'The handicapper might have given him a chance'

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Tiger Roll and 17 others
Anyone would know that Tiger Roll was going to have 11st 10lb. You always hope he was going to have a pound or two less but Martin and his team have a job to do and we’re 4lb worse off with Magic Of Life, so for me it’s probably fair play. The plan is to run at the weekend at Navan; he’ll come on for the run. I imagine I’ll have half a dozen runners, we’ll be a bit more selective than last year. I’m looking forward to Alpha Des Obeaux and The Storyteller has a nice weight. Jury Duty could run well with a bit of dry ground.

Willie Mullins, trainer of Acapella Bourgeois, Burrows Saint, Cabaret Queen, Cadmium, Chef Des Obeaux, Class Conti, Pleasant Company, Total Recall and Voix Du Reve
I'm hoping they'll all get into the race, though Cadmium probably won't run. A lot of them can stay and jump, so they have fighting chances. Pleasant Company was going well when he fell last year. I'm happy with the weights. Burrows Saint won the Irish National last year and we're preparing him for this race. He's got a nice weight. I think the extra trip will suit him. I'm looking forward to running him. Total Recall has his own way of jumping but if you can stay with him he gets you there. He came out the other day and won the Thyestes, which is a good trial. And second to Total Recall that day was Class Conti and he could be nicely in off a lower weight. That was a nice Grand National trial performance. Age is going to be against Pleasant Company but in another stride he might have got past Tiger Roll and last year he was travelling very well when he came down. The handicapper might have given him a chance.

Bristol De Mai: 'is running in the Gold Cup, then we’ll see what happens'Credit: Grossick Racing 07710461723

Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of Bristol De Mai, Ballyoptic, Cogry, Crievehill, Flying Angel, The Hollow Ginge and Townshend
Bristol De Mai is running in the Gold Cup, then we’ll see what happens. The others would run if they got in. Ballyoptic is definitely coming; he was going well when he fell last year. Crievehill is running in the 888Sport Handicap Chase and that’s a good National trial and I’m very pleased with him. Cogry has been running brilliantly all season and he needs the distance. Flying Angel is a very good jumper.