As a Randox Grand National winner Corach Rambler’s place in racing history is already assured. But superstar status awaits if he can make it back-to-back victories at Aintree.

A relatively inexpensive purchase at £17,000 from the Irish point-to-point field, the 10-year-old has given his trainer and the seven members of The Ramblers syndicate the ride of their lives.

Seven wins from 16 starts is admirable rather than amazing, but successive wins in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival followed by success in the world’s most famous steeplechase on Merseyside 12 months ago mean he has achieved far more than his connections could ever have dreamed of.

The current campaign got off to a poor start at Kelso, but a distant third in Haydock’s Betfair Chase suggested the tank was not empty and Corach Rambler hammered home that theory when picking up the bronze medal again in last month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, much to the delight of his proud trainer.

“We set him quite a stiff task (in the Gold Cup) really, but we wanted to give him a run and the timing works well for Aintree,” she said.

“I was absolutely delighted with the way he ran, to be third in a Gold Cup is fantastic in itself, whether you’re looking at the National or not.

“We were really pleased and I was actually quite touched as the reception he got from the crowd around the parade ring was amazing. He’s phenomenal and absolutely deserves it.”

There is just over four weeks between the Gold Cup and Grand National and Russell could not be happier with how Corach Rambler has both recovered and subsequently prepared for his return to Merseyside.

“It was a great run at Cheltenham and we were delighted, but at the same time we couldn’t rest on laurels at all as we had to get ready for Aintree,” she said.

“He had a nice, quiet 10 days. Normally we just give them a week, but we gave him a little bit longer after Cheltenham as the ground was a little bit soft for him that day.

“Time seems to have passed very quickly, but everything has been going according to plan.”

Corach Rambler’s staying-on effort behind reigning champion Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup can be taken one of two ways.

While on the one hand it may be seen as the perfect preparation for the defence of his Aintree crown – certainly a line bookmakers have taken by slashing his odds for a Grand National repeat – others have questioned whether what the handicapper considered a career-best performance may leave a mark.

Russell appears to be in the former camp, adding: “I think back to last year when he won the Ultima and he certainly had a hard enough race there before going on and winning at Aintree.

“We’ll see what happens on the day, but I think the way he has felt since Cheltenham, Scu (Peter Scudamore, partner and assistant) has been very happy with him.”

Corach Rambler is out to emulate the great Tiger Roll and the legendary three-time winner Red Rum by winning two Grand Nationals in succession, while Russell is out to notch a third win, having also struck gold with One For Arthur in 2017.

The Kinross handler has also enjoyed Grade One success at the Grand National meeting in recent years with Ahoy Senor and Apple Away, so it is no surprise she holds the three-day fixture in high esteem.

“I’ve always loved Aintree and it’s very much in my heart,” she said.

“I love Liverpool and love the people there. They look after the horses and owners so well and it’s a track I like winning at.

“I always said I wanted Corach Rambler to go down in history, and he has gone down in history by winning the National once. If he could do it twice, it would really establish him as one of the great racehorses in the country.”

Latenightpass could prove appropriately named if justifying Tom Ellis’ last-minute decision to join the professional training ranks in search of Randox Grand National victory.

A stalwart of the point-to-point scene, Ellis of course knows all about Latenightpass. Bred by his mother Pippa, the diminutive 11-year-old is part of the furniture at the handler’s Warwickshire base and with his wife Gina Andrews in the saddle, the trainer has shepherded a career that has yielded many special memories for the family.

Loaned to best friend Dan Skelton so his wife could fulfil her ambition of riding in the cross-country races at Cheltenham, success in that sphere – when downing Aintree rivals Minella Indo and Galvin in December – saw Grand National ambitions suddenly become more than just a dream.

The lure of a National runner in his own name proved too much to resist for the five-times national champion between the flags, with Ellis deciding to walk away from the pointing field that has long been his life to hastily ensure his name is listed against Latenightpass on the Aintree racecard.

He said: “It was definitely bittersweet to a point, going professional. Point-to-pointing has been a part of my life since the age of 16 really and has been very good to me.

“It’s taught me everything I know, I met my wife through it, we’ve built a good business through it and it has literally been everything to us. It’s what we’ve spent every weekend doing for the last 24 years, so it is sad to think I had my last runner at Brafield-On-The-Green the other weekend and it was the end of an era really.

“But however long I trained for, I doubt we will ever have another Grand National runner bred by my mother and ridden by my wife, so it made sense to try.

“We’ll give everything we can to this next chapter now and Gina is going to continue doing some of the pointers in her name and it would just be really nice if we could build on the success we’ve had in the point-to-point field and transfer that to the professional world.”

In a year lacking the traditional Aintree fairytale, a decorated point-to-point champion turning professional to saddle a horse owned by his mother and ridden by his wife is just the sort of story which captures the imagination on the day the nation goes to the races.

The Grand National can be very much a family affair and Ellis will not be the first husband to give his wife the leg-up in the race.

In recent years, Katie Walsh partnered Ross O’Sullivan’s Baie Des Iles to finish 12th in 2017 and Carrie Ford famously teamed up with her then husband Richard when fifth aboard Forest Gunner in 2005.

However, whereas Walsh’s best finishing position over the Grand National obstacles is third, like Ford, Andrews has tasted success over the big fences at Aintree and her husband is relishing the moment she tackles the famous spruce once again in the world’s most famous steeplechase.

“I’ll get some buzz out of it,” said Ellis. “I would love winning a maiden point-to-point with Gina on, so I will get some buzz watching a National with Gina in it definitely.

“I think anyone who has a connection to anyone in any race will get more of a buzz watching and we’re very privileged to be a part of the horse.

“Of course the nerves will build as the National gets closer, but in terms of Gina riding, I’m used to that.

“I watch it happen every weekend and I get more nervous if Gina is riding for other people than when she rides for us, because she knows our horses inside out and we would only run them if they have been well prepared or schooled well.

“If it’s someone I don’t know or a horse I don’t know, that’s more nerve-racking for me than watching her ride in a National I would say.”

Although this will be a first Grand National runner for Ellis, Andrews and Latenightpass, they are in fact seasoned regulars at Aintree competing over the National course.

In three appearances in the Aintree Foxhunters’, Latenightpass has finished no worse than fourth – when far from his best 12 months ago – and had previously finished second in 2021 before landing the spoils a year later.

Always among the favourites for that amateur riders’ contest, it is an annual feature for Ellis to be training Latenightpass with one day in April in mind, and this time around he is simply switching focus to a race over an extra circuit of the Merseyside venue.

“I don’t get nervous as I’m used to it and we’ve been to three Aintree Festivals with him now,” added Ellis

“Everyone says to me ‘are you nervous’ and it sounds really weird but I don’t think I’m feeling as much pressure with him this year as I have the previous two years to be honest.

“Two years ago we were going there on the back of being second the year before and there was an expectation, probably on our own part, to run well. You were going there thinking he had a good chance and he obviously did and won.

“Last year we went there as defending champion and to be honest, we had a horrible run up to the race. We never had him right all season for whatever reason that was and we went there thinking ‘I hope he runs all right’ because everything hadn’t gone positive on our own part. He ran all right luckily, but I still think he ran a stone below his best that day.”

“But I cannot have any expectations this time and I can’t expect to win the National.”

Ellis may not expect to take home the Grand National trophy, but the general 20-1 shot could inadvertently play a significant role in deciding the destination of the trainers’ championship.

Having helped Latenightpass navigate the opening two-thirds of the season, a share of the Grand National’s £1million prize-fund would have been a significant boost to Skelton in his battle with former boss Paul Nicholls.

Ellis is now faced with the prospect of fulfilling his own dreams while preventing one of his oldest friends from accomplishing one of his own long-held ambitions.

He said: “I suppose the worst thing that could happen is if Latenightpass runs well in the National and Dan just misses out in the trainers’ championship, that would just take the edge off it slightly for me.

“It’s very good of Dan to have done what he has this year and I owe him an awful lot for that. At the end of the day, he’s my best mate and I would love to see him get his first title on the board.

“We were at school together literally a mile away from where my yard is now and we spent a lot of time together as kids growing up. We used to come home from school at lunchtimes and ride out two point-to-pointers I had in training and school them over fences and then go back to school in the afternoon.

“We grew up watching racing together and it’s great to have him as a mate to call on, definitely.”

Skelton will be back in his role of supportive best pal when Ellis – having won the race against time to ensure he is officially recognised as the gelding’s trainer – heads to the pre-parade to saddle up on April 13.

And with trainer modules and required paperwork now taken care of, the latest member of the training ranks can now look forward to Latenightpass’ shot at Aintree immortality with excitement.

“He’s in very good form and I couldn’t be happier with him at the moment. We’re nearly there really and so far we’ve had a nice run with him,” said Ellis.

“I got my modules done and then everything was quite tight time-wise as he needed to be in training with me 16 days before the National, which he has been. The British Horseracing Authority has been very helpful and worked with us well on that. I’ve got everything done and ticked all the right boxes hopefully.

“I hope he runs well and I think with a clear round and a bit of luck, he will be there or thereabouts turning in.

“After that it will be whether he is good enough really, so I’m just really enjoying the build up with him this time and I’m not feeling any nerves or pressure with him, as daft as it sounds. That might change nearer the day I imagine.

“Let’s hope we can do it for England because we don’t have many chances do we! It looks like complete Irish domination once again, but we’ll see and we’ll be giving it our best shot anyway.”

David Maxwell has been living out his dream, buying nice horses and getting to ride them himself – but it will peak when he lines up in the Randox Grand National on Ain’t That A Shame.

Like many involved in the sport, the Grand National is seen as the pinnacle to Maxwell but for a man viewed as an old-fashioned Corinthian amateur, it is a summit his family has already scaled, at least in one capacity.

The 1988 Grand National won by Rhyme ‘N’ Reason is one of the more famous ones, given how he almost fell at Becher’s Brook on the first circuit only to work his way back into contention under Brendan Powell.

For the Maxwell family, it was an emotional and stressful day, as the property developer explained: “My main Grand National memory is Rhyme ‘N’ Reason. My mother bred the horse, then my dad trained him for his first bumper wins before he went to England to be trained by David Murray Smith and latterly David Elsworth.

“I remember it like it was yesterday. He was headed in the closing stages by Durham Edition, but he was a bit of an old rogue and as soon as he hit the front, he felt like he’d done enough – and Rhyme ‘N’ Reason was as game as a badger and won by four lengths.

“The entire Maxwell family were screaming their heads off, my mother was nine months pregnant with my now 35-year-old sister. Just 10 minutes after the race, the gynaecologist was sitting next to her!

“He actually broke three bones in his hock when he almost came down at Becher’s and he never raced again but it just goes to show how game he was.”

Maxwell has come close to glory over the famous fences already, and while it was not in the National, his second place on Cat Tiger in the 2022 Foxhunters’ should at least give him some confidence down at the start.

“Cat Tiger pings round there and was second to Latenightpass in the Foxhunters’ – and of course Latenightpass is in the National this year,” said Maxwell.

“He’s not over-big but he’s very game. The Foxhunters’ is actually the only race I’ve been down at the start thinking ‘this might not actually be a good idea’, but then you get called in, do a slap down the shoulder, as much for yourself as the horse, and just get on with it.”

There has been plenty said about Maxwell’s participation in this year’s race but having met all the requirements, and after amateur Sam Waley-Cohen’s win on Noble Yeats two years ago, there is still the fairytale element to the race that no other has.

“Racing for me has been a bit of a middle-aged man obsession. I started mucking around with point-to-pointers in my late 20s, then I got a few more and got a few more and just kept going. You keep finding the next iteration of the drug,” said Maxwell.

“It starts with what turns out to be slow three-mile chasers for pointing, then someone shows you a nice hunter chaser, then it’s novice hurdlers, so there’s another stage of everything, like being allowed to ride against pros. I suppose the ultimate of it all is riding in the National.

“I don’t know if there’s anything in the theory of amateurs having a good record in it because some liken it to hunting. My theory is, if you are in the National, you can win it, all the cards are thrown in the air.”

Every year there are meetings to see what can be done to make the race safer and following last year’s disruption, racing was forced into defensive mode more than it ever has in the past, but the 45-year-old believes the right steps have been taken.

“I wouldn’t say anything can happen anymore, as they’ve made it safer to navigate with the fences and they’ve made it more and more like a really good Saturday handicap,” said Maxwell.

“With that, I mean Corach Rambler is 4-1 favourite and he never looks like not winning, it’s less and less like Foinavon could win this – but you do still get rank outsiders winning.

“This year, there are three amateurs in the race, so there’s around a nine per cent chance of an amateur winning it.

“The race has changed, you’ve got to have a touch of class now. But the world changes all the time.

“In racing, we are fond of knocking ourselves but racing has done a really good job here of making it safer. Every year, a lot of thought goes into it and this year it is no exception, with the field reduced to 34 and perhaps the best idea is making the run to the first fence shorter.

“Nobody wants to see fallers, we’re all animal lovers, so these changes make it a bit safer, there’s no point us continuing with our head in the sand.

“If we proceed thinking the world is the same as it was before – it’s not. It’s right that the Jockey Club and the BHA have made these changes to make the race safer.

“If you have a horse who is a safe conveyance and stays four miles, the likelihood is these days that you will get round – and then you get the situation where the best handicapped horse wins.”

Maxwell’s mount, trained in Ireland by Henry de Bromhead, who has won the National with Minella Times, has already won one of Ireland’s most competitive races, the Thyestes Chase.

“He’s a nice horse, I went and schooled him last week and he’s a lovely horse. He must have a reasonable chance but I’m actually looking forward to going hunter chasing with him the year after next when he’s 12,” said Maxwell.

“The Thyestes is always a good race and the fact that he didn’t go to Cheltenham must stand him in good stead too.

“It’s clearly going to be soft ground and obviously we all hope it doesn’t rain too much, but what we really would want is for it to stop raining about three days before the race, as then the ground would start becoming really hard work. If it’s just wet and sloppy, then it’s much easier to get through it.”

Hopes of any turf racing taking place in Britain on Saturday hinge on a second precautionary inspection at Uttoxeter at 7.30am.

Friday’s jumps cards at Fontwell, Wetherby and Wexford all fell victim to the persistent wet spell, while Saturday’s card at Stratford and Kelso’s Premier Raceday were also abandoned due to waterlogging.

Officials at Uttoxeter staged an initial inspection at 2pm on Friday to assess the latest state of play and while standing water remains in some areas, the track was described as raceable, prompting the team to announce a further check for raceday morning.

A statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, read: “Following our precautionary inspection at 2pm, the track is currently raceable with no rain since 7.30am.

“We are optimistic that we will be able to race tomorrow, however, due to variable forecasts, we will be holding another precautionary inspection at 7:30am.”

Saturday’s Curragh meeting, due to feature the Group Three Tote.ie Alleged Stakes, is also subject to a 7.30am inspection.

Brendan Sheridan, the IHRB clerk of the course at the Curragh, said on Friday morning: “Following a further 6.5mm of rain overnight, the Curragh remains heavy and fit for racing. Having spoken with Met Éireann this morning, there is the possibility of a further 8-11mm of rain between now and 5.35pm tomorrow.

“However, we are also faced with the prospect of Storm Kathleen which has the potential to bring high gusts of wind through tomorrow. On the basis of the forecast for further rain, we will have a 7.30am inspection on Saturday morning to assess if the track remains fit for racing.

“Should the track remain fit for racing at that point, we will continue to monitor the situation and consult with Met Éireann in relation to the high winds.”

Saturday’s racing programme is completed by all-weather cards at Chelmsford and Kempton and the disruption looks likely to continue, with Downpatrick’s Sunday meeting hinging on a 7.30am check.

Tuesday’s Flat meeting at Navan has already been cancelled, while Hexham’s jumps card on the same day also looks in serious doubt, with officials calling an inspection for 7.30am on Sunday.

Harry Charlton could land his first major success since taking over the Beckhampton licence when Sleeping Lion bids for his second victory in Kempton’s Virgin Bet Queen’s Prize Handicap.

The Sunbury regular got his hands on the staying handicap on his debut for the Charlton team in 2021 before returning to finish fifth last season and the nine-year-old’s last three appearances have all come on the all-weather at this venue.

Three of the experienced stayer’s five career victories have been at Kempton and his handler believes local knowledge can see him thereabouts once again in the £45,000 contest.

“He’s not really a horse for undulating tracks and he doesn’t like soft ground so we quite often come back to Kempton,” said Charlton, who has taken over solely after a spell alongside his father, Roger.

“He’s in good form and he always runs well there, it just looks quite competitive I thought.

“I think if he runs his usual kind of race, he will be thereabouts, whether he is improving, it’s hard to say at that age, but he’s very consistent and very enthusiastic. He’s a pleasure to have around.”

James Owen is another handler who could establish himself as a leading player on the Flat this season and his impressive Catterick hurdles winner Sweet Fantasy changes tack in search of this valuable prize.

“The plan was to go to Musselburgh for the big handicap last weekend and she was declared to run but unfortunately it was called off and we have come here with her,” said Owen.

“I would rather run her on the grass but she works very well on the all-weather and has some back-form on the all-weather.

“I think the step up in trip will massively help her and she looked a very solid stayer for me over hurdles.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what she can do on the Flat for us and I think there is more to come from what she has shown at home. Hopefully she can do it on the track as well.

“It’s nice that Aidan (Keeley) can ride them both (also partners Cannon Rock in the Rosebery Handicap). I think he is riding really well and he claims a massive 3lb and is a very good rider. He’s helping me out massively at home, so it’s nice to be able to repay him.”

James Fanshawe’s Novel Legend was a regular in the top staying contests last season and finished the year competing in the Group One Prix Royal-Oak in France.

He will carry top weight, while Andrew Balding’s Spirit Mixer is 1lb lower than when chasing home star stayer Trueshan in the 2022 Northumberland Plate and is sure to be sharper for his Lingfield return from a long 328-day absence last month.

Ian Williams’ Aqwaam landed the victory he had been threatening at Lingfield on Good Friday and will go in search of his second win in the space of eight days off a 4lb higher rating.

“He ran very well at Lingfield last time and 4lb doesn’t look too extreme against what he has achieved, so we would be hopeful of another decent run,” said Williams.

“It’s always good to pick up a decent prize, so it would be good to see him run well again.”

Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Broadway Boy is ready for his Aintree assignment after missing out on the Cheltenham Festival.

The six-year-old began his debut season over fences in September, winning at the first time of asking and then impressing with a trio of good runs at Prestbury Park.

He finished second to Flooring Porter over three miles and half a furlong in October before returning to the Cotswolds to win a Listed contest over the same trip and a valuable handicap over three miles and two.

The gelding was subsequently a distant third in the Hampton Novices’ Chase at Warwick but was still a popular pick ahead of the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Festival in March.

An unsatisfactory scope ruled him out of the race two days before he was due to line up, but the bay has fared well since and is preparing to run in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase at the Grand National meeting.

“He’s very well, he did a bit of work on Tuesday and all being well he’s headed for Aintree,” said Willy Twiston-Davies, assistant to his father.

“His last two trach washes have been spotless and he’s in very good form, it’s all systems go.

“He’ll go for the three-mile Grade One novice.”

The Twiston-Davies team have a nice prospect in Clap Of Thunder, a four-year-old Mount Nelson gelding with four bumper runs under his belt.

He was most recently seen in the Tattersalls Ireland George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper at Fairyhouse on March 31, competing among a field of 14 horses, including some expensive purchases.

Under conditional amateur Toby McCain-Mitchell, Clap Of Thunder raced at the head of the field and though he was eventually outdone by an impressive winner in Willie Mullins’ Kopek Des Bordes, the third-placed horse was nine lengths behind him and the rest of the runners were even further strung out.

The bay is owned by his trainer and will go through the sales ring in search of a new home, though the family are naturally keen for him to return to the yard for them to train for fresh connections.

“That was brilliant, we were really, really pleased with him,” said Twiston-Davies.

“He bumped into a very good horse and I imagine that will be him done for the season.

“He is for sale and he will go to the sales, but we’d like to keep him in the yard if we could.

“He’s not made to be a four-year-old bumper horse, he’s a very big horse, so that just shows the ability he’s got at this stage in his career.

“We’d like to think he’d make a very nice novice hurdler for next year, we’ve schooled him plenty already and he looks a bit of a natural.”

Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Gerri Colombe and Festival absentees Hewick and Shishkin are among 12 entries for the Aintree Bowl on the opening afternoon of the Grand National meeting on Thursday.

Gordon Elliott’s Gerri Colombe finished a clear best of the rest behind reigning champion Galopin Des Champs in the blue riband at Prestbury Park last month and could now bid for a second win on Merseyside, having claimed Grade One honours in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase 12 months ago.

Shark Hanlon made the difficult decision to take Hewick out of the Gold Cup due to the rain-softened ground, and having opted against running his charge under top-weight in the Randox Grand National, he is instead set to line up at Aintree 48 hours earlier.

Shishkin was also declared a non-runner in the Gold Cup during a difficult week at Cheltenham for Nicky Henderson, meaning he will be fresh as he looks to claim the Bowl for the second year in succession.

Other contenders for the home team include the Paul Nicholls-trained Bravemansgame, Dan Skelton’s Ryanair Chase hero Protektorat and Ahoy Senor from Lucinda Russell’s yard, while the Irish contingent interestingly features Emmet Mullins’ exciting novice Corbetts Cross.

The latter was hugely impressive when sauntering to success in the National Hunt Chase at the Festival and could now step up to take on more experienced rivals at the highest level.

Banbridge (Joseph O’Brien), Conflated (Elliott), Gentlemansgame (Mouse Morris), Jungle Boogie (Henry de Bromhead) and Thunder Rock (Olly Murphy) complete the potential field.

A dozen entries have also been made for the William Hill Aintree Hurdle, which will of course be missing last year’s winner Constitution Hill.

In his absence, leading lights include Elliott’s Champion Hurdle runner-up Irish Point, De Bromhead’s Bob Olinger and the Willie Mullins-trained Impaire Et Passe, with the latter pair having purposely sidestepped Cheltenham to be saved for this race.

Despite Constitution Hill being sidelined, Henderson could still be represented with Champion Hurdle third Luccia, Iberico Lord, Marie’s Rock and First Street all in the mix, while dual Coral Cup victor Langer Dan could step up in class for the title-chasing Skelton team.

The first of four Grade Ones is the Manifesto Novices’ Chase, which also features Corbetts Cross as well as the Willie Mullins-trained pair of Embassy Gardens and Il Etait Temps, with Turners Novices’ Chase one-two Grey Dawning (Skelton) and Ginny’s Destiny (Nicholls) perhaps the best of the British in an 18-strong field.

A total of 13 four-year-olds are in contention for the Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle, with Henderson’s Sir Gino looking for compensation after missing the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.

His potential rivals include the Triumph Hurdle second and fourth Kargese (Willie Mullins) and Nurburgring (Joseph O’Brien), as well as the unbeaten Kalif Du Berlais (Nicholls).

Connections of White Birch are keeping their fingers crossed Saturday’s Curragh meeting goes ahead to allow last season’s Derby third to make his reappearance in the Tote.ie Alleged Stakes.

Winner of the Ballysax Stakes on heavy ground at Leopardstown 12 months ago, John Joseph Murphy’s colt went on to finish a close second to The Foxes in the Dante at York before picking up the bronze medal behind Auguste Rodin in the premier Classic at Epsom in early June.

The grey failed to fire in the Irish Derby on his next start but rounded off his season with a close-up fourth in a Group Three on Irish Champions Weekend and George Murphy, assistant to his father, views this 10-furlong contest as a suitable starting point for his four-year-old campaign.

“We’re getting an awful lot of rain here, I don’t know what they’re getting in the Curragh, but I would imagine it will be the same,” he said.

“It’ll be tough going, but it will be loose ground and he’ll more than likely run if it goes ahead.

“He’ll definitely come on for it. Everything has been going well, we probably would have liked to have got him on the grass a couple more times, but other than that, we’re very happy with him.

“We’ll make a plan for what’s next after the weekend.”

White Birch is the highest-rated horse in a nine-strong entry list, with Noel Meade fielding a pair of multiple course winners in Lafayette and Helvic Dream.

Lafayette has struck gold at the home of Irish Flat racing on four occasions, with Helvic Dream a three-time course winner, most notably claiming Group One honours in the 2021 Tattersalls Gold Cup.

Maxux, who carries the colours of Spanish footballer Alvaro Odriozola, has won twice from four previous starts for Joseph O’Brien and was last seen plundering a Group Three prize at Fairyhouse in September.

“She looks like she handles soft ground and that is what it is going to be at the weekend,” said O’Brien.

“Although it looks a really competitive race and she is taking on colts, it looks a nice starting point for her.

“We’re just hoping for a nice run and hope it’s a nice starting point. At this time of the season, it’s all about a platform that she can build on. I’m sure there will be easier opportunities at this level as the year goes on, but this is a good starting point.”

Aidan O’Brien has won four of the last six runnings of the Alleged Stakes and this year relies upon Greenland, while Crypto Force makes his stable debut for Adrian Murray, having been off the track since claiming the 2022 Beresford Stakes.

Mashhoor (Johnny Murtagh), The Shadow Lingers (Luke Comer) and Village Voice (Jessica Harrington) are the other hopefuls.

Animal Rising, the organisation behind the disruption at last year’s Grand National, has announced it has no plans to interfere with the meeting next week.

Last year’s Grand National was delayed by around 15 minutes after members of Animal Rising attempted to glue themselves to a fence. Over 100 arrests were made by Merseyside Police.

Animal Rising went on to stage a further protest at the Derby at Epsom in June, which led to Ben Newman, one of the founders of the group, being given a suspended prison sentence because the Jockey Club, the owners of Epsom, had been granted an injunction preventing disruption.

Animal Rising issued a statement confirming they had no intention of attending this year’s Grand National which read: “Last year the British public saw through the myths of the horse racing industry as a spotlight was put onto the Grand National.

“We all want to see these horses living happy lives in sanctuaries, not being raced; just as we need to see mass rewilding and a plant-based food system to really tackle our climate and nature crises.”

A spokesperson for Aintree said the racecourse have not been contacted directly by Animal Rising ahead of next week’s event and that they continue to work with Merseyside Police and their own security teams to plan for all eventualities.

This afternoon’s meeting at Fontwell and Saturday’s Premier fixture at Kelso are the latest to fall foul of the persistent wet spell.

Officials at Fontwell held a precautionary inspection at 7.30am following over 30mm of rain through the week and a further 7mm in the last 24 hours tipped the decision over the edge.

Unfortunately for Kelso, where the £100,000 Herring Queen Series Final Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle was the feature on a valuable card, heavy rain overnight left the course unraceable and more is forecast.

Clerk of the course Matthew Taylor said: “Unfortunately we’ve had a further 12mm overnight and it has left us unraceable.

“We had 22mm yesterday but then we had some improvement which was significant but this further 12mm has set us back quite a way. Up to 50 per cent of the track is waterlogged.

“It has just stopped raining by 8am and it is a bit breezy but we’ve got random sporadic showers forecast this afternoon which will be heavy and there’s a further rain band coming in Friday night and into Saturday morning.

“That wouldn’t give us enough time to do the work needed so we’ve had to abandon. We’re really sorry, we were desperate to get it on as a Premier raceday but we just can’t guarantee the integrity of the structure of the surface underneath.”

Wexford in Ireland were also forced to abandon on Friday while the meeting at Wetherby had already been called off.