Paul Kealy's play of the day at Aintree

Ahoy Senor
2.55 Aintree

Lucinda Russell's eight-year-old was running a cracker in the Gold Cup until falling six from home, but he won't have had a hard race and he can normally be relied upon to run really well in the spring.

He has won easily at this meeting in each of the last two years, first when slamming Bravemansgame in a Grade 1 novice hurdle and then when winning the 3m Grade 1 novice chase last season.

Throughout his career he has tended to get better as the season has progressed and he went into the Gold Cup on the back of a career-best win in the Cotswold Chase.

It was too far out to say what would have happened in the Gold Cup, but he looked to be in the process of putting in another top-notch effort, and if the fall hasn't left its mark he can be a player with Brian Hughes deputising for Derek Fox, who is sitting this one out in a bid to recover from injury in time to ride Corach Rambler in the Grand National.