Last month's Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Finian's Rainbow and four-time Grade One scorer Albertas Run feature among a top-class entry of 11 for the £175,000 Grade One John Smith's Melling Chase (3.05pm), highlight of the second day of the John Smith's Grand National meeting, Ladies' Day, at Aintree on Friday, April 13.
Finian's Rainbow battled to a game victory over defending champion Sizing Europe at Cheltenham and the Nicky Henderson-trained nine-year-old is aiming to maintain his faultless record at Aintree, having posted a comfortable success in the Grade One John Smith's Maghull Novices' Chase on his first visit to Liverpool a year ago.
Dual Ryanair Chase hero Albertas Run also boasts an impressive record on the Mildmay Course. The 11-year-old captured the John Smith's Melling Chase in 2010 and was runner-up to Master Minded in the two and a half-mile contest 12 months later.
Jonjo O'Neill's charge won the Grade Two Betfred Monet's Garden Old Roan Chase at Aintree in October and the John Smith's Extra Cold Handicap Hurdle at the 2007 John Smith's Grand National Meeting. He ran an excellent race in defeat at this year's Cheltenham Festival on March 15, going down by half a length to Riverside Theatre in the Ryanair Chase.
Forpadydeplasterer chased home Albertas Run in the 2010 John Smith's Melling Chase and his trainer Tom Cooper is hoping that the return to Aintree can play to the 10-year-old's strengths following his sixth behind Riverside Theatre and Albertas Run at Cheltenham.
Cooper revealed: “Forpadydeplasterer is heading to Aintree for the John Smith's Melling Chase.
“We were considering him for the John Smith's Topham Chase on the same day but we thought that the two and a half miles around the Mildmay Course would suit him better.
“There was nothing going better than him between the third last and second last fences in the Ryanair Chase but he just didn't get home on that occasion. He has run well in the John Smith's Melling Chase before and returns to Aintree in super form.”
The Alan King-trained Medermit could also bid to reverse the form with Albertas Run after finishing third in the 2012 Ryanair Chase, while Philip Hobbs has given an entry to Wishfull Thinking, who was a comprehensive winner of the Grade Two Betfred Manifesto Novices' Chase from Medermit at the 2011 John Smith's Grand National meeting.
Other notable contenders include the Ferdy Murphy-trained Kalahari King, whose finest hour to date came at Aintree with victory the John Smith's Maghull Novices' Chase in April, 2009, and this season's Racing Post Arkle Chase runner-up Cue Card, representing Colin Tizzard.
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls could run French Grade One victor Kauto Stone and Poquelin, while the entry is completed by the Tim Vaughan-trained Tartak and the Peter Bowen-trained Pure Faith, who went down by a length to Albertas Run in the Betfred Monet's Garden Old Roan Chase.
Ladies' Day also features £100,000 Grade One John Smith's Sefton Novices' Hurdle (4.15pm) over an extended three miles. A total of 29 entries include Fingal Bay, who is unbeaten in four starts over the smaller obstacles for Philip Hobbs, including a length success in the Grade One Challow Novices' Hurdle at Newbury in December.
Always Waining features among 31 horses going forward in the £100,000 Grade Three John Smith's Topham Chase (3.40pm) over the National fences. The Peter Bowen-trained 11-year-old could bid for a third successive win in the extended two mile, five furlong handicap chase, although he may take his chance in the John Smith's Grand National 24 hours later.
The weights for the John Smith's Topham Chase are headed by Tartak, who captured the Grade Two John Smith's Manifesto Novices' Chase at Aintree in April, 2009, while other notable confirmations include the Tom George-trained Triangular and progressive Grade Two victor Apt Approach, from the stable of Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins.
John Smith's Topham Chase – Betfred bet:
8/1 Triangular, 12/1 Always Waining, 14/1 Chance du Roy, Little Josh, Frankie Figg, Aimigayle, Fabalu, 16/1 Apt Approach, Fistral Beach, Carrickboy, In Compliance, Bob Lingo, Buffalo Bob, 20/1 Tartak, Gonebeyondrecall, Paradis de Thaix, 25/1 Giorgio Quercus, Matuhi, Viking Blond, Arklow Ger, Sunday City, Rio Gael, Douglas Julian, Bai Zhu, Montoyas Son, Nikola, 33/1 Herecomesthetruth, Moon Over Miami, Wake Board, Minella Theatre, Massinis Sunset.Each Way 1/4 odds 1-2-3-4
A seven-race card gets underway at 2pm with the £50,000 Grade Two Tangle Teezer Top Novices' Hurdle and the 21 entries for the extended two-mile contest are headed by Darlan, runner-up in the William Hill Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. His trainer Nicky Henderson has also entered Ericht, Molotof, Captain Conan and Oscara Dara.
Champion Court was also second at Cheltenham last month, finding Sir Des Champs four and a half lengths too strong in the Grade Two Jewson Novices' Chase, and the Martin Keighley-trained seven-year-old is among 11 contenders for the £75,000 Grade Two John Smith's Mildmay Novices' Chase (2.30pm).
The racing action concludes with a pair of Listed contests - the £40,000 John Smith's Daily Mirror Punters Club Handicap Hurdle (4.50pm, 64 entries), and the John Smith's Mares' Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race (5.25pm, 27 entries).
