Walk In The Mill ready for Becher hat-trick bid at Aintree

As in the two previous seasons, Yorkshire-born Robert Walford’s 10-year-old heads to Merseyside on Saturday with the benefit of a run this autumn after finishing seventh at Ascot at the end of October.

Fourth to Tiger Roll in the 2019 Randox Health Grand National, Walk In The Mill runs in the colours of Baroness Dido Harding – the controversial Tory peer in charge of the Government’s Track and Trace programme.

Vieux Lion Rouge is another previous winner of the race, sponsored by William Hill this year, having struck in 2016. His trainer David Pipe also has recent Cheltenham winner Ramses De Teillee under consideration.

Kimberlite Candy, who took the runner-up spot last December, could try to go one better. The Tom Lacey-trained eight-year-old has not raced since winning the Classic Chase at Warwick in January.

Paul Nicholls is two-handed with top-weight Yala Enki and Give Me A Copper, who has been off the track for almost 12 months.

Other possibles include 2019 Eider Chase victor Crosspark and 2018 Scottish National hero Joe Farrell, while Jessica Harrington’s Jett is the sole Irish challenger in the mix.

Venetia Williams has left Aso in both the Becher and Grand Sefton Handicap Chase – for which 23 horses remain.

Modus, successful over the Mildmay fences at Aintree this autumn, represents the Nicholls team along with Sametegal.

Lord Du Mesnil, runner-up in Haydock’s Grand National Trial in February, is set to return to the Merseyside area following a recent spin over hurdles at Kelso.

The Nicky Henderson-trained Might Bite, second in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2018, could have his first try at the National fences.

Nigel Twiston-Davies has left in Crievehill and Flying Angel, while Dr Richard Newland is double-handed with Beau Bay and Caid Du Lin – and Wetherby Listed winner Huntsman Son and Springtown Lake are among other interesting contenders.

Meanwhile Nicky Henderson’s Santini, runner-up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, could make his seasonal reappearance in the Many Clouds Chase on the same card – a Grade Two race previously won on two occasions by Brian Ellison’s Definitly Red.

Meanwhile Aye Right is “absolutely bouncing” after his Ladbrokes Trophy exertions and has earned himself a short break with his fine effort to finish runner-up at Newbury.

Harriet Graham’s seven-year-old ran a tremendous race on Saturday, behind all-the-way winner Cloth Cap in one of the best staying handicap chases of the entire season.

Aye Right, the Charlie Hall Chase third, was always prominent under Callum Bewley, but the task of giving Cloth Cap 14lb proved too much as he went down by 10 lengths.

“He’s fine, he’s absolutely bouncing,” said Jedburgh-based Graham. “He’s been stretching his legs out in the field and is having a few easy days before we make some plans going forward.

“He’ll probably won’t run again until next year now, but that’s too far away now. The potential goal might be the Scottish National, but we actually haven’t talked about it yet.

“We’ll wait until we’ve all calmed down a bit, because he ran such a great race.”

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