Gold Cup first for Definitly Red but Ellison not ruling out Aintree

The Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup is the priority for Grand National top weight Definitly Red, but handicapper Phil Smith is confident of a placing there which would set him up perfectly for a second crack at the Randox Health-backed Aintree spectacular.

Smith said: "It'll be great if Definitly Red lines up because I'm confident he'll have already at least been placed at Cheltenham by then. In what looks like an open Gold Cup, I think he'll finish in the first four.

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"In the past, horses at the top of the handicap have been very worthy horses – horses that had run well in Gold Cups for example – but perhaps horses on their way down. The progressive horses at the top of the handicap is the biggest change for me when looking at this year’s race."

Definitly Red has gone from strength to strength since he was pulled up after being badly hampered at Becher's on the first lap last year and, following his Cheltenham defeat of fellow Grand National entries American, Bristol De Mai and The Last Samuri, the general 16-1 chance is widely regarded as a live each-way Gold Cup contender.

It's no wonder, then, that trainer Ellison is prioritising the festival, although he is certainly not ruling out Aintree, for which he is 20-1.

Ellison said: "He's rated 167 now so we knew he'd get top weight, although it's been compressed a bit here. It's what we expected. We'll get the Gold Cup out of the way and then see what happens.

"After last year I'm not sure how I feel about it. He was off 149 then and so he should've had a hell of a chance, but one fell in front of him and he had to climb over the top of him.

"He's improved a lot this year. If you go through The Last Samuri, we beat him last season getting 12lb and this season we've given him 6lb."

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