Lieutenant has chance to show he can be commander this time

3.25 Aintree

JLT Melling Chase | 2m4f | Grade 1 | 5yo+ | ITV/RUK

There is no Un De Sceaux or Special Tiara but it is still an intriguing race as seven of the vanquished from the Ryanair Chase and Champion Chase meet.

In the blur of Un De Sceaux’s brilliant Ryanair win it was easy to miss Sub Lieutenant. But finishing less than two lengths second was a fine performance and here he gets a first taste of Aintree since finishing fourth in the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle three years ago.

Bryan Cooper, who rode Empire Of Dirt in the Ryanair, takes over from David Mullins in the saddle for the Gigginstown House-owned contender, who reopposes the fifth, Josses Hill, and seventh, Uxizandre, from Cheltenham.

Uxizandre, winner of the Ryanair in 2015, was the big disappointment of the race and trainer Alan King will be hoping this in-and-out performer can bounce back under Barry Geraghty.

Gold Cup-winning rider Robbie Power tastes the fruits of his new relationship with owners Ann and Alan Potts in partnering Champion Chase runner-up Fox Norton for the first time.

The Colin Tizzard-trained seven-year-old was a closing neck behind Special Tiara at Cheltenham and this step up in trip will suit.

Last year’s Melling winner God’s Own blooms in the spring so should improve for his Champion Chase fifth, where he finished one place in front of Traffic Fluide and one behind Top Gamble, who was producing his best performance since winning a Fairyhouse Grade 2 last spring.

Lee double-handed

Top Gamble is one of two for trainer Kerry Lee, whose Kylemore Lough missed Cheltenham and has not done as well as expected since winning a Grade 1 at Fairyhouse 12 months ago. His best effort this season was at Ascot in the autumn when a head second behind Royal Regatta, who also missed Cheltenham and reopposes.

Same warm-up

God’s Own won this last year after finishing eight and a half lengths fourth in the Champion Chase, compared to seven and a half lengths fifth last month.

King Barry

No-one has won the Melling more than Barry Geraghty, who bids to add to triumphs on Moscow Flyer (twice), Finian's Rainbow and Sprinter Sacre with Uxizandre.

What they say

Colin Tizzard, trainer of Fox Norton
We think he’s going to be better going over further. We very nearly ran him in the Ryanair. He was a fast-finishing horse at Cheltenham and has had a straightforward preparation since. Robbie Power came over last week and schooled him. He’s a good jockey. Everything seems right and he’s got an obvious chance.

Philip Hobbs, trainer of Royal Regatta
On his best form he has a chance of being placed. He was going to run well at Aintree in the autumn in the Old Roan when he made an awful mistake at the first in the straight. He missed Cheltenham because he never runs well there.

Henry de Bromhead, trainer of Sub Lieutenant
He ran very well when second to Un De Sceaux in the Ryanair Chase and we're hoping he'll run to that sort of form again. He's in good order.

Gary Moore, trainer of Traffic Fluide
I was very pleased with him at Cheltenham. He'd have run a better race on softer ground and further in distance. We won’t get the ground so we’ve upped him in distance. Hopefully that will bring improvement out of him. He seems in good form at home and I’m hoping for a big run. I don’t see why Aintree will be a problem to him.

Alan King, trainer of Uxizandre
He didn’t run up to his best at Cheltenham, but when Un De Sceaux took him on it disappointed him a little bit. We’re going to put the visor back on. You can never be quite sure whether it will work a second time, but he was very good in it when winning the Ryanair Chase two years ago. The drying ground should suit, I’ve been happy with him since Cheltenham and he’s run well at Aintree before.