'It's beautiful ground - lovely jumping ground' - jockeys agree with Aintree going description after opener

Jockeys riding in the first race of the Randox Grand National meeting at Aintree were generally in agreement with the official ground description of good to soft.

The three-day fixture, which climaxes with the Grand National on Saturday, started on good to soft going on the Mildmay course, with the National course, where the Randox Foxhunters' Open Hunters' Chase (4.05) will be run on Thursday, described as good to soft, soft in places.

Banbridge got the meeting off to flyer for Joseph O'Brien in the Racehorse Lotto Manifesto Novices' Chase when beating Saint Roi by a length and a half.

Mark Walsh, rider of the runner-up, said of conditions: "It's beautiful ground - lovely jumping ground. It's on the slow side of good."

Keith Donoghue, who finished third on Visionarian, said: "It's lovely ground, there's probably a little bit more good coming into it, but it's lovely safe ground."

Straw Fan Jack was fourth home under Sean Houlihan, who added: "It's good to soft - like a carpet. It's on the easy side of good, good to soft."

The clock backed up the view of the jockeys with a winning time of 4m 59.24s, which was 7.24s slower than the Racing Post standard.

O'Brien pulled Banbridge out of the Cheltenham Festival due to the ground being too soft and after walking the course this morning, he gave conditions the thumbs-up.

He said: "It's lovely, safe ground today, they've done a fantastic job on the course, it's on the easy side but perfect spring ground."

Although scattered showers bringing 1-2mm were forecast for Thursday, it remained dry, bright and breezy in the build up to the start of racing.

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