Nicky Henderson will be looking to return to the big-time at Aintree on Thursday as he saddles Shishkin in the Aintree Bowl Chase and Sir Gino in the Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle on Thursday.
Henderson, who endured a horrid Cheltenham Festival and has saddled just four runners in the last fortnight, will be hoping Shishkin can make a successful return to Grade 1 company when he faces six rivals in the Aintree Bowl Chase on the opening day of the Grand National meeting.
The ten-year-old six-time Grade 1 winner refused to race on his belated seasonal reappearance in the 1965 Chase before an unfortunate unseat in the King George on Boxing Day. Henderson's star chaser will take on the likes of this year's Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Gerri Colombe in his bid to defend his Aintree Bowl crown, whilst the Emmet Mullins-trained Corbetts Cross will attempt to follow up his impressive wide-margin success in the National Hunt Chase for owner JP McManus.
Fellow Irish raider Gentlemansgame will be hoping to bounce back from pulling-up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, whilst Bravemansgame, who finished fifth in the Blue Riband event, will sport first-time cheekpieces for Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden.
Dual Aintree Grand National Meeting winner Ahoy Senor and the Olly Murphy-trained Thunder Rock complete the field of seven.
Shark Halon's King George hero Hewick was a notable absentee from the initial twelve-strong entry list, with the trainer now likely to declare his stable star for the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle on Saturday in the hope of avoiding testing conditions.
Earlier on the card, Sir Gino, one of several high-profile absentees from the Cheltenham Festival from the Seven Barrows yard, will take on a talented but select field of six as he attempts to remain unbeaten for owners Marie and Joe Donnelly.
An impressive winner of the Grade 2 Triumph Hurdle Trial at Cheltenham in January, the French-bred son of It's Gino was a general odds-on shot for Triumph Hurdle glory back at Prestbury Park last March.
He'll face Triumph Hurdle runner-up Kargese, the unbeaten Paul Nicholls-trained Kalif Du Berlais, who landed the Grade 2 Adonis Juvenile Hurdle on his last start, and Triumph Hurdle fourth Nurburgring.
Limerick scorer Intellotto and Dirty Den round out the sextet.
Bob Olinger, who deliberately bypassed the Cheltenham Festival, will face seven challengers in the Aintree Hurdle and both Grey Dawning and Ginny's Destiny are booked for a rematch after the pair featured among the five declarations in the Manifesto Novices' Chase.
