season but it wasn’t a disaster when ninth to Supremely West in the Pertemps Final last time out, and the addition of a tongue-tie makes him a bit more interesting ..
It isn’t something trainer Neil Mulholland uses all that much with his hurdlers, but it did work for his other classy handicapper Bucephalus back in 2024, (and two others have finished second since, from just a handful of qualifiers). The faster they go the better his chance; we’re probably playing for a place, but at 40-1 and bigger I’m willing to give him a go.
Grand National Meeting 2026: Topham Handicap (4:05)
I don’t know what to make of Pour Les Filles, sold for a song out of Gordon Elliott’s yard in the winter; lucky winner at Ffos Las on debut for Mickey Bowen, with Juby Ball going best when he came down, but he still beat Largy Belter fair and square, and he went on to win his next two starts. Since then, it’s been awful; no show at Newbury and he folded very quickly at Ayr, but the cheekpieces are back off and the Bowens used to win this for fun.
As likely to jack it in as win, but he should keep drifting, given the profile, and is maybe the sort to throw a few quid at on the Tote. Two others worth a mention at prices. Excello (4.05) is going to have de Boinville back on top again, but he was bang there two out in this last year when a shuddering mistake cost him any chance, and he was eased off; he again showed a liking for these fences when third in the Sefton in November.
Not disgraced when midfield in the Kim Muir, he has to race from a couple of pounds out of the handicap but that’s neither here nor there. Each-way chances. O’Moore Park (4.05) could be the lurker for Willie Mullins. Fifth in the Paddy Power Chase at Christmas, beaten 7½ lengths, he was a staying-on sixth to Madara in the Plate and gets a nice weight pull here. Yet to win in 11 starts over fences, but I can see him taking to this test, and he has enough big-handicap form to his name to get involved.
Grand National Meeting 2026 Zeus Power (4:40)
The really interesting one here is Zeus Power (4.40), who we really liked on paddock looks for the Turners “…he didn’t know what price he was and strolled round the paddock with the quality and presence of a true Grade 1 horse; powerful and strong. Winner of a maiden hurdle at Thurles and a novice hurdle at Navan, the five-year-old gelding didn’t have the form to match with the best in the field but his prior experience – five previous starts – appeared to be a benefit.”. He ran a cracker to finish a staying-on third to King Rasko Grey there and the way he finished off suggests three miles should be within his compass.
Grand National Meeting 2026: Star of Guiting (5:15)
If there’s ever there’s a race you need to be held up in, it’s this one. Not just held up either, but literally out the back. They go way too quickly every year and those up front are normally burnt fuses by the time they get to the last. Throw in the fact the last three winners have been 25-1, 25-1 and 40-1 and you’ve got all the ingredients for a boilover. And you really don’t have to look far to find the 28-1 shot Star Of Guiting here.
Already twice a winner at Musselburgh under hold-up tactics this year, forget about his Imperial Cup disappointment in heavy ground and concentrate on his fifth in one of the Go North finals back at Musselburgh last time, where once again under hold-up tactics he moved smoothly into the race, only for Craig Nichol to get giddy and hit the front too soon. He shaped like the best horse there, and the game for William Maggs here is to wait, wait, and wait some more. Anything 20-1 and bigger has to be worth consideration.
By Dave Massey
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