All you need to know as Gold Cup runner-up Might Bite bids to go one better

Betway Bowl Chase (Grade 1) | 5yo+ | 3m 210y | ITV/RUK

Cheltenham Gold Cup heroes notoriously don't win the Betway Bowl so Might Bite, runner-up to Native River in the festival showpiece 27 days ago, has one factor in his favour before he bids to round off his campaign on a successful note.

As the winner of this season's 32Red King George VI Chase, Might Bite has the chance to follow in the footsteps of Cue Card and the late Silviniaco Conti, who put Gold Cup disappointments behind them to claim the Grade 1 prize.

His prospects depend on how well he has come out of a gruelling encounter in the most testing conditions, in which he battled gallantly with Native River before going down by four and a half lengths.

Because they had such hard races at Cheltenham, trainer Nicky Henderson does not bring Altior and Buveur D'Air to Aintree but, on all the evidence at home, Might Bite appears to be the exception.

"It's impossible to tell how much Cheltenham has taken out of a horse but Might Bite is the one that has given us very positive vibes since then," he said. "He ran a fantastic race at Cheltenham.

"Altior isn't coming forward and nor is Buveur D'Air this week. They all had tough races at Cheltenham. No horse will have had an easy race because of the ground and we're coming straight back into more soft ground.

"They're not here for that reason. I want a bit more time. Whereas Might Bite seems to have taken the Gold Cup extremely well. He won round Aintree last year. The ground is what we don't want."

Pros
Gold Cup and King George performances make him the stand out horse on form

Cons
Of the five Gold Cup runners to win this in the last ten years, none finished in the first three at Cheltenham

Bristol in ship-shape after wind op

Back in November, Bristol De Mai was the highest-rated chaser in Britain with a Racing Post Rating of 182 following a 57-length demolition of his rivals in the Grade 1 Betfair Chase.

But he didn't run to within 20lb of that mark on his next two starts – the King George where he could not live with Might Bite and the Cotswold Chase, in which he was only third behind Definitly Red.

Bristol De Mai: makes his first start since a wind opCredit: John Grossick

Now having had wind surgery since January, and missing the Cheltenham Festival in the meantime, he has the chance to show whether his RPR – and an official rating which stood at 173 after Haydock and is now 165 – was inflated.

Nigel Twiston-Davies has never lost faith in the grey, who was beaten 25 lengths in this race behind Tea For Two last season but has still saved his best performances for Haydock.

"He just wasn't quite right in the Cotswold Chase but he seems in really good form now," said the trainer. "We checked his wind afterwards and decided to give him the operation. He probably had the same issue in the King George.

"Hopefully we have a new horse for this race. His Betfair Chase form would be good enough to win this. There are enormous regrets about having to miss the Gold Cup but if he wins this there won't be."

Pros
Runaway Betfair Chase win rated higher than that of Native River in the Gold Cup

Cons
Could be a Haydock specialist and was well beaten in this race last year

Definitly better on good ground

Definitly Red started second favourite for the Grand National last year but, after a disastrous run in which his saddle slipped, he is back over conventional fences for this year's Aintree appearance.

Brian Ellison's stable star beat Cloudy Dream over course and distance in December and sealed his place in the Gold Cup field by landing the Cotswold Chase, in which Bristol De Mai and Tea For Two were among his victims.

Definitly Red: much better suited to better groundCredit: Alan Crowhurst

He was beaten 39 lengths in the Gold Cup but the extremely testing ground did not suit Definitly Red, according to Ellison.

"He was beaten after jumping two at Cheltenham," he said. "The ground was just too deep for him. When he won at Aintree and it was heavy, it was loose and they were getting through it. At Cheltenham it just didn't happen for him.

"He's such a lovely-moving horse and he didn't like it. I hope the ground is better this time. Obviously Might Bite will take all the beating but he won well round there before and keeps working well."

Pros
Course-and-distance win on heavy going puts him at an advantage over others

Cons
Probably outclassed in the Gold Cup and could find Might Bite too hot to handle again

Ready to do the Shuffle

Double Shuffle outran his 50-1 odds to split Might Bite and Tea For Two in the King George and, frustratingly for trainer Tom George, has not had the chance to prove the performance was no flash in the pan.

Double Shuffle: comes into this race freshCredit: Mark Cranham

He was a late withdrawal from the Gold Cup but at least comes into this race, which George won in 2011 with Nacarat, as one of the freshest in the field.

George said: "He hadn't eaten up the night before Cheltenham so we decided to give the Gold Cup a miss. He wouldn't have much liked the ground anyway.

"We've won this before, which is always a help. He ran a great race in the King George, he was always up in the first three or four. It was no fluke."

Tea For Two: winner of this race last year is backCredit: Edward Whitaker

Tea For Two, who was seventh in the Gold Cup after being hampered early, beat Cue Card in this race 12 months ago having had a similar build-up. He returns under Lizzie Kelly as an underestimated contender.

"I thought he put up a decent enough performance in the Gold Cup," said Kelly. "He has ended up running in some races in which the ground hasn't really suited this season. It is not ideal that the rain keeps coming but he does like Aintree. He looks amazing and he feels as well as he ever has done."

Clan Des Obeaux has not run since finishing second under top weight in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup in December.

Trainer Paul Nicholls said: "He had a little setback after his last run so we missed Cheltenham. We've rushed a little to get him ready but he has done a lot of graft.

Clan Des Obeaux: goes well freshCredit: Edward Whitaker

"He's very good fresh and a lot of the others have had plenty of stick at Cheltenham. I've always wanted to run him over three miles. It's a very good race and he has it do but his form when he was beaten a head by Whisper worked out well."

Sub Lieutenant was fourth in the Ryanair and is 0-12 in Grade 1 company.

Sub Lieutenant: hopes to make it 13-time lucky in Grade 1 companyCredit: Alain Barr

Trainer Henry de Bromhead said: "He ran well in the Ryanair at Cheltenham and came out of the race well. We're happy with him and, hopefully, going back up in trip won't be a problem."

Sizing Codelco, who concludes the field, has been pulled up in three of his four starts this term and looks out of his depth, but came good in a handicap this time last year.

Sizing Codelco: using this as a prep for the Scottish NationalCredit: John Grossick

Trainer Colin Tizzard said: "We were going nowhere with him last year until taking him to Aintree.

"I'm sure he's better than he has been showing and it's a mystery. We hoped the race might cut up and the race would put him right for the Scottish National but he takes his chance."

Members can read the latest exclusive interviews, news analysis and comment available from 6pm daily on racingpost.com