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.”

Gavin Cromwell’s Malina Girl will seek to overcome a top-weight burden in the Wigley Group Classic Handicap Chase at Warwick on Saturday.

The classy mare was a faller last time when going well in a valuable Cheltenham handicap, prior to which she was victorious in the Jewson Handicap Chase at the same track in November.

The seven-year-old will shoulder 12st in what is invariably a gruelling affair, though conditional rider Conor Stone-Walsh can ease that slightly with his claim.

Cromwell – who has enjoyed plenty of success in his raids across the Irish Sea this season – said: “Top-weight is not ideal and she is quite a small mare so Conor Stone-Walsh is going to claim 5lb and give her every chance.

“She seemed to be going well last time, but it was too early to say (if she would have won).

“The trip won’t be a problem and she stays well. She seems in good order so hopefully gives a good account of herself. ”

Nigel Twiston-Davies will be represented in the contest by Beauport, second on his most recent outing when seeming to return to form in the London National Handicap Chase at Sandown.

Willy Twiston-Davies, assistant to his father, said: “It has always looked like there would be a big pot in him and the trip will suit him well. The ground will be spot on and we’re very excited and looking forward to running him.

“He won some very nice races as a novice over hurdles and the Colin Parker over fences, but last year just didn’t fall right for him, so hopefully there is a nice one in him this year.

“He has slipped down to a very handy mark which hopefully he will be very competitive off.”

Charlie Longsdon has long had this meeting in mind for Guetapan Collonges, third in the Cheltenham contest won by Malina Girl and fourth in this race last season.

“This race has been the plan for Guetapan Collonges for some time,” the Chipping Norton trainer said.

“We thought about going for a race at Cheltenham during the Christmas meeting but then we thought we would wait for this.

“He is a lot more experienced compared to this time 12 months ago when I thought we were right in the deep end.

“Although he had won at Warwick the time before he had only had a handful of races over fences against small fields and he was very much a second season-chaser that was still very inexperienced.

“Since last year’s race he has run in the Midlands National and a big handicap chase around Cheltenham. He is a lot more experienced now and a lot more streetwise.”

Paul Nicholls runs Broken Halo, a nine-year-old who looks to put behind him a fall in the London National.

“He bounced back to form with victories in two races for military riders at Sandown in the spring and was running another sound race at the same track six weeks ago when he fell three from home,” the trainer said via Betfair.

“I was surprised to see him going so well until then because I didn’t think he was ready. Broken Halo needed a bit of time to recover from quite a heavy fall that day, but he is fine now and has done plenty of schooling.”

Elsewhere in the field are Dan Skelton’s Galia Des Liteaux, the winner and runner-up of two Listed mares’ chase this season, and Nicky’s Henderson City Chief, fourth in the Jewson Handicap Chase and fifth in the handicap in which Malina Girl fell.

Venetia Williams runs Fontaine Collonges, the Rowland Meyrick winner at Wetherby on Boxing Day, and Sheila Lewis will saddle the grey stayer Volcano, fifth here last season.

Malina Girl was a wide-margin winner of the Jewson Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.

A 11-2 chance for the staying contest, last season’s Ulster National heroine jumped well for Sean Flanagan as Venetia Williams’ Cloudy Glen made the running.

At the turn for home Flanagan asked his mount to challenge and after two ground-covering leaps up the hill the Gavin Cromwell-trained six-year-old was well clear at the line to record a 10-length success from Cloudy Glen. Guetapan Collonges finished well up the hill to be just a length adrift of the runner-up spot.

“She’s very small little mare, but she has a huge heart,” said Cromwell, who was at Navan.

“I was disappointed with her first run back over hurdles, I thought she’d run a big race but I was scratching my head a bit after it.

“But those extended trips, and English fences probably help her, too. I’m delighted. She powered home.”

He added: “Those staying handicaps, we’ll see what the handicapper does. To be honest, I thought she’d found her level and we’d be back at the Ulster National next year, but it might be different now.”