Black Op got closest to Samcro at the Cheltenham Festival, but was a clumsy jumper and the gap from 2nd to 1st possibly flatters him.
He runs over two-and-a-half miles in the Grade 1 novices’ hurdle on Aintree’s Grand National card and is up against Nicky Henderson’s much hyped On The Blind Side.
On The Blind Side missed Cheltenham with a setback and probably wants better ground than the soft he’ll get at Aintree, while the form of his win at Sandown last time out hasn’t worked out.
The start before he met Momella, who is a horse I am very fond of after putting her up the last twice, and the ground might have gone against her too.
There isn’t an awful lot between them and I do fancy Momella to give him another good race – mares with low weights have fared well this week – but ultimately I think On The Blind Side has her covered.
I’m going to look elsewhere for a bet as I’m intrigued by Colin Tizzard’s statement that LOSTINTRANSLATION, who was 7th in the Supreme Novices’, was his best chance of this week at odds of 14/1.
Tizzard has had a few winners this week, just like last year, landing the Topham again with Ultragold and seeing his previously wayward Finian’s Oscar score on Thursday.
The Gold Cup winning Tizzard team are in fine form, then, and the selection can boast a victory over Black Op in his maiden on a similar flat track to Aintree.
He looks a strong stayer of two miles so the step up in trip is a positive at the prices, so with a couple of question marks over the favourites he looks a nice bet.
1pt each-way Lostintranslation @14/1, 14:25 Aintree, Saturday (1,2,3, 1/4 with Bet365)
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