Aintree is calling for dual Grand National winner Tiger Roll

A total of 13 horses are in the mix for the Grade Two contest that includes Native River, another former Gold Cup hero, and Nicky Henderson’s stablemates Champ and Fusil Raffles.

Kim Bailey’s Imperial Aura – a faller in the Betfair Chase at Haydock – also features alongside Dan Skelton’s Protektorat, runner up to Sue and Harvey Smith’s Midnight Shadow in Cheltenham’s Paddy Power Gold Cup.

It is Tiger Roll, winner of the National in both 2018 and 2019 and arguably still the best known horse in training, who racegoers would love to see in action.

The first horse since the legendary Red Rum to land successive Nationals, the 11-year-old has not won a race since conquering Aintree’s test for a second time under an ice-cool Davy Russell, who spent his formative years as a jockey with the late Ferdy Murphy in West Witton.

“He’ll probably go to Aintree for the Grade Two at Aintree on Saturday,” said trainer Gordon Elliott. “Then he’ll go to the Boyne Hurdle and the cross country at Cheltenham.

“He probably isn’t what he was, but if we can get him back to win another cross country it will be a dream come true.

“He’s a horse of a lifetime. Anyone that comes into the yard at Cullentra, he’s the first you see as he lives in the first stable and to have a horse like him around the place is unbelievable.

“If you’re going to dream, we’d love to go back and win a third Grand National, but the stats don’t lie. It will be three years since he ran in a Grand National (by April 2022).

“It’s not getting any easier for him, he’s not getting any younger and if you were to ask me, I’d love to win another cross country at Cheltenham with him. I think if he won it would bring the roof down.

“He’s a little superstar and I’m very lucky to have him.”

A total of 26 remain in the Unibet Becher Chase over the National fences, including Henry de Bromhead’s Chris’s Dream.

Elliott is likely to run Escaria Ten and Ravenhill, with Scottish National winner Mighty Thunder, Kimberlite Candy and Lord Du Mesnil others of note. Catterick trainer Phil Kirby has entered Top Ville Ben, a former winner of Wetherby’s Rowland Meyrick Chase.

Meanwhile, Willie Mullins has left both Chacun Pour Soi and Allaho in Saturday’s Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown.

Ireland’s multiple champion trainer announced last week that he intends to be represented by five-time Grade One winner Chacun Pour Soi in the two-mile highlight, but he still has a second string to his bow in Allaho, who won the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival before being beaten by his stablemate at Punchestown.

The home defence is headed by Dan Skelton’s Nube Negra, a thoroughly impressive winner of the Shloer Chase on his return to action at Cheltenham’s November meeting under the trainer’s brother Harry.

Skelton is looking forward to the challenge, saying: “It is a Grade One and Willie is bringing over Chacun Pour Soi who is very good and though it’s his first start of the season I wouldn’t think he will be needing the run.

“We beat him at Cheltenham in the Champion Chase, but he beat us on slower ground at Punchestown at the back end of the season. I’ve got our horse as well as I can have him.

“The forecast looks like it will give us decent ground which suits us a lot.

“We know we have got a big task on, but I’m really looking forward to it.

“A repeat of that Cheltenham run will put him very close, but I think he has improved a bit.”