Grand National runner-up The Last Samuri is set to make his seasonal reappearance in the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal next weekend.
Following successive wins at Kempton and Doncaster, the eight-year-old was joint-favourite to provide trainer Kim Bailey with his second triumph in the Aintree spectacular following the victory of Mr Frisk in 1990.
The Last Samuri travelled powerfully for a long way before eventually being reeled in by the Mouse Morris-trained Rule The World.
Bailey had considered letting his stable star make his return to action in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, but has instead decided to wait a week, with a trip to Northern Ireland on his agenda.
Bailey said: "I think we'll probably take him to Down Royal.
"I'm very happy with him and getting him back to Aintree is the main plan.
"He's not going to be easy to place as he's not very big, so it would be tough for him to carry big weights in handicaps.
"We'll probably following a very similar route to last year and go back to Doncaster before the National."
