Willie Mullins unveils Aintree team with Kemboy out to regain Betway Bowl

Willie Mullins has admitted his Randox Grand National team is not as strong as previous years as he attempts to win the race for a second time, but the trainer who dominated the Cheltenham Festival with ten winners is expecting a bold showing from Kemboy in the Betway Bowl on Thursday (2.55).

Kemboy's best ever display arguably came in that very race in 2019 when he made all and beat Clan Des Obeaux by nine lengths. Mullins resisted the temptation of sending him to the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup in order to keep him fresh for Aintree.

Mullins said: "Kemboy loves the track and was very good in the Bowl a few years ago so we decided to skip Cheltenham this year and aim for Aintree instead."

Mullins, whose sole Grand National success arrived in 2005 thanks to the Trevor Hemmings-owned Hedgehunter, will have a team of four for Saturday's showpiece – Burrows Saint, Brahma Bull, Class Conti and Agusta Gold.

According to the market, last year's fourth Burrows Saint is Mullins' best chance of glory and he is as short as 16-1 with Coral and Ladbrokes, but the trainer was not jumping up and down about his prospects.

Mullins said: "Burrows Saint is fine. You would rather have had a better run in the Bobbyjo [beaten 42 lengths into third] and it's going to be hard to turn around the form with Any Second Now."

On the rest of his squad, he added: "The team might not be as strong as other years. You'd rather some of them had better runs prior to the National, but then it’s the National and who knows what’s going to happen?"

Mullins has a total of 13 entries over the three-day Grand National meeting, although the five-day forfeits for Saturday are not revealed until Monday so that number could change. Among them is runaway Tramore maiden hurdle winner El Fabiolo, who is reported to be in "great form" by his trainer ahead of the Grade 1 Betway Top Novices' Hurdle.

Galway Plate winner Royal Rendezvous could tackle the Marsh Chase or the Topham, while Annamix and Blackbow could also run in the latter. Mullins is hoping officials at the course decide to water ahead of day one on Thursday.

He said: "I read this morning that the clerk of the course was worried about whether to water or not. I always thought a rule of thumb was not to worry about having it over-watered, safety is the main thing to me and a little too much is better than a little too less."

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