Cloth Cap looks an Aintree natural but big step-up needed for National success

Jonjo O'Neill thinks Cloth Cap could be a Grand National horse and he's probably right. The problem is that to win at Aintree you need two things and the right horse is just half the battle.

The other factor any horse needs to win a big handicap is the right handicap mark – and after winning so impressively at Newbury at the weekend Cloth Cap will be set for a hike up the ratings.

At the time of writing his new BHA rating had not been published but, having just won a major handicap by ten lengths off 138, he is likely to be bumped up to the low 150s. That will make life a lot tougher.