Aintree Festival 2023: 3 Paul Nicholls Horses to Follow

The 2023 Aintree Festival will dominate the sporting headlines this week, particularly when the iconic Grand National is staged on Saturday.

However, the three-day meeting is packed with a plethora of other top-class races, all of which should keep the top horse racing betting sites extremely busy.

Top UK trainer Paul Nicholls will send a strong team to this year’s Festival, so let’s take a closer look at some of his best chances of a winner at Aintree.

Stage Star produced one of the most impressive performances of the week at the recent Cheltenham Festival and has been well backed to follow up at Aintree.

He romped home in the Turners’ Novices Chase at Cheltenham, travelling well during the race before pulling clear on the run-in.

The seven-year-old reportedly sparkled on the gallops earlier this week and will be extremely tough to beat on the opening day of the Aintree Festival.

Irish contenders Banbridge and Saint Roi are likely to be Stage Star’s main rivals in a race that is guaranteed to kick off the meeting with a bang.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up has reportedly recovered from his exertions last month and will line up in the Alder Hey Aintree Bowl Chase.

Nicholls has won this race on six previous occasions, most recently with the now retired Clan Des Obeaux in the last two renewals.

Bravemansgame ran a gallant second behind Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup and the slighter shorter distance at Aintree should be right up his street.

Shishkin and A Plus Tard are other notable entrants in a race packed with top-class performers, but Bravemansgame will be a popular pick with punters on UK betting sites.

Pic D'Orhy rattled off three successive victories earlier in the season before finding Shishkin too hot to handle in the Grade 1 Ascot Chase in February.

Market rival Fakir D’Oudairies finished seven lengths behind Nicholls’ charge on that occasion and there is no obvious reason why he should reverse the form here.

While Fakir D’Oudairies has won this race for the past two years, he was comprehensively outpointed by Pic D'Orhy at Ascot.

Nicholls previously claimed the Marsh Chase with Fadalko (2001), Master Minded (2011) and Politologue (2018), and looks a solid bet to add to his tally this year.