Last year's Grand Sefton second Gesskille set for repeat bid as National course rides heavy

Aintree has been "pumping water out of manholes" to maintain its drainage system in advance of Saturday's meeting which features the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase, the season's first race over the Grand National fences, for which the ground was on Monday described as heavy, soft in places.

Last year's runner-up Gesskille is a top-priced 9-2 favourite to go one better this time and is among 16 to feature at the five-day confirmation stage for the BoyleSports-sponsored £100,000 contest

Gesskille, who lost out by just a nose to Al Dancer on a sounder surface last season, goes into the 2m5f race on the back of a success at Auteuil in September.

Trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, the seven-year-old also showed his liking for the National fences when filling the runner-up spot in the Becher Chase.

More rain could arrive at Aintree during an unsettled week and clerk of the course Sulekha Varma said on Monday: "We keep getting these heavy showers and we're going to have to take it as it comes.

"The team is out there trying to keep our drainage system moving and pumping water out of manholes. We'll have to take it day by day as there's certainly more rain in the forecast.

"We're forecast sunny spells interspersed with showers in the next couple of days and then Wednesday and Thursday are looking windier and wetter, while Saturday is looking like a dry day."

The ground on the Mildmay chase and hurdle courses is soft, heavy in places.

The Nicky Henderson-trained Fantastic Lady could return over the National fences in the Grand Sefton having finished second in the Topham in April, while Cooper's Cross, who won the Sky Bet Chase before going on to finish second in the Scottish Grand National, is another notable potential runner for Stuart Coltherd.

Frodon winning last year's Badger Beer at Wincanton Credit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Frodon looks set to return in Saturday's 62nd Badger Beer Handicap Chase at Wincanton – a race he won last year – with Bryony Frost already jocked up. 

The triple Grade 1 winner is one of three entries in the race from a total of 16 for Paul Nicholls, who has won the race four times in the last six years, along with Complete Unknown and Threeunderthrufive. 

Nicholls has the highest-rated runner in the West Country Weekend Elite Hurdle in Rubaud, whose potential rivals include the Dan Skelton-trained trio West Balboa, Molly Ollys Wishes and Sacre Coeur.

The champion trainer has entered three in the Grade 2 Boodles 'Rising Stars' Novices' Chase with Knappers Hill, Stay Away Fay and Tahmuras among 12 possibles.

The ground at Wincanton was soft on Monday and clerk of the course Daniel Cooper is anticipating an easier week than last year when managing relatively quick ground and an unsettled forecast.

"We've had a dry day with a strong breeze and I'd anticipate updating the ground to good to soft in places shortly," Cooper said. 

"There's six to seven millimetres of rain forecast on Wednesday and Thursday and I'm pretty confident we'll be maintaining conditions now and be soft or thereabouts for raceday."  

A total of 34 entries were made for Saturday's Virgin Bet November Handicap, which has been moved from a waterlogged Doncaster to the all-weather at Newcastle. The race has a safety limit of 14 rather than 22, with Base Note, Local Dynasty and Teumessias Fox among the higher-rated possibles.

BoyleSports Grand Sefton Handicap Chase (2.45 Aintree, Saturday)

bet365: 9-2 Gesskille, 6 Fantastic Lady, 8 Born By The Sea, 9 Cooper's Cross, Sail Away, 10 bar

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What's on this week: Melbourne Cup, Grade 1 Down Royal action and major betting handicaps at Aintree and Wincanton

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