Banbridge is set to lead a select Joseph O’Brien team to Aintree next week, with Triumph Hurdle fourth Nurburgring also among the Owning Hill handler’s raiding party.

O’Brien may be lacking in numbers in Liverpool but will undoubtedly saddle some quality, with star chaser Banbridge attempting to atone for a disappointing showing at the Cheltenham Festival.

Conditions ultimately proved too soft for the good ground-loving eight-year-old in the Ryanair Chase at Prestbury Park, but he has some high-class chasing form to his name.

Owned by Ronnie Bartlett, Banbridge was a Grade One winner on Merseyside 12 months ago in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase and is as short as 7-2 with bet365 for the My Pension Expert Melling Chase over the same course and distance on Friday, April 12.

However, he will also be given the option of stepping up in trip to three miles for the previous day’s Aintree Bowl – a race where he could meet the likes of John ‘Shark’ Hanlon’s King George hero Hewick.

“Banbridge will have a couple of entries there, as well as a couple of the juveniles, Nurburgring and Intellotto,” said O’Brien, with conditions in the north west set to have a significant bearing on where Banbridge lines up.

“Banbridge has options for both races and of course it will be discussed with Ronnie as we get closer to the time – and we will see what the ground is like. We haven’t made a decision on that yet.

“It was a bit soft for him at Cheltenham and we took a chance running, but when you don’t win, you learn something.”

Meanwhile, Nurburgring will be given the chance to build on his encouraging Triumph Hurdle display when he lines up in the Grade One Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle on the opening day of the three-day Grand National meeting.

“Nurburgring ran a very good race in the Triumph,” continued O’Brien. “Hopefully a similar performance would see him in the mix for a place and maybe give them a fright for a bit more.”

He will be joined on the teamsheet by the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned Intellotto, who was underwhelming in Grade One company at the Dublin Racing Festival but bounced back to his best with a comfortable victory at Limerick last month.

Last year’s runner-up Vanillier and Cheltenham Festival heroine Limerick Lace could be joined by Malina Girl to form a three-pronged assault on the Randox Grand National for trainer Gavin Cromwell.

Vanillier charged home from the rear to finish best of the rest behind Corach Rambler 12 months ago and warmed up for his return to Merseyside by finishing second in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse in February for the second year in succession.

The grey is a Cheltenham Festival winner himself, having landed the 2021 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, and Cromwell is optimistic of another bold showing at Aintree on Saturday week.

“He’s good, I’m happy with him now, he’s come out of the Bobbyjo well and come forward since that,” said the County Meath handler.

“I’d like it if it stopped raining so the ground isn’t too testing. If it dried up a little bit it would be no harm.

“If you look back at his form, he won the Albert Bartlett in the spring time when there was a bit of nice ground coming and we think he improves for it.

“This has been the plan for the year, we’re pretty happy with how it’s gone and we’re happy with where he is now, that’s the most important part.”

Limerick Lace has won three of her four starts over fences so far this season, most recently edging out fellow JP McManus-owned runner Dinoblue in a thrilling Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham.

The seven-year-old will step up almost two miles in distance in the Grand National, but William Hill ambassador Cromwell does not feel she is lacking in the stamina department.

“At the moment, the plan is to run her, she’s come out of Cheltenham well,” he said.

“She jumps well, so hopefully she’ll take the fences.

“She was second in the Troytown in Navan back in November and stayed well that day over three miles on testing going. I know the National is a bit further again, but the Troytown is a big stamina race and she did stay well, so hopefully she can stay a bit further.

“She certainly handles soft ground and she’s very clear winded, but the softer the ground, the more stamina that’s needed. Hopefully she can stay.”

Malina Girl, who won a staying handicap chase at Cheltenham in November, is currently the 39th horse in the order of entry, meaning she is not yet guaranteed a place in the final field of 34.

But with an allotted weight of just 10st 5lb, Cromwell is keen to let her line up if she does make the cut for the world’s most famous steeplechase.

“She’d probably prefer it if the ground dried out a little. She’s only small, but she does jump really well and she’s off a light weight, so we plan to run her anyway,” he added.

“She’s probably not got much in hand off her handicap mark, but at the same time she jumps well and stays well and has a light weight, so hopefully she can run well.”

Lucinda Russell is hoping for a break in the wet weather ahead of Corach Rambler’s bid for back-to-back victories in the Randox Grand National at Aintree on Saturday week.

The 10-year-old provided the Scottish trainer and her stable jockey Derek Fox with their second victory in the world’s most famous steeplechase last spring, having previously successfully combined with One For Arthur in 2017.

Corach Rambler made an inauspicious start to the current campaign at Kelso in October, but performed better in Haydock’s Betfair Chase the following month and made an excellent return from a winter break when third behind reigning champion Galopin Des Champs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Russell has been delighted with how her pride and joy has recovered from his Festival exertions, but admits the prospect of running in testing conditions on Merseyside is a concern.

“Time seems to be passing very quickly since Cheltenham, but everything has been going according to plan,” she said.

“He’s now back in full work, he was working today actually, and we’ll get him wound up for the National. Everything is looking good, I just wish it would slightly stop raining at Aintree.

“I don’t think anyone would want a really heavy-ground Grand National, so hopefully it won’t be too testing, it does drain well here.”

Corach Rambler is set to lead a small but select Russell team into battle at Aintree, with Ahoy Senor poised to run at the Grand National meeting for the fourth year in succession.

The nine-year-old was a shock 66-1 winner of the Grade One Sefton Novices’ Hurdle in 2021 and returned to Liverpool to claim another top-level success in the following season’s Mildmay Novices’ Chase.

Last term, Ahoy Senor had to make do with the silver medal behind Shishkin in the Bowl, but is poised for another crack at the same race next week after finishing sixth in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.

Russell, a William Hill ambassador, added: “He’ll go for the Bowl again and again he’s one that will be affected by the ground, he’s better on good to soft but he’s in good form.

“Giovinco might run in the three-mile novice chase (Mildmay) and we have a few nice novice hurdlers like Esprit Du Potier and a horse called Myretown, who is by the same sire as Ahoy Senor (Dylan Thomas). He’s a lovely horse and he might go for the Sefton, which is a race we like having runners in.

“I’ve always loved Aintree and it’s very much in my heart. I love Liverpool and love the people here. They look after the horses and owners so well and it’s a track I like winning at.”

Flooring Porter will attempt to finally get his hands on the Jrl Group Liverpool Hurdle following his brave second in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

The dual Prestbury Park champion had been plying his trade over fences prior to reverting to timber at the Festival, where he showed plenty of his old zest to chase home Teahupoo in the day three feature.

He will now continue to operate over the smaller obstacles, with trainer Gavin Cromwell pointing the nine-year-old towards Aintree next month and the three-mile Grade One in which he has finished second and third to Gordon Elliott’s Sire Du Berlais.

“He’s come out of Cheltenham really well and the plan is to go back to Aintree, we’re really happy with him and looking forward to it,” said Cromwell.

“He was good over fences, but is probably better over hurdles, they certainly lit him up again.

“He acts round Aintree and we’re looking forward to it. A similar performance at Aintree should put him very much in the mix.”

Meanwhile, it appears handicaps are off the agenda for highly impressive Kim Muir winner Inothewayurthinkin, who received a significant rise for his easy eight-length Cheltenham Festival success.

Owned by JP McManus, the exciting six-year-old will be forced into trying his hand in graded company if he runs again this season, with top-table targets both at home and in England possible options.

“He’s a nice horse to have going forward, he’s a young horse with hopefully a bright future,” continued Cromwell.

“He’s gone up considerably in the handicap so we will probably just have to look at the graded novice route (if he is to run again). The obvious options are Aintree or Punchestown and there is a race at Limerick as well. He’s not certain to run again before the end of the season, but if he does he will probably go for one of them.

“Hopefully the handicapper is right, and if so, he will be an exciting horse to have.”

Leading point-to-point handler Tom Ellis has decided to take out a full licence to enable him to saddle Latenightpass in the Randox Grand National at Aintree next month.

Owned and bred by the trainer’s mother Pippa Ellis, the 11-year-old has been a prolific winner between the flags and has also proved his worth in the hunter chase sphere, most notably winning the 2022 Foxhunters’ Chase over the Grand National fences under Ellis’ wife, Gina Andrews.

This season Latenightpass has switched to the care of Dan Skelton, the brother-in-law of Andrews’ sister Bridget, and has enjoyed a fine campaign – but Ellis views the prospect of running a horse so close to his heart in the world’s most famous steeplechase as a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“I suppose taking out a full licence is something we’ve been considering for some time and when the opportunity arose to potentially have a Grand National runner, we thought we probably should try and get that done,” he said.

“I felt that however long I trained for, we will never have a Grand National runner bred by mother and ridden by my wife, so it made sense to try and get it done in time if we could.”

Latenightpass made a highly encouraging first start for Skelton when second on his cross-country debut at Cheltenham in November and returned to the Cotswolds to go one better the following month.

Ellis revealed it was after that success in the Cotswolds that his Grand National dream came into sharper focus.

He added: “We sent him to Dan because Gina has been desperate to have a ride in that cross-country race at Cheltenham for years and we just felt like the course would suit the horse, so he went to Dan to do that as we weren’t able to run him in it.

“It wasn’t until that he won at the second Cheltenham meeting that we had a realistic opportunity to go for a National and once he had gone up in the weights to hopefully get in, we thought we should give it a go really.”

Since his Cheltenham win pre-Christmas, the veteran has finished down the field in the Grade Two Prestige Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock, but Ellis is not overly concerned.

“The weather Gods were against us at Haydock, he has won in heavy ground before but it was biblical up there and it was definitely a stepping-stone towards Aintree as opposed to being a big target,” he said.

“He is the gift that keeps on giving – he’s been a phenomenal little horse for us. He’s been placed three times from three runs over the National fences, albeit in the Foxhunters’, and he was fourth in the hunter chase at the Cheltenham Festival when ridden by Bridget in the Covid year because amateurs couldn’t ride.

“He’s been fairly lightly raced, which is why I think he’s still running right up to the best of his ability at the age of 11.”

Connections are hoping I Am Maximus’ own brand of jumping is not his Achilles heel when he goes for Randox Grand National glory at Aintree.

The reigning Irish Grand National champion put himself in the picture to follow in the footsteps of Rhyme ‘N’ Reason, Bobbyjo and Numbersixvalverde by also adding the Liverpool version with a dominant display in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse.

That 14-length victory over last year’s Aintree runner-up Vanillier saw Willie Mullins’ eight-year-old made the general 10-1 joint-favourite for the world’s most famous steeplechase where he will attempt to give his handler a second victory in the race 19 years on from the success of Hedgehunter.

With his stamina assured, it appears the major question I Am Maximus will have to answer when tackling the famous spruce on Merseyside surrounds his jumping.

“He did well (in the Bobbyjo) and he’s got his own technique of jumping,” said owner JP McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry.

“He seems to like Fairyhouse and he did it nicely. I believe he has come out of the race fine.

“He has his own way of getting round so it will be interesting to see how that goes at Aintree, but he’s in good form and the plan will be to go there with him.

“I don’t think stamina will be any problem to him and jumping could be his biggest problem. He will need a bit of luck but they all do round there.”

McManus has won the Grand National with both Don’t Push It (2010) and Minella Times (2021) and I Am Maximus is one of five potential National runners in the famous green and gold silks alongside Closutton stablemates Capodanno and Janidil, Joseph O’Brien’s Fakir D’oudairies and Gavin Cromwell’s Limerick Lace.

Henry de Bromhead is inclined to look towards Aintree rather than Cheltenham with Bob Olinger following his excellent effort in defeat behind State Man in the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle.

The high-class nine-year-old has thrived for a return to the smaller obstacles, winning the Lismullen Hurdle in November before following up in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

The Irish Champion represented a much sterner test and also a drop in distance to two miles, but the popular gelding acquitted himself with real credit under Rachael Blackmore, with only arguably the best hurdler outside of Constitution Hill being too good.

Owned by Brian Acheson under his Robcour banner, Bob Olinger is twice a Cheltenham Festival winner, landing the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle in 2021 and adding the Turners Novices’ Chase 12 months later.

“We were delighted with how he ran,” said De Bromhead.

“I had a little dream for a second when he looked up turning in, but State Man is such a good horse.

“I’d say we’ll aim for Aintree now with him.”

John McConnell will work backwards with Mahler Mission from his ultimate aim of the Grand National at Aintree in the spring.

The eight-year-old was last seen finishing a gallant second in the Coral Gold Cup, missing out by three and three-quarter lengths after losing both shoes during the three-mile two-furlong trip around Newbury.

The Grand National was mentioned in the aftermath of that race, with the gelding usually a fluent jumper who looked poised to triumph in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham last year until falling at the penultimate fence, having pulled four lengths clear.

Connections have now decided to pursue the Aintree aim and Mahler Mission may even have a start over hurdles to protect his mark of 155 ahead of the marathon contest.

“He’s in good form, he had a good break after the Coral and he’s back riding out now,” said McConnell.

“It was a good race, horses have won out of it since and we were very, very happy on the day. Hopefully, there’s a bit more to come.

“Hopefully, we’ll get a clear run with him; he’ll miss Cheltenham and the target will be the National.

“He should be on a nice racing weight, it’s the Grand National and we could get him there and then anything could happen on the day, but he’s entitled to take his chance.

“He ticks a lot of the boxes for the race, he’s still a relatively young horse and he’d certainly be worth his place in the field.

“We’ve not got a plan yet, I’d have to sit down and try and find a race for him before and see what there is about.

“It wouldn’t bother us if we went back over hurdles, that’s definitely an option.”

Grand National winner Corach Rambler will head straight for the Gold Cup at Cheltenham before aiming to repeat his Aintree heroics in April.

Last seen running an encouraging race to be third in the Betfair Chase, Lucinda Russell feels he would have too much weight to carry in the Ultima at Cheltenham, the race he won prior to success in the National, so therefore the Gold Cup represents a better route.

“Corach Rambler is in flying form and seems very well in himself. He’ll go straight to the Gold Cup and we’ll look to get a racecourse gallop into him before that like we did last year,” she told William Hill.

“Everyone knows how much I love him and it would be very special if he could be competitive in another Grand National. Over Christmas we watched back the race last year and it was amazing how much he loved it and how well he jumped. That is the main target and, while I don’t like to call the Gold Cup a prep, that’s sort of what we’re treating it as.

“He’ll have to carry so much weight in the Ultima and we just feel the Gold Cup will be a better race for him. It would be amazing if he could run well in that which would set him up perfectly for Aintree.”

She may have two runners in the blue riband with Ahoy Senor possibly lining up. He is likely to have another run first, however.

“Ahoy Senor is in great form and has fully recovered from his sore heel after Newbury. We’ve sorted that out and he’s been doing really well at home since,” said Russell.

“The aim looks the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham and, if we don’t go there, we’ll look at the Denman Chase at Newbury – a track we know he goes well at. The race at Lingfield (Fleur De Lys Chase) could have been an option, but I’m not keen on running him on very heavy ground.

“Providing one of those races goes well, it will most likely be the Gold Cup next. He has got an entry in the Ryanair and we could look at that, but I’d be leaning towards the Gold Cup at this stage.”

Russell, who feels she possibly ran Giovinco back too quickly in the Kauto Star Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day and may go to Sandown or Cheltenham next, also passed on a good word for the mare, Apple Away.

“She’s a bit of a dark horse and I’m quietly confident she might run quite well in the Brown Advisory. She’ll head to Warwick next weekend and I’ve been really happy with her at home since her last run,” she said.

Ben Pauling retains plenty of faith in Tellherthename as he attempts to get to the bottom of what caused his disappointing showing in Aintree’s Formby Novices’ Hurdle.

The five-year-old fetched £200,000 at the sales having got the better of recent Exeter bumper scorer and Envoi Allen’s brother Joyau Allen in the pointing field and backed up that promise in his opening outings under rules, pushing eventual Formby winner Jango Baie all the way at Ascot before bolting up at Huntingdon.

Tellherthename was sent off at odds of 5-1 when making the move to Grade One company on Boxing Day and was up with the pace before stopping quickly approaching three out, eventually being pulled up by jockey Kielan Woods.

Pauling has given the gelding a full MOT following that effort and if nothing comes to light from the extensive bout of testing, the Naunton Downs handler will be content to point towards the testing conditions at Aintree as a plausible reason for Tellherthename’s Formby no-show.

He said: “We’ve explored and turned most stones we can now because we were a bit perplexed at the time as we think he is a bit special. He was just beaten a long way out really for it to be right.

“At the moment we are still investigating but I would pretty much hang my hat on the fact he doesn’t handle that very testing ground.

“Everything so far, all his bloods and stuff, has been good, but we’ve got a few more little bits and bobs to check out.

“He seems very well in himself and if nothing comes to light, I will put it down to the fact he just can’t go on that very soft ground.”

Pauling went on: “I trotted off down the track to try to meet him to make sure he was OK and it was just very hard work.

“It was about as bad a ground I think I’ve seen in a long time and interestingly I shared a lift home with Felix De Giles who rode the French horse, July Flower, in the race and he said it was worse ground than Auteuil by a margin. His horse didn’t even handle the ground and travel to the second hurdle and she is proven on that very soft ground at Auteuil.”

Providing Tellherthename gets the all clear to continue his campaign, Pauling is keen to attempt to restore the talented novice’s confidence at the earliest opportunity.

He will be searching for an opening in calmer waters over the coming weeks where it is hoped the Megson Family-owned gelding can bounce back to his best and reignite spring festival dreams for all connected.

“If nothing comes to light, we will look to get him out in the next 10 days to two weeks in an ordinary novice somewhere, just to get his season back on track,” continued Pauling.

“We can then make plans from there whether we go straight to the Festival or look elsewhere, but as long as the horse is OK.

“From what he did at Huntingdon and before that at Ascot, the form is in the book. He just got touched off by Jango Baie at Ascot and I’m not overly worried about it all – if there is something to find we will find it, if not we will draw a line and go again.

“I think he is a very good horse and as good as we have had for a long time.”

Options are open for Tahmuras after he made amends for a below-par chasing debut with a pleasing Aintree victory.

The Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old was a Grade One winner over hurdles after taking the Tolworth at Sandown this time last year.

He was previously a point-to-point and bumper winner and was well-fancied to land his chasing debut at Chepstow in November.

Under Harry Cobden he never appeared to take to the task, however, and came home last of three in a performance that showed little of his previous ability.

He then headed to Aintree on Boxing Day to try again over fences and this time he was successful, winning by three lengths.

Noel Fehily heads the syndicate that own the gelding and the former jockey was pleased to see him regain his form.

“We were pretty happy with that run the other day, he looked a bit more like the old Tahmuras,” he said.

“He hadn’t actually done that much wrong, his first run over fences didn’t go to plan but it was nice to see him put it all together the other day.

“He was under top weight and it was a good performance, we were happy with that. He’s come out of the race well so I’m sure Paul will have some plan up his sleeve.”

On the same card the ownership group ran Fergal O’Brien’s Kamsinas, winner of the Grade Two Newton Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock and a 15-2 chance for the William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle – the same race Tahmuras won last season but relocated and renamed.

Under Paddy Brennan the seven-year-old finished sixth of nine runners and although he was hampered by a late faller, Fehily considers him to have been beaten at that point regardless.

“I thought he was beat at the time, he’s probably not quite a Grade One horse and he got found out a bit,” he said.

“At the same time I think he ran OK, but I don’t think there are any excuses for him.

“We’ll see what Fergal has got in mind for him but I suppose we’ll look for a handicap now.”

It could be a memorable Boxing Day for Paul Robson when he saddles Cannock Park in the William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree.

The fledgling handler, once a member of the riding fraternity before injury forced him to quit the weighing room, has an interesting back-story and splits his time training a small string with duties in his undertaking business in the Scottish Borders.

Robson classes training great Henrietta Knight among his close circle of friends and in Cannock Park may have found just the horse to join his great mentor on the big stage.

After some encouraging runs in bumpers, the five-year-old landed a telling blow at Cheltenham on his hurdling bow and his trainer feels he is more than worthy of his place in this Grade One contest.

Robson said: “I think he deserves his shot and at the end of the day we’re taking a step up, but so is Nicky Henderson’s horse (Jango Baie), he has only run once over hurdles. We’re in the same boat as him and the only difference is we have some bumper experience behind us.

“I think he beat some nice horses at Cheltenham and I would like to see it softer but even if it is good ground, I don’t think it would bother him. We haven’t run him on anything other than soft or heavy ground, so if it is good, it will be interesting to see how he acts on it.

“Liverpool itself will definitely suit him and looking at the form of the race, it could be lively – as there are plenty of front-runners in there.

“It looks a proper Supreme trial and I’ve looked at the race two or three ways from the aspect of which would I like to be riding and, at this moment, I would still be quite happy to be on my own. He’s got a high cruising speed and he stays well.

“There is plenty of depth to the race. We’re all excited and we don’t for any second feel we shouldn’t be in it, anyway. We’re there to give it a go and he will be going there as well as we have ever had him, so there are no excuses.”

Henderson has voiced his displeasure that this newly created race has replaced the Tolworth Hurdle but he could be the first to get his name on the roll of honour with the aforementioned Jango Baie.

The four-year-old just held on to register a nose victory over Tellherthename after the duo had a ding-dong battle up the Ascot straight and both are fancied to be thereabouts in this high-class event.

Henderson told Unibet: “The form of his Ascot win has worked out nicely, and while he takes on Ben Pauling’s horse again, I’d like to think our lad has come on for that first run.

“He handles the ground and could be quite an exciting prospect. Put it this way, we’ll know where he is in the pecking order after this.”

Since finishing second in that Ascot contest, Ben Pauling’s Tellherthename has bolted up at Huntingdon, with subsequent winners galore among the beaten horses.

“He’s a lovely horse with a lot of natural speed,” said Pauling.

“The Huntingdon race looked just a run-of-the-mill race in my eyes, and I expected him to win and he did win very nicely, but actually the form has worked out very well.

“The second (Lucky Place) came out and won by 13 lengths at Doncaster, the fifth (Soigneux Bell) has won by 11 lengths at Fontwell and the seventh (West Warhorse) has won by 16 lengths at Fakenham.

“He improved a lot from his first run, when he met Jango Baie, and he does seem to be in particularly good form with himself.

“I think he’s a very exciting horse for the future, we couldn’t be any happier with him at home and I’m looking forward to seeing how he gets on.

“It’s nice to see a proper Grade One contested by some nice, young horses.”

It was a novice hurdler that provided Fergal O’Brien with his first Grade One victory and now Kamsinas bids to another top-level strike, hot on the heels of the yard’s thrilling Long Walk Hurdle triumph with Crambo at Ascot on Saturday.

Whereas Poetic Rhythm’s 2017 Challow Hurdle success was built on pure stamina, O’Brien’s latest model possesses plenty of speed and showed lots of class when tasting Grade Two glory at Haydock last month, where he accounted for the reopposing Making Headway.

“We’ve loved him from day one,” said O’Brien. “He won his bumper for us and has done very little wrong since. He’s training very well and we’re really, really happy with him.

“He won his novice hurdle at Worcester and he won a Grade Two at Haydock and he deserves to take his chance.

“He’s a lovely stamp of a horse and we’re really looking forward to him. Fingers crossed he can run well.”

Gordon Elliott’s Farren Glory tasted Royal Bond success earlier this month and sets a high standard making the trip over from Ireland, while there is an international feel to the event with the addition of French raider July Flower, who will be ridden by Felix de Giles for handler Mickael Seror.

Nicky Richards’ Florida Dreams got off the mark over hurdles at Ayr recently and will seek his second big victory at the Merseyside track, having claimed the Grade Two bumper there in the spring.

Chepstow scorer Jackpot D’Athou represents Paul Nicholls, while Alan King’s Favour And Fortune has already struck at Hereford and Wetherby over timber.

Nicky Richards is on weather watch with Florida Dreams ahead of a possible tilt at top honours in Aintree’s William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle on Boxing Day.

If given the go-ahead for the newly-created festive Grade One, it would mean a return to the scene of the five-year-old’s finest hour, and the place where he kept on gamely to land the Grade Two bumper that concludes the Grand National Festival in the spring.

Since then, the Jimmy Fyffe-owned gelding tasted defeat on his hurdling bow at Ayr, but the Greystoke handler had his charge firing on all cylinders when returning to the Scottish venue to open his account over obstacles earlier this month.

On that occasion, he reeled in David Pipe’s Phantomofthepoints to score by a neck and Richards believes that could turn out to be a smart piece of form.

He said: “The plan is to go to Aintree and I hope they have a dry week. If it does get too soft, he probably won’t go, but we’ll see how the week goes with the weather and take it from there.

“Hopefully, it (the bumper) won’t be the last Graded race he wins and the journey is only beginning with him – I’m quite sure he is going to make into a very good horse.

“He got the job done (at Ayr) and I would say there is no doubt David Pipe’s horse is probably not a bad horse as well. We will find out in the future, but my lad is a horse with a lot of ability and I hope he goes on to prove it.”

The Aintree race, which was formerly run as the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown, has attracted a strong cast of 14 entries, with Gordon Elliott’s Royal Bond scorer Farren Glory a notable name that could be given a raiding mission.

Only a nose separated Nicky Henderson’s Jango Baie and Ben Pauling’s Tellherthename when they clashed at Ascot and, with the latter impressing subsequently, connections will be eyeing turning the tables in this Grade One event.

Fergal O’Brien’s Kamsinas will look to supplement his Haydock Grade Two victory with a perfect Christmas present up at the highest level, while Chepstow scorer Jackpot D’Athou could represent champion trainer Paul Nicholls.

Favour And Fortune has appeared a classy operator and is now deemed ready for the next level by Alan King, with Paul Robson keen to gauge Cannock Park’s true ability after a taking success at Cheltenham in November.

A continental feel to the race is added by French challenger July Flower, with the four-year-old set to represent trainer Mickael Seror.

A tilt at Randox Grand National glory looms large for Latenightpass after landing the Glenfarclas Crystal Cup at Cheltenham.

The 10-year-old has spent much of his career on the point-to-point and hunter chase circuit for the husband and wife team of trainer Tom Ellis and amateur rider Gina Andrews, memorably claiming the 2022 Foxhunters’ Chase over the National fences at Aintree.

Having finished fourth when defending his crown on Merseyside in the spring, connections decided on a change of tack late in his career, and there was plenty of encouragement to be taken from his cross-country debut and first start for Dan Skelton when second to Foxy Jacks at Prestbury Park last month.

With Andrews again in the saddle, Latenightpass was the 3-1 favourite to go one better four weeks later, and after travelling well, he found plenty for pressure following the final obstacle to score by four lengths from Francky Du Berlais.

Skelton said: “I thought coming away from last time that he acquitted himself very well but, to be fair, I don’t really know the horse that well.

“Tom (Ellis) trains him and, throughout all this, Bridget (Skelton, Gina Andrews’ sister) has done all the work on him.

“It has just been my name on the licence. He has been a massive addition to the team. Not all of them take to it, but he did.”

Asked about a tilt at the Grand National, the trainer added: “I’d say it is blindingly obvious (to have a go). I wouldn’t say he was superior there, as you have the likes of Galvin and Minella Indo, who you meet off level weights at the Festival.

“I think it is very acceptable to come back for the Festival and run against them without the expectation that you are going to beat them off level weights.

“I think Silver Birch ran in the cross-country race before winning the Grand National. I’m not saying we should be favourite for the Grand National, but I think he more than deserves his chance.

“He has got experience (over the Aintree fences), he stays the trip well. When you come out of hunter chases, you don’t know if you belong in a higher grade. I think he has probably now suggested twice that is the truth.”

There were also plenty of positives to take from the performance of Henry de Bromhead’s Minella Indo, with the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero appearing to relish his first cross-country experience on his way to finishing fourth under top-weight of 12 stone.

“After the schooling he had done at home, we were hoping he would put in a jumping performance like that,” said his rider Rachael Blackmore.

“He had to carry a lot of weight around there, so I thought it was a really good run. He took to those fences very well and he was a very enjoyable ride around them.

“Henry and the Maloneys (owners) will decide if he comes back in March, but it was a really great run and I very much enjoyed riding him.”

There was a sad postscript to the race, with Gesskille – a winner over the National fences in the Grand Sefton on his most recent appearance – suffering a fatal injury.

Gordon Elliott has branded reports that the British Horseracing Authority could limit the number of runners an individual trainer can run in major handicaps in Britain as “very dangerous”.

It has been suggested that the ruling body is consulting stakeholders to garner their views regarding the possibility of capping the amount of runners a trainer can declare in Class 1 or Class 2 handicaps to four.

If such a rule change was introduced, it would clearly have a major impact on the Randox Grand National at Aintree, as well as several handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival.

Elliott, no stranger to saddling multiple runners in high-profile races both in Britain and in Ireland, admits the prospect of being limited to how many horses he can run in a race is a huge concern.

“I think to try and cap an owner or a trainer’s horses is very dangerous,” he said after racing at Punchestown on Tuesday.

“If you go back to the 1960s, Tom Dreaper won seven Irish Grand Nationals in a row and he had 50 per cent of the field, although I know there weren’t big fields then.

“In 1983, Michael Dickinson had the first five home in the Gold Cup and then 20 years later Martin Pipe had eight and nine of the field in two races at the Cheltenham Festival – things haven’t changed.”

Elliott made the headlines last month when saddling 14 of the 20 runners in the Troytown Chase at Navan, a move which he staunchly defends.

He added: “There would only have been four runners in the Munster National if I didn’t run one in it, never mind eight, and it would have been the same in the Troytown.

“These races aren’t filling up and you have to try and support them for the sponsors and everyone.

“In the Galway Plate, I ran six horses for six different owners. It’s very hard for me to have to tell someone that they can’t run.

“We buy them all thinking they are going to be Gold Cup horses but a lot of them end up being three-mile chasers.”

When asked to comment on the potential move, a BHA spokesperson said: “From time to time, the BHA will contact stakeholders for views on various issues. We would not comment on speculation around private discussions.”